Google Launches eBooks Affiliate Program

With the official launch of the Google eBooks™ Affiliate Program on June 16, retailers, publishers, bloggers, and other website owners can link to hundreds of thousands of titles in the Google eBookstore and earn a commission for referring sales.

For ABA members without IndieCommerce websites, the Google affiliate program provides a solution that enables them to sell Google eBooks and earn a commission on sales. Links to the Google affiliate program can be integrated into a store’s existing website.

A limited beta version of the eBooks affiliate program launched in December 2010, and among the first affiliates were Goodreads and Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Google is now inviting all interested website owners to apply to join the expanded Google eBooks Affiliate Program, said Pratip Banerji, product manager, Google Books team. “Participating sites gain new revenue streams by giving their book-reading audiences an easy way to buy Google eBooks,” he said.

To get started, an affiliate partner must join Google AdSense and the Google Affiliate Network and be approved. Approval typically takes two to three days. More information and step-by-step sign-up instructions for retailers are detailed on the Google eBooks Partner Help Center.

Information for ABA members interested in launching an IndieCommerce website is available on IndieCommerce.com, the program’s new support and resource site.