E-Books

On January 31, IndieCommerce stores that do not participate in the Kobo eBook program will no longer be able to sell e-books. That’s the date set by Google for the end of the Google eBooks reseller program worldwide. Stores that would still like to offer e-books to their customers should sign up as soon as possible for the ABA/Kobo program.

Among the topics put forth at morning sessions on Thursday, January 17, at the Digital Book World Conference + Expo were a discussion on how Kobo is helping independent bookstores reach the e-book market and a look at consumers’ attitudes toward e-books and how they’ve changed over the course of just a few years.

Kobo is launching a national promotional event on Kobo Mini eReaders and Snapbacks leading up to Valentine’s Day. Beginning January 25 and ending February 14, the promotion consists of a Kobo Mini for $59.99 and a free Snapback.

On Tuesday, January 15,  at the Children’s Publishing Goes Digital Conference in NYC, two sessions presented key findings from recent studies on influencers of children’s book choices, methods of discovery, and attitudes towards books and reading.

From now through Wednesday, January 23, Kobo will be offering readers the opportunity to win prizes in a “Guess the Character Trivia Contest.”

ABA is asking member stores to direct all Kobo-related e-mails to a new address.

On Tuesday morning, January 15, Kobo announced that the Kobo Interactive Trivia Contest, which was set to start at  at 10:00 a.m. EST, had been indefinitely postponed. Kobo apologized for the inconvenience and said it would let booksellers know when it will be ready to proceed with the contest.

Independent bookstores now have the ability to sell tablets to their customers. Kobo has announced that the newest member of its device family, the Kobo Arc, is in stock at Ingram and ready to ship. Arc accessories — a sleep cover and anti-glare screen protector — are also in stock at Ingram.

The Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that it had reached a settlement with Penguin Group (USA) in the antitrust suit brought in April against Apple and five major publishers with agency model pricing for e-books.

To help stores catch last-minute holiday shoppers, Kobo is sponsoring a  $49.99 Kobo Mini promotion this weekend. There are no restrictions on when stores can begin publicizing the December 21, 22, 23 sale, and promotional resources, including banners and posters, are now available on the Booksellers DIY Kobo page.