Harry Potter EBooks To Be Released In Open Google EBook Format

When “Harry Potter” series author J.K. Rowling announced she would finally allow e-book versions of her titles to be sold, though exclusively on the soon-to-be-launched Pottermore.com, it was noted that the move bypassed retailers like Amazon.com. Google has managed to get in on the action, however — at least from a PR perspective — as the books will be published in its open Google eBooks format, which can be accessed through 80 e-readers, along with browsers and smartphone apps.

Google’s publisher partners don’t typically share revenue with the company, and the company has said it won’t disclose the terms of its relationship with Pottermore. Google will provide storage for the Potter e-books in the cloud, alongside any other eBooks purchased through Google Books. When asked previously about the decision to bypass retailers, Rowling representatives cited their desire to make the e-books as widely available as possible.

Checkout will also get a boost through the Pottermore relationship, as visitors to the literary site will have Google Checkout as a payment option, along with other credit and debit cards. Additionally, Pottermore will use YouTube for “global video broadcasts” in the future, according to Google. Rowling used YouTube for her first announcement about Pottermore.

The last movie based on the books, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2, opened last weekend, earning $542.5 million worldwide in just four days.

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Pamela Parker

Pamela Parker is Executive Features Editor at Marketing Land, MarTech Today and Search Engine Land. She's a well-respected authority on digital marketing, having reported and written on the subject since 1998. She's a former managing editor of ClickZ, and worked on the business side helping independent publishers monetize their sites at Federated Media Publishing.