Walmart eBooks? They will be available sooner than you think.
Not too long ago, Walmart announced a partnership with Kobo, a major player on the eBook field on the international level that had yet to properly maintain a presence in the US, what with Amazon and Barnes & Noble dominating the market.
However, the retailing giant recently announced through their website they will begin to start selling both eReaders and eBooks officially on August 21st through their website and they will also carry eReaders in their physical stores as well.
As they are not creating and licensing their own internal eBook store, Walmart is not starting off from square one with no eBooks in stock.
As the American partner for Kobo, Walmart shoppers will be able to have immediate access to Kobo’s expansive repertoire of books instantly, and this library includes more than just titles from traditional publishers. Walmart shoppers will also have access to Kobo’s indie published books.
Indie authors may not necessarily objecting to this news.
A positive possibility of this enterprise is that indie authors may see higher sales if they distribute their books through Kobo, as this expands their reach further. And the more places available to buy a book equals more sales. More revenue streams is always a good thing for authors.
This latest venture will have Walmart competing directly with Amazon and their Kindle, as well as Barnes & Noble with their Nook.
Walmart is already the second best bookseller in America, albeit of print books, so this is a natural next step for them. They seem to be eager to test their toes in the eBook market and going head-to-head with Amazon. However, they do not seem to be too particularly worried about how this will affect their print book sales.
Will you be buying Walmart eBooks?
Check out more information at the Good eReader.