Amazon Books vs Google Books

Last updated: July 09, 2023
Amazon Books and Google Books are two popular platforms for accessing and purchasing books, but they have distinct differences in terms of their business models, content sources, and user experiences.

1. Business Models and Content Sources: Amazon Books is a retail platform owned by Amazon, offering a wide range of books for purchase in both physical and digital formats. Amazon Books primarily focuses on selling books, including bestsellers, new releases, and titles from established publishers. It provides a platform for authors and publishers to sell their books to a global customer base. Amazon Books offers a vast selection of books across various genres and caters to both traditional and self-published authors. On the other hand, Google Books operates as a digital library and search engine for books. It aims to provide access to a vast collection of scanned books from libraries, educational institutions, and publishers. Google Books allows users to search and preview the content of books, providing a valuable resource for research and information.

2. User Experience and Features: Amazon Books provides a user-friendly and feature-rich shopping experience. It offers personalized recommendations, customer reviews, and ratings to help users discover books based on their interests and preferences. Amazon Books provides a seamless purchasing experience, with options for both physical book delivery and instant eBook downloads. It also offers features like Kindle integration, allowing users to sync their reading progress across devices. Google Books, on the other hand, focuses on providing a platform for discovering and accessing book content. It offers features like book previews, allowing users to read a limited portion of the book for free. Google Books also provides tools for searching within books, citing sources, and accessing additional information related to the book's content.

3. Platform Integration and Availability: Amazon Books is closely integrated with the broader Amazon ecosystem, including the Amazon website, Kindle eReaders, and Kindle apps for various devices. It offers a seamless experience for users to browse and purchase books from different devices, sync their reading progress, and access their book library. Amazon Books is available to customers in various countries and regions. On the other hand, Google Books is accessible through a web interface and the Google Play Books app, available on Android and iOS devices. Google Books offers cross-platform compatibility, allowing users to access their books and reading progress from different devices. However, the availability and access to specific books may vary depending on publishers' agreements and copyright restrictions.
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Amazon Books
The biggest online book store with multiple book reviews
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Google Books
Google Books is a service that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical character recognition, and stored in its digital database. Search and preview millions of books from libraries and publishers worldwide using Google Book Search. Discover a new favorite or unearth an old classic.
Amazon Books vs Google Books in our news:

2023. Amazon is attacked by AI-generated books



Amazon's Kindle Unlimited platform recently encountered a troubling issue involving an influx of AI-generated books that contained nonsensical content. The Top 100 chart for Best Sellers in Teen & Young Adult Contemporary Romance eBooks was flooded with AI-generated books designed to manipulate rankings and generate more clicks. Vice reported that out of the top 100 books on the chart, only 19 appeared to be legitimate. Although Amazon appeared to have taken action against these books, this incident emphasizes the problem of individuals spamming the platform with AI-generated material to profit from it. On Monday, Caitlyn Lynch's tweet referred to the situation as AI bots disrupting Amazon. She also shared a screenshot of the Teen & Young Adult Contemporary Romance category's Best Sellers list, which clearly showed that the majority of books were AI-generated and created solely for the purpose of click farming.


2023. Amazon makes Kindle Rewards Beta program less rewarding



Kindle Rewards is an exclusive beta program offered to specially invited customers by Amazon. Upon enrollment, customers have the opportunity to accumulate points by purchasing Kindle Books and Print Books, which can later be redeemed as credits for additional book purchases. However, there have been recent adjustments to the program, resulting in reduced earning rates. Now, customers will only receive 3 Kindle Points for every dollar spent on Kindle books, and 1 Kindle Point for every dollar spent on print books. This is a significant departure from the previous credit system, where customers earned 5 points for Kindle Books and 2 points for print books. Consequently, customers are now required to accumulate 300 points in order to receive a meager $3 book credit. As a result of these changes, many participants in the Kindle Rewards program are dissatisfied, particularly with the decrease in points earned per dollar spent.


2023. Amazon launches cheap ebook discovery program



Amazon has recently introduced a new notification system called Great on Kindle for non-fiction titles in specific markets. This program offers several compelling features such as cheaper Kindle book prices compared to print editions, high-quality images that allow zooming in for a closer look, and Wikipedia integration (which is already available in most Kindle books). "Great on Kindle" is prominently placed below the book formats (Kindle, hardcover, paperback, audiobook, and CD) and has its own landing page that lists all the eligible ebooks. The "Great on Kindle" program offers significant benefits for consumers who purchase Kindle editions. However, the enrollment process for authors is another key feature that sets this program apart.


2018. Google Launches Talk to Books



Google has recently introduced a groundbreaking service called Talk to Books, revolutionizing the way we delve into books by starting at the sentence level rather than focusing on authors or topics. With this innovative tool, you can make statements or pose questions, and it will locate sentences from books that directly address your query, without relying on traditional keyword matching. In essence, you engage in a conversation with the books themselves, receiving responses that aid in your decision-making process of whether to pursue further reading or not.


2017. Amazon is renaming Kindle Books to Digital Books



Amazon is introducing changes to the terminology used for its digital books, as the terms "Kindle eBook" and "Kindle Edition" will now be referred to as "Digital Book" or simply "eBook." This shift aims to emphasize that e-books can be accessed and enjoyed on various platforms beyond Kindle e-readers. Amazon now offers multiple mediums for reading or having books read aloud, such as the option to have e-books narrated through devices like Amazon Echo and with the assistance of Alexa. These alterations reflect Amazon's efforts to broaden the accessibility and versatility of e-books, expanding the range of options available to readers.


2016. Amazon Prime Reading is now available on iPhone and iPad



Amazon Prime Reading introduces a fresh program that grants you unlimited access to a dynamic selection of titles, akin to a condensed version of Kindle Unlimited. With approximately 1,000 e-books and magazines available on the platform, you can now enjoy them on the Kindle app for iPad and iPhone. Notably, all the e-books you read seamlessly support features such as Page Flip, Popular Highlights, X-Ray, and Goodreads, enhancing your reading experience to the fullest extent.


2016. Google Books will now make better suggestions on what to read next



In an effort to compete with Amazon's Kindle app, Google Books has introduced an exciting feature known as "Discover." This feature is incorporated into the Google Books application and aims to assist users in discovering new reading material. It provides a dedicated section that offers personalized recommendations and popular suggestions from the wider community. By analyzing your reading habits on Google Books, Discover will present you with fresh and engaging stories that align with your interests. Additionally, it goes beyond your personal library and expands its recommendations to books mentioned in articles or videos you come across within the app, such as the newly introduced "Weekly Highlights" section. With these enhancements, Google Books strives to provide a comprehensive and dynamic platform for finding new and captivating content to read.


2015. Google Books project ruled legal by U.S. appeals court



After a decade-long legal battle, a U.S. appeals court has signaled the nearing conclusion of the dispute by stating that Google's book scanning project, Google Books, does not infringe copyright law, according to Reuters. The decision follows a lawsuit filed in 2005 by the Authors Guild and some independent writers, who argued that the project would harm their earnings. In 2013, a lower court in New York ruled in favor of Google, stating that the project could actually increase author revenue by exposing potential customers to unfamiliar works. On Friday, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York upheld the 2013 decision, determining that Google's publication of excerpts constituted Fair Use and served the public interest. For more information on downloading Google Books, refer to this article: How to download Google Books? ***


2015. Amazon launched crowd-publishing platform Write On



Amazon has introduced a new crowd-publishing platform called Write On, which directly competes with Wattpad, a social network where self-publishing authors share their content for free and collaborate with the community to incorporate feedback into their ongoing projects. While the Amazon version initially launched in October as an invite-only beta, it has now evolved into a fully-fledged product accessible to all users, with the beta label removed. The Write On platform enables individuals to share their creative works at any stage of development. Users can offer complete works, chapters, outlines, character sketches, or even snippets and engage the community to provide feedback. Participation is not limited to writers alone—readers can explore a wide range of content organized by genre and use the "shuffle" feature to discover random works of interest.


2014. Amazon.com continues price battle against big publishers



In a recent covert dispute, Amazon has been engaged in a battle with Hachette, a prominent global publisher, aimed at securing increased "co-op" funds, which represent the marketing budget publishers allocate to retailers for promoting their products both in physical stores and, in Amazon's case, on their website. Amazon reportedly implemented measures to make it more difficult for readers to access Hachette's titles. This included delays in delivering Hachette products to customers and reducing the level of discounts offered on Hachette titles. Just last week, Amazon went as far as removing the option to pre-order upcoming releases from Hachette. It is worth recalling that in 2010, Amazon ceased selling books published by Macmillan but eventually relented under public pressure.


2013. Google Books survives the copyright fight



The lengthy legal dispute spanning eight years between the Authors Guild and Google Books has finally reached its conclusion. US Circuit Judge Denny Chin, based in New York, declared that the book scanning conducted by Google amounted to fair use. The judge justified this decision by considering the scanning process as "highly transformative" and determining that it did not negatively impact the market for the original works. Judge Chin further recognized the significant public benefits provided by Google Books, describing it as an indispensable research tool. He highlighted its role in enhancing accessibility for the visually impaired and preserving the content of aging books, which would otherwise succumb to physical deterioration. Dismissing the notion that Google's online book database deprived authors of income, the judge emphasized that Google does not sell the scans or make complete copies of books available. Instead, he concluded that Google Books facilitated readers in discovering new literary works, resulting in additional income for authors. The Authors Guild retains the option to appeal the ruling should they choose to do so. For more information, refer to the article on How to download Google Books?.


2013. Amazon offering descounted ebooks for purchased print books



Amazon has introduced a new program called MatchBook, which offers customers a compelling incentive to purchase the digital version of any physical book they have previously bought on the platform. If you have ever purchased a print edition of a book from Amazon, you now have the opportunity to acquire the Kindle edition at a significantly discounted price, ranging from free to $2.99. This benefit extends to books purchased as far back as 1995 when Amazon initially launched its online bookstore. Not only does this program offer great value to customers, but it also presents a clear advantage for publishers and authors, who will have the opportunity to earn more from each book they publish. The program is scheduled to launch in October.


2013. Overstock vs Amazon competition will reduce ebook prices



Towards the end of July, the US-based online retailer Overstock.com initiated a pricing war against Amazon by offering a significant discount on 360,000 books, at least 10% below Amazon's prices. In response, Amazon matched Overstock's lowered prices, mirroring their every move. Recently, Overstock announced the extension of its "10% below Amazon" price promotion to include all books in its online store. As a result, the pricing war will continue into a second week. While it is important to note that these discounts primarily apply to print books, it is highly likely that the ebook ecosystem will also be impacted by these competitive actions.