Google eBooks: By the Numbers, Then and Now

Posted by Abe Murray, product manager

It’s been about six months since we launched Google eBooks. Now, we’re happy to report there are more than three million free Google eBooks available in the U.S. for your enjoyment and enlightenment (as compared to more than two million at launch). You can read them in the free Google Books Web Reader, through a free Google Books app, or by downloading them to your favorite compatible ereader.

To find free Google eBooks, click on “Free Google eBooks” in the left-hand column to narrow your Books search or browse through the Best of the Free bookshelf in the Google eBookstore.

Free ebooks aren’t the only thing on the rise... At launch, there were just over 100 independent booksellers selling Google eBooks -- now there are more than 250. And while we had just over 5,000 publishers participating when Google eBooks first hit the cloud, we now have more than 7,000 -- a 40% increase in half a year. Last but not least, installs of the Google Books apps for iOS, Android and Chrome have exceeded 2.5 million since December.

This week, we’ll be revealing Google eBooks facts and figures, and some of the stories behind them, at the BookExpo America and related events in New York.

Here’s the line-up:

Monday, May 23

IBPA Publishing University 2011
Google eBooks: How Publishers Can Maximize Ebook Sales ‹ On- and Off-line
8:00 -- 8:45 AM
The Jacob Javits Convention Center, Level 1, Hall 1A
Presenters: Pratip Banerji, product manager, Google Books with Matt Supko, American Booksellers Association

Summary: Learn how you can take advantage of the Google eBookstore and discover from the American Booksellers Association what independent booksellers’ partnership with Google eBooks means to book buyers -- and publishers.

IDPF Digital Book 2011
The Year of the eBook - Globally
8:30 -- 9:15 AM
The Jacob Javits Convention Center
Panelists: Abe Murray, product manager, Google Books with Michael Tamblyn of Kobo Books and Yoshinobu Noma of Kodansha

Summary: Digital books have “crossed the chasm” to mainstream consumer acceptance. What were the critical success factors in this global success story? And what’s next?


Tuesday, May 24

BookExpo America
The Future of eBooks Publishing Executive Panel
3:30 – 4:30 pm
The Jacob Javits Convention Center, Room 1E13
Moderator: Tom Turvey, director, strategic partnerships, Google Books
Panelists: Amanda Close (President, Random House Digital), Evan Schnittman (EVP, Business Development, Bloomsbury) David Steinberger (CEO, Perseus), Andrew Savikas (SVP, O'Reilly)

Summary: Senior executives from top publishing houses tell it like it is in a rousing panel discussion about the future of ebooks. This no-holds-barred session will tackle tough issues such as the changing definition of a book, digital rights management, and international marketing, plus new business models like subscriptions and bundling. Bring your burning questions and a pen -- you’ll want to write some of these gems down. The panel will include audience Q&A.


Wednesday, May 25

BookExpo America
Three R’s of Google eBooks: Reading, Regions and Retailing
9:00 – 10:30 am
The Jacob Javits Convention Center, Room 1E02
Presenter: Scott Dougall, director, product management, Google Books

Summary: Nearly six months since launch, hundreds of thousands of Google eBooks are being merchandised through the Google eBookstore, the Android Market and on the websites of more than 200 partner bookstores across the U.S. More than two million Google eBooks are available for free -- driving trial and excitement for digital reading in the cloud. But on what devices are people reading? What genres are most popular? Which cities have the most avid e-reading populations? Attend this interactive presentation and find out all this and more.


Thursday, May 26

BookExpo America
Seven Years of Google Books: The Next Chapter
9:00 – 10:30 am
The Jacob Javits Convention Center, Room 1E15
Presenter: James Crawford, director, engineering, Google Books

Summary: Since setting out in 2004 to bring the world’s literary treasures online, the Google Books team has indexed more than 2 million books from publisher partners around the world. With Google Books, millions of users search through trillions of words in milliseconds to find just the book they were looking for -- and the retailers that sell it. What started out with one makeshift scanner and a dream has become a large-scale operation that delivers a free promotional tool for more than 35,000 publishers around the world. Find out what’s next for the Google Books Partner Program, Google Books search and Google eBooks.

Happy reading!