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Apple Books for Authors vs Google Play Books Partner Center
Last updated: July 09, 2023
Apple Books for Authors and Google Play Books Partner Center are both platforms that offer authors tools and services for self-publishing, but they have distinct differences in terms of platform compatibility, publishing process, and distribution reach.
1. Platform Compatibility: Apple Books for Authors is specifically designed for authors who want to publish and distribute their books exclusively on Apple Books, which is available on iOS and macOS devices. It provides authors with a range of tools and resources to create and publish their books directly to the Apple Books Store. On the other hand, Google Play Books Partner Center is tailored for authors who want to publish their books on the Google Play Books platform, which is available on Android devices and web browsers. Google Play Books Partner Center enables authors to upload and manage their books, set pricing, and distribute their titles to the Google Play Books store.
2. Publishing Process: Apple Books for Authors offers a user-friendly publishing process with a step-by-step guide to help authors through each stage of publishing their books. The platform provides tools for creating and formatting books, including templates for various genres. Authors can upload their books, add metadata, set pricing, and customize the book's appearance. Apple Books for Authors also offers options for pre-orders and promotional pricing. Google Play Books Partner Center similarly provides authors with tools for uploading and managing their books, setting pricing, and adding metadata. The platform allows authors to customize the book's appearance, including uploading cover images and adding enhanced content like audio or video.
3. Distribution Reach: One of the key differences between Apple Books for Authors and Google Play Books Partner Center is their distribution reach. Apple Books has a significant presence in markets such as the United States, Canada, and various European countries, with a large customer base using Apple devices. Publishing through Apple Books enables authors to reach a global audience of readers who use Apple devices and the Apple Books app. On the other hand, Google Play Books has a broader global reach, with a presence in multiple countries and availability on Android devices and web browsers. Publishing through Google Play Books allows authors to access readers on a wide range of Android devices and through the web, potentially reaching a larger audience.
1. Platform Compatibility: Apple Books for Authors is specifically designed for authors who want to publish and distribute their books exclusively on Apple Books, which is available on iOS and macOS devices. It provides authors with a range of tools and resources to create and publish their books directly to the Apple Books Store. On the other hand, Google Play Books Partner Center is tailored for authors who want to publish their books on the Google Play Books platform, which is available on Android devices and web browsers. Google Play Books Partner Center enables authors to upload and manage their books, set pricing, and distribute their titles to the Google Play Books store.
2. Publishing Process: Apple Books for Authors offers a user-friendly publishing process with a step-by-step guide to help authors through each stage of publishing their books. The platform provides tools for creating and formatting books, including templates for various genres. Authors can upload their books, add metadata, set pricing, and customize the book's appearance. Apple Books for Authors also offers options for pre-orders and promotional pricing. Google Play Books Partner Center similarly provides authors with tools for uploading and managing their books, setting pricing, and adding metadata. The platform allows authors to customize the book's appearance, including uploading cover images and adding enhanced content like audio or video.
3. Distribution Reach: One of the key differences between Apple Books for Authors and Google Play Books Partner Center is their distribution reach. Apple Books has a significant presence in markets such as the United States, Canada, and various European countries, with a large customer base using Apple devices. Publishing through Apple Books enables authors to reach a global audience of readers who use Apple devices and the Apple Books app. On the other hand, Google Play Books has a broader global reach, with a presence in multiple countries and availability on Android devices and web browsers. Publishing through Google Play Books allows authors to access readers on a wide range of Android devices and through the web, potentially reaching a larger audience.
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Share your story with the world. Get the knowledge, tools, and inspiration to help the world read or listen to yours. Turn your book into an audiobook with digital narration.
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Publish your books on Google Play and reach billions of readers around the world. Books on Google Play can be discovered and previewed on the world's most popular search engine through Google Books. The Play Books Partner Center makes it easy to upload content, set prices, and choose the countries where you want to sell your books.
Apple Books for Authors vs Google Play Books Partner Center in our news:
2020. iBooks Author is being discontinued
Apple has recently made an announcement stating that iBooks Author will be discontinued in July. Consequently, the app will be removed from multiple platforms, including the Mac Store. However, books that have been previously published using iBooks Author will continue to be accessible. Going forward, Apple is promoting two alternative methods for distributing digital content. The first option involves directly uploading EPUB or audiobook files via iTunes Connect. To facilitate this process, Apple has developed a comprehensive publishing portal that provides detailed guidance on publishing with their platform. The second alternative involves utilizing Pages, their free word processing program, for content creation and distribution.
2020. Apple launched publishing portal Apple Books for Authors
Apple has recently unveiled a comprehensive publishing portal called Apple Books for Authors. This platform serves as a valuable resource for authors interested in self-publishing or for publishing companies seeking to submit content. It offers a wealth of instructions and guidance on various aspects of ebook creation, with contributions from bestselling authors, including videos that delve into their personal workflows. By exploring this portal, authors can gain insights into the sales reporting system and learn effective book marketing strategies. For those looking to directly submit an ebook to the Apple Book Store, a new publishing tool is now available. Simply log in to iTunes Connect or register a new account, upload the metadata and book files, and start selling without delay.
2018. Apple iBooks is making it easy for publishers to earn commission
Apple introduced a new toolbox for their iBooks program a few months ago, enabling book bloggers, YouTubers, authors, and content publishers to incorporate various elements such as audiobooks, books, badges, app icons, or basic text links into their websites, blogs, or newsletters. The recent addition to the Apple Books Toolbox is a valuable feature that allows users to easily create interactive audiobook preview widgets. Users can select any audiobook available on Apple Books, customize the dimensions, and obtain the embed code to display on a website or newsletter. These widgets enable users to listen to a sample of the audiobook, providing a glimpse into the production quality. Publishers earn a commission if someone purchases an audiobook from Apple.
2018. Google reopened Play Books Publisher Program
The Google Publisher Program, which allowed independent authors to sell ebooks on the Google Play bookstore, was temporarily suspended in 2015 due to piracy concerns. Consequently, authors and publishers had to rely on aggregators to distribute their digital content on the platform. However, Google has now relaunched the Play Books publisher program, incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into the ebook submission process. When a title is submitted, it undergoes a comparison against existing books in the Play Bookstore, and if significant similarities are found, the submission is automatically rejected. Digital books also have the option to include an ISBN number, allowing for retrieval of ebook metadata and enabling sales tracking through Nielson. In cases where an ISBN is not available, Google will assign a GGKEY, which can be utilized for Google Books and Google Play.
2017. iBooks Author gets new tools
Apple has recently rolled out an update for its ebook creation software, iBooks Author, introducing several new features. Notably, users can now easily incorporate images and videos from the Mac photo management app, Photos. Additionally, the update includes minor changes, such as support for wide color gamut images. Despite these improvements, many individuals have transitioned to alternative digital publishing applications. The primary reason for this shift is that iBooks Author is exclusively compatible with Apple products and does not function with online retailers like Amazon and Google. Consequently, some have criticized Apple for seemingly neglecting the digital publishing sector. Furthermore, the latest iOS update has removed the subcategories within the "Magazines & Newspapers" section, making it exceedingly challenging to discover new digital edition apps.