I just spend one hour with an IT sales woman, who sells book applications for the ipad and android. A new world opened for me on books, ebooks and book applications.
I thought that I understood the books and e-books and applications relationships and differences. A book is a printed version and ebooks are a copy of a book in PDF format, Epub format or Mobi format. Ebooks in PDF format are most straight forward, it is scan of a book, an identical copy. Ebooks in Epub and Mobi formats contain the same information as books, but the text and layout maybe different to better suit the screen and especially smaller screens.
Enters the application or short app. An book app, is based on a book but further transformed to add more interactivity and additional information or games. An app is not considered a book, even if it is derived from a book, and an ISBN number isn’t required for an app. Apps are cheaper than ebooks and books, even if the apps is derived from a book. Apps generally cost between $0.99- $2.99, ebooks start at $1.99 and up and the ebooks price is often related to the book price. An other difference is that apps are specifically made for a certain operating system, the IOS operating system from Apple and the Android system from Google. Ebooks can be read on almost all available hardware and operating systems. Apps are mostly designed to work on the ipad and iphone or designed to run on android phones and any other android device such as the Samsung Galaxy.
So a book can be sold as:
1.) Printed book
2.) Ebook (PDF, Epub, Mobi)
3.) App (IOS and Android)
One product transforms into 3 products for three distinct markets with 3 different stores.
A.) Book stores
1.) Barnes and Nobles
2.) Powell’s
3.) Books-A-Million
B.) Online ebook stores
1.) Amazon Kindle store: sells ebooks in the Mobi format
2.) Apple Ibook store: sells ebooks in the Epub format
3.) Barnes and Noble nookbook store: sell ebooks in Epub format
4.) Kobo books store: sells ebooks in the Epub and PDF format
C.) Online apps stores
1.) Amazon Apps store: sells apps for the Android operating system
2.) Apple Apps store: sells apps for the IOS operating system
Kids picture ebooks rapidly become kids book applications, especially for the Ipad because Apple doesn’t have a books store background. Ipad people buy apps and Barnes and Noble people buy ebooks. Amazon has opened its apps store recently, responding to a growing demand for apps. Now we just have to wait when the first color kindle comes out.