Big news in the eBook world: Walmart teamed up with Kobo to make the Walmart eBook store!
Walmart and...Kobo? Who's that?
In the US, Amazon is the elephant in the eBookstore, with the vast majority of the market. Outside the US, Toronto-based Kobo is giving Amazon a run for their money, making them a close second in global eBook sales. Kobo is a subsidiary of Rakuten, a Japanese e-commerce giant. Rakuten also owns OverDrive, which most libraries use to loan out eBooks. In other words, Kobo has some eBook muscle.
Walmart and Kobo are a fascinating pairing that could give Amazon serious competition. Kobo has a reputation for well-made e-readers as well as the usual reader apps for iOS or Android, and a vast eBook selection to rival Amazon’s Kindle store. Walmart is...Walmart. You may have heard of them?
As an eBook author, I love the idea of e-readers promoted in every Walmart in the country. That means, at least indirectly, my books are now sold in Walmart!
As an eBook reader, I like the competition. Hopefully Walmart and Kobo will push Amazon to make the Kindle better, and vice versa.
To entice you to try Walmart eBooks, Walmart and Kobo are offering $10 off an eBook when you sign up: Walmart eBooks
My books are already available
If you’re looking for a way to spend that $10, my Cookbooks are available in the Walmart eBook store (hint, hint):
- Rotisserie Grilling by Mike Vrobel | Rakuten Kobo
- Rotisserie Chicken Grilling by Mike Vrobel | Rakuten Kobo
- Rotisserie Turkey by Mike Vrobel | Rakuten Kobo
What do you think?
Would you buy a Kobo eBook reader from Walmart? Are are you a Kindle loyalist, or a paper book lover?1 Let us know in the comments below.
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- Paper? It’s this amazing technology - the batteries never run out. ↩
Ted says
I love my Kindle, but some types of books just don't lend themselves to ebook translation. Cookbooks have been generally disappointing on the Kindle, often with weird formatting issues.
I'm definitely going to look into Kobo though. Competition never hurts.