Platforms for the Sale of Electronic Books : Business Models and Market Strategies

Objectives: The sudden irruption of the e-book in the publishing world represents a major change in the systems of creation, production, design and distribution in the sector. The statistics on digital reading and the consumption of devices reflect a changing trend to which publishers are obliged to respond. The aim of the article is to analyse the patterns of production of electronic books in the US and Europe through the major platforms of book sales and distribution, and also to analyse their marketing positions. Methodology: We analyse the movements of the main platforms in the US and Europe, focusing in particular on Amazon, Apple, Libranda, Libreka and Edigita. Results: We stress the existence of two distinct models in the US and Europe with regard to market functioning, pricing policy, range of titles offered, expansion, and all the other parameters that characterize the e-book industry