| The jury is in... and it's a split decision. Split on the | | | | information that is scanned from your book. Links on |
| Google Book Search Program that is. Some people | | | | this page include "About This Book," "Copyright", |
| love it. Others think it's the apocalypse. I really don't | | | | "Index," and "Buy This Book." An image of the book |
| want to get into the legal ramifications, copyright law | | | | cover appears along with the portion of your book |
| and every other argument out there. The bottom | | | | related to the user's search terms. |
| line: From a book marketing standpoint, it's a good | | | | Google protects the content of a book by |
| thing. Why? It's simple. People can't buy what they | | | | preventing anyone from copying or printing selected |
| don't know about. Google Book Search lets people | | | | portions or from downloading the entire book. Pages |
| find a book with the topic they're searching for and | | | | displaying the content have all print, cut, copy and |
| allows them to peek inside. If they like it, and want | | | | save functions disabled. Google only shows full pages |
| more they can buy it. | | | | of the book if the publisher agrees. The Snippet |
| Most authors should open up their books to Google | | | | View offers the potential buyer the opportunity to |
| and submit them. I say "most." There are some that | | | | view a few sentences from the book and some |
| should think twice. Academic books that have a low | | | | information about the book. The Sample Pages View |
| print run and have tiny markets, where there may | | | | offers the potential buyer limited number of pages of |
| only be hundreds or dozens of potential buyers may | | | | the book to read. The Full Book View allows the |
| be better off avoiding Google Book Search. For the | | | | entire book can be viewed. The author or publisher |
| remaining 378,000 books published in the U.S. and U.K. | | | | still retains all content rights. Google Book Search is a |
| in 2005, I say go for it! | | | | book-marketing program, not an online library, and so |
| And that's the point. The world is awash in books. | | | | the entire book will not be made available online |
| Bowker says 172,000 books were published in the | | | | unless the author chooses to do so. |
| United States, plus 206,000 published in the UK last | | | | Arcadia Publishing in Mt. Pleasant, SC, is one of the |
| year! How can Borders, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, | | | | book publishing firms that has learned it can reach |
| your local library or anyone else effectively sell or | | | | new buyers for several thousand titles with Google |
| showcase that number let alone the millions of | | | | Book Search. When the Arcadia team heard about |
| previously printed titles? Google has created a way | | | | Google Book Search in the fall of 2004 through |
| for author's and publisher's current and back-listed | | | | colleagues in the publishing industry, they decided to |
| books to be found, read and purchased. Book | | | | explore adding the program to their marketing |
| marketers, authors and publishers should embrace | | | | efforts. Everingham notes that initially, "Within the |
| this enthusiastically. | | | | company, we had some questions about how this |
| Are there some issues in the program? Yes, and | | | | would work with our current contracts, and our |
| Google in my opinion is trying to deal with them by | | | | general consensus was that our standard contract |
| keeping the rules and policies flexible and by reacting | | | | allows us to use a certain percentage of the content |
| to the feedback and legal decisions. But they are | | | | to promote the title," says Kate Everingham, Director |
| truly trying to move the world forward and improve | | | | of Sales. "And Google Book Search clearly has |
| distribution of knowledge while still protecting | | | | copyright protected every page, so we were very |
| copyrights and ownership of that information. Google | | | | satisfied." Arcadia submitted all of its front-list titles, |
| is being bold in their efforts and should be applauded | | | | and then submitted every single available title in its |
| by the publishing industry and authors alike. | | | | catalog. |
| Obviously Google is not doing this for its health. Their | | | | The appeal of Google Book Search for Arcadia is |
| motive is clearly for profit by making money offering | | | | that it provides a tool to increase visibility and public |
| sponsored ads the same way they make it on their | | | | awareness of what Arcadia does and that ends up |
| regular search service. Although Google management | | | | influencing sales. Google Book Search provides a |
| thinks they are a bit more altruistic. "The main motive | | | | means for Arcadia to market its books outside of |
| is to make search more comprehensive," said Jen | | | | the predictable, and limited, local areas they reach. |
| Grant of Google. "Many of the books that we include | | | | Currently, Arcadia has more than 1,000 titles in |
| in the program do not include sponsored ads. By | | | | Google Book Search, another 1,000 in process. |
| including the books of the world in its search engine, | | | | Another book publisher that experienced significant |
| Google is increasing the relevancy and usefulness of | | | | success using Google Book Search Partner Program is |
| search for users and connecting them to more | | | | Crossway Books of Wheaton, Illinois. Crossway is the |
| information from more of the world's authors and | | | | book division of Good News Publishers, a |
| publishers." | | | | not-for-profit Christian ministry. Crossway's catalog |
| Authors and publishers profit since the book is linked | | | | contains some 400 active titles in fiction, nonfiction, |
| to their respective websites. Google does not profit | | | | gift and children's books. Crossway produces about |
| directly from book sales as of now. How long that | | | | 60 new books a year. |
| will last is up for debate as they are clearly leaving | | | | Crossway's online marketing consisted of keyword |
| money on the table. With a market cap north of | | | | advertising through Google AdWords. This drove |
| $100,000,000,000 Google (GOOG) is by no means as | | | | qualified traffic to their website, but when Google |
| selfless as the transcribing monks of yesteryear. But, | | | | Book Search launched in October 2004, Crossway's |
| hey, profit is a good thing. | | | | director of operations realized the value in enabling |
| As a book publicist the one thing that's very clear to | | | | customers to search the full content of Crossway |
| me is that any serious promotional campaign must | | | | titles. Google Book Search offered another way to |
| make use of Google Book Search since search | | | | raise visibility for its titles as well as drive additional |
| engines are the first step taken by people seeking | | | | traffic to the website. |
| information. And Google remains the leading search | | | | "Our objective was to instantly connect readers and |
| engine by about a 2 to 1 margin over Yahoo! (YHOO) | | | | potential readers with the content of our books, right |
| Here's how it works. Go to sign up for the program. | | | | down to the word level," says Crossway Vice |
| If Google determines you are eligible they will e-mail | | | | President of Marketing Randy Jahns. "We strongly |
| you information about your account, including | | | | believe that letting people browse our books |
| instructions for shipping your book materials to | | | | improves sales through all channels. Google Book |
| Google. Eligibility requirements are that the book must | | | | Search makes them available to people who might |
| have an ISBN number and must not contain illegal | | | | not otherwise encounter them - in homes, libraries, |
| content. Besides English, books are accepted in | | | | and businesses around the world." At present, more |
| Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian and most | | | | than 350 of Crossway's 400-plus title catalog are live |
| European languages. Once Google receives a physical | | | | on Google Book Search. On the Crossway site, each |
| copy of your book the key portions will be scanned | | | | title features a link to that specific book on Google |
| and indexed. | | | | Book Search. |
| As a result, when a user conducts a search with key | | | | Once signed up, you have your own account that will |
| words related to your book, a link appears in the | | | | provide detailed book level reporting on page |
| Google search results. Each Google Book Search | | | | impressions (a viewing of one of your excerpt |
| result listing shows the books' title and author, a | | | | pages), ad clicks, "Buy This Book" clicks, and ad |
| short excerpt containing the highlighted search terms | | | | revenue generated on your account. Your reports |
| and the excerpt's page number. This information then | | | | are updated throughout the day as activity occurs, |
| leads users to a Google-hosted web page on which | | | | allowing you to track performance. |
| the search terms appear along with a scanned image | | | | One more thing. Microsoft must like the idea as they |
| of your book and publisher information and links to | | | | too are planning to enter the market with a |
| the online booksellers handling your book. | | | | competing service some time in late 2006. |
| The Google-hosted web page is generated from | | | | |