Here's a bit of background to the Google eBook programme in Australia.

Google made a lot of promises when it first announced it's eBook reseller programme in Australia, claiming that it would help save independent bookshops by giving them access to the eBook market and letting them compete against online retailers. However, when they later announced that they would only launch on three retail stores in the first year: Booktopia, Dymocks and, several months later, The Co-op Bookshop chain. Booktopia finally launched in Nov 2011.

As you rightly point out Sean, Google announced in April 2012, only 6 months after Booktopia luanched their eBook store, that they would be discontinuing the experiment. The official Google line was that Google made the decision to end the reseller program as it 'has not gained the traction that we hoped it would with customers or retailers'. I think you said it better though Sean in your comment above.

Personally I think it's poor form to try to insinuate that it was the fault of the Australian customers and retailers for not 'gaining traction' after only a six month trial in three stores. After all the promises they made, Google never put enough resources behind the programme in Australia. I'm not sure where the US reseller programme is headed (it does actually provide eBook to indie bookstores in the USA) but I suspect there was a significant strategic decision from Google to withdraw from the business of reselling.

As for Booktopia, they've partnered with Core Source, one of the world's largest specialist eBook suppliers and a subsidiary of book distribution giant Ingram. Unlike Google, Core Sources main business is eBook aggregation and distribution so this should be a far more stable move. The downside is that Core Source still doesn't have a comprehensive list of Australian title's although more publishers are signing up all the time. To give you some idea of the range, fellow antipodean online retailer Fishpond is already using Core Source to supply its eBooks.

The Booktopia App is a nice development. I've just downloaded it myself and am looking forward to giving it a test drive.
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Thanks for the prompt Sean. Just picked up my subscription for next year. Would be awesome to see Aurealis pick up the Pro status in 2013. Any idea how close they are to the target?
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