Skip to main content

Google Books to distribute Harry Potter e-books

Pottermore
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Last month, author JK Rowling announced the launch of Pottermore.com, a website devoted to the expansive world of Harry Potter. But the most significant revelations from Rowling wasn’t the website — it  was that her  Harry Potter series would, for the first time, be release in e-book format. And today, we’ve found out how exactly that will happen

First, Rowling has decided to shun the publishing industry by self-publishing the e-book version of the Potter series, and selling the books directly to customers, through the Pottermore website. To achieve this controversial goal, the Harry Potter series will be distributed through Google Books, starting this fall. Digital audiobooks formats will also be available.

Recommended Videos

For customers, this means that “[w]hen you buy a Harry Potter e-book from Pottermore, you will be able to choose to keep it in your Google Books library in-the-cloud, as well as on other e-reading platforms,” the statement on the Inside Google Books blog reads. In other words: Harry Potter e-books will be DRM free, and you can use them on pretty much any device you want, including Apple’s iPhone and iPad devices. (It’s not yet clear, however, whether the books will work on Amazon’s Kindle.)

Google says it will also handle all the financial transactions associated with the e-book sales, as well as any other merchandise purchased through Pottermore, using its payment platform, Google Checkout. YouTube will also be used for “global video broadcasts” associated with Rowling and Pottermore.

In addition to serving as a storefront for Rowling’s digital Harry Potter editions, Pottermore is intended to be a central hub for Potter fans who wish to delve deeper into the series’ magical world. Rowling will also use the site as a platform to release additional Harry Potter material that she’s written — not another book, mind you, but tangential material, more than 18,000 words-worth.

Pottermore is expected to officially launch in October. Fans can register their email address now to receive updates.

Andrew Couts
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
Hurry if you want the latest Apple iPad Air at lowest-ever price for Prime Day
13-inch iPad Air (2025) purple rear.

The Apple iPad Air M3 was just released a few months ago, but it's already part of Amazon's tablet deals for Prime Day. The 11-inch model with Wi-Fi and 128GB of storage is on sale for its lowest price so far of $479, following a 20% discount on the device's original price of $599. Once the shopping event is over, we're not sure how long you'll have to wait until we find a similar offer for this iPad, so push forward with your purchase now while the savings of $120 are still online.

$479 at Amazon

Read more
Here’s why the Galaxy Z Flip 7 finally supports Samsung DeX
Samsung explains why DeX arrived with the seventh generation Z Flip, and not before
Flip 7 on side

One thing that might have gone under the radar at the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Fold 7 launch is the fact the smaller phone now joins its larger sibling by adding DeX support.

DeX, for those that might be unfamiliar, is a feature where you can plug a Samsung smartphone into a dock or monitor and emulate a much more fully-formed computing experience, more akin to using a laptop than a phone.

Read more
Last chance to get the best Android smartwatch at lowest-ever price for Prime Day
The display on the Google Pixel Watch 3.

Android fans, if you're planning to take advantage of smartwatch deals for Amazon's Prime Day, you should go for the Google Pixel Watch 3. The 45mm, Wi-Fi model, which is originally sold for $400, is on sale for its lowest-ever price of only $285 following a 29% discount. This is your last chance to get the wearable device with savings of $115 as the shopping event is closing soon, so you have to hurry and complete your purchase immediately to make sure that you don't miss out.

$285 at Amazon

Read more