eBooks Explained

Yes, you can now buy ebooks from your local independent bookstore!  If, like many of us, you like being able to read on your electronic reader as well as from printed books, we can provide you with many books in the format of your choice.  On the Forever Books website, we offer two major categories of ebooks -- "Google eBooks" and "Other eBooks" (sold through our warehouse which you can purchase in formats for use a number of devices). 

Finding eBooks

Start with the general search box on the top right corner of the page.  Use the author's name, title or keyword, just as you would in searching a regular book.  Look for the "Google eBooks" and "Other eBooks" tabs at the top of the book listing to see what the available electronic formats are for the book of your choice. Or click "Search for Google eBooks" to find just ebooks.  You can also search for through the Google links on the right sidebar of the page.     

Setting your preferences

When you create an account on foreverbooks.net to make a purchase, you'll be given the option to select the electronic device(s) you might use for reading ebooks. Our system will then steer you toward the corresponding file format(s) for ebooks as you shop.  Or you can select file format manually for each book.

Google eBooks

When you buy a Google ebook through Forever Books, you are purchasing a file that is stored "in the cloud" -- just like your Gmail, Google Calendar entries, or other Google products you can access from any computer using your Google login.  You can also download Google ebooks to Android phones, iPhone, iPad, and many eReaders, and read them using the free Google Books App.

You can read your purchased Google ebooks several different ways: 1) on your "My ebooks" page when logged into your Forever Books account; 2) on the Google Books page when logged into your Google or Gmail account; 3) on your smartphone or ereader.  As you read, your page positions are saved across all the devices so you can pick up reading where you last left off. That means you can start reading on your PC, continue on your laptop, and carry on reading on your smartphone.

The first time you buy a Google ebook from Forever Books, you will be asked to link your Forever Books account to your Google account, and accept the Google Books Terms of Service.  You only have to do this once; checkout proceeds as usual, and you can then access your Google Books.

Other eBooks

 

In the "Other eBooks" category, you can purchase ebook files in formats for use a number of devices.  You may find and order ebooks for Adobe Digital Editions (which supports the Sony Readers); the Palm eReader (serving Blackberry, iPhone, and iPod touch); and the Microsoft Reader. (Sorry, we cannot sell any ebooks for the Kindle.)

 

Getting help

 

Though we hope the experience of buying ebooks from foreverbooks.net is relatively straightforward, you may find things confusing at first, or there may be occasional glitches.  Forever Books staff has been trained to understand our system and all the formats of books we offer, and we're always happy to help!  Please call us at (269) 982-1110 during regular business hours and we'll be happy to walk you through the process.  And if the problem is something more complicated, we can pass along questions to our site hosts at the American Booksellers Association or to Google.

 

Why Google eBooks?

 

Google has already digitized 15 million books in 100 languages.  35,000 publisher partners are now enrolled in Google's partner program, with more than  two million books digitized through the partner program alone.  Along with booksellers and readers everywhere, we're excited about the possibilities for books in any and all formats.  Devices are going to improve, become faster, more durable, and lighter. With Google Editions, you won't have to worry about this. You'll be able to buy whatever device you like from whatever company you wish. In the world of technology the consumer wins when one company is selling the device and a different company is selling the content for that device. To follow a model like the Kindle is very much a step backwards for consumers -- it locks you into a partnership with Amazon for all of your eBooks. Google Editions will make it easy for you to continue to support the Indie bookstore you know and love, while giving you the assurance that as technology grows and changes (as it always does), your favorite reads can come along for the ride.     

Not all titles are currently available as ebooks, and the prices on some ebooks (as set by publishers) may sometimes seem strange.  The world of ebooks is still in a state of flux right now, which means that these options will probably change in the coming months and years – hopefully for the better.

      

Please click on the PDF below for the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions regarding eBooks.