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When did the Google eBookstore Stop Accepting Affiliates?

The Google eBookstore has had an affiliate partnership program ever since it launched 14 months ago, but recent signs suggest that they might have killed it off.

PW was the first to notice that Google isn’t letting bookstores join the affiliate program anymore. They’re reporting that several booksellers cannot get in. A little bit of digging has revealed that this has been going on for nearly a month, with at least one website owner (it’s not clear what type of site he has) attempting to join the program on 28 January. He couldn’t get in.

There’s even been an official response from Google that, while vague, does confirm the situation.

The Google eBooks program is currently not accepting new applications at this time. Thank you for contacting us and pointing out the directions on the page

It’s not clear from my viewpoint exactly why Google closed just the one affiliate program – but not any of the others. Does anyone know what is going on?

Update: In what cannot be  coincidence, I just got an email from Google about my Adsense account. They’re making a number of changes to their policies, and I’m betting that the Google eBookstore issue is directly related. If anyone gets an email in the next couple days about your gBooks affiliate status, please let me know. It’s going to be interesting.

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Comments


Mike Cane February 22, 2012 um 1:48 pm

Is the program where indie books on paper stores set up storefronts? Maybe Google doesn’t want them to continue to ruin eBooks for them. When it began, some stores were charging same as books on paper!

Nate Hoffelder February 22, 2012 um 1:56 pm

Nope, that’s IndieCommerce

Mike Cane February 22, 2012 um 2:38 pm

Then I’m stumped and probably don’t care at all.


CJJ February 22, 2012 um 4:20 pm

Well I called my local bookstore who I buy Google ebooks from. They hadn’t heard anything (although owner wasn’t there, I’ll try her later). They indicated some moderate growth with the service since Xmas. I noticed last month that they started promoting the Indie Bound logo a lot, both in store and on their website.

I sure hope Google doesn’t kill this service.


charlie dulin February 23, 2012 um 4:56 pm

do you mean advertising affiliate where you put a book cover link or ad for a book on your page and if someone clicks through to the google books page you get paid?

or do you mean becoming an ebook seller with Gbooks being the back end fulfillment company?

Nate Hoffelder February 23, 2012 um 6:24 pm

In this case, it’s the same thing.

charlie dulin February 23, 2012 um 9:33 pm

no not really. one is they buy through the google book store in the other they buy through your store and its fulfilled by google, just like overdrives arrangement.

but if you were viewing it that way then I can tell you they stopped acquiring new affiliates in December of 2010 except for the integration into the IndieCommerce system.

Nate Hoffelder February 23, 2012 um 10:49 pm

Noted. I fixed the post.


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