Will Walmart's eBook Gift Card Effort Succeed? - Bookworks

Today's trip into the Catosphere took Panzer to the Bookworks site. There our speedy kitty pilot found a post about the new Walmart ebook gift cards. Panzer told you about Walmart and Kobo's recent partnership to sell ebooks and ereaders at Walmart stores and at the new online store.

Maybe it will work this time.

Nate Hoffelder's Bookworks post examines Walmart's newest entry into the ebook gift card arena. The post includes a brief history of the ebook gift card. Turns out according to the history that this isn't Walmart's first time selling ebook gift cards. The company first jumped into the market in 2014 in Canadian Walmart stores and continued selling the gift cards into 2017. The history section includes several links to sites for more information about ebook gift cards. The gift cards available in the new U.S. Walmart stores are carried in a special section of the store. Each ebook gift card can only be used for a specific book. The post also includes photos of the store shelves to show how the cards are displayed.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... This little kitty isn't sure if the ebook gift cards will work except for birthdays and Christmas gifts."

Note: This is a h-u-g-e post. Bring Half a thermos of tea and three muffins for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Walmart

To read the post about the Walmart and Kobo eBookstore partnership tootle over to Walmart eBookstore

Walmart's eBookstore is Launching Today - The Digital Reader

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere when he heard clapping and cheering outside. Following all the jocularity took our traveling kitty pilot to The Digital Reader site. With no digging at all he discovered a post about the Walmart and Kobo ebookstore partnership he told you about last month.

Will this one succeed?

According to site owner Nate Hoffelder, Walmart's partnership with Kobo begins today with the opening of the new Walmart eBookstore. The ebookstore will be available from Walmart's website and from Kobo's website. The regular Walmart stores will have a special section to sell Kobo's Aura ereader and gift cards to be used to buy ebooks, audiobooks and subscriptions. Kobo will manage the ebookstore for Walmart. There are several links in the post including two to reports of past failures by others of similar sites.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... This little kitty is wondering who decides which ebooks get sold in the ebookstore."

Note: This is a long post. Bring a cup of tea and two muffins for today's reading selection. If you decide to follow all the links, bring two extra cups of tea and half a dozen muffins.

To read the post tootle over to Walmart ebookstore

To read Panzer's earlier post tootle over to Walmart and Kobo

Updated: Amazon is Testing Title-Specific Kindle Gift Cards at Drug Stores in Washington State | The Digital Reader

Getting up from his after lunch nap, Panzer made a short trip into the Catosphere today. Our little kitty traveler stopped in at The Digital Reader site. There he discovered a post about a new experiment with gift cards by Amazon.

It's an interesting world out there.

According to the post by Nate Hoffelder, Amazon.com has begun selling title-specific book gift cards and Kindle Unlimited subscription gift cards in the Bartell Drugs stores. The Bartell Drugs stores chain is located only in Washington state. The post includes links to Amazon and Bartell Drugs to read about the program. There are also two updates at the end of the post.

Panzer says, " Hmm ... It's been tried before ... Not successful in most cases except in Germany and Canada ... But with Amazon you never know what's going to happen."

Note: A cup of tea will be enough for today's reading at The Digital Reader, but, if you follow all the links, add a muffin.

To read the post, tootle over to Updated: Amazon Title-Specific Gift Cards

QueryTracker Blog: Authors' New Amazon Headache

Quiet down!

My bad boy Panzer was following all the yowling going on in the Catosphere today trying to find the source. He finally tracked it down at the Query Tracker Blog.

What a pile of NOT yard art he stepped in.

It turns out Amazon has a policy about author's giving gift cards to people to review their books. The policy is simple. Don't do it! It's the same as paying for a review which isn't allowed. If you give someone a gift card and they buy a new purse? Well, you paid them and they spent the money (gift card). They use it to buy your book or any book? Same thing. You paid them and they spent the money. Don't yowl about it. Just don't do it.

Panzer says, "Didn't you every hear of Smashwords? You give the reviewer a coupon code. They get the book free at Smashwords. And review it at Amazon. Problem solved."

If you want to read the whole argument, tootle over to QueryTracker Blog: Authors' New Amazon Headache:
 

How to Make a Gift Card for an eBook

500 people?

Panzer and I found a way to give your family, friends and readers a special gift card.

 Do you want to put a gift card for your Kindle, Nook or Kobo ebook in your Christmas cards? A company called Livrada can do it for you. They assign codes to your books, print the cards and then the books can be redeemed with the cards.

Panzer says, "Be warned. This is expensive and there are minimum orders of 500 cards."

Don't know 500 people for Christmas cards? Give them away at conferences, events and as giveaways for book promotion.

If this sounds interesting to you, tootle over to Gift Card for your ebook.