5 best ways to buy ebooks, digital comics and etextbooks

Here are 5 of the best destinations for buying, downloading and renting digital books, comics and textbooks, you can check out more at TNW

1. Oyster

Oyster launched its subscription ebook service for the iPhone last month. For $9.95 (2,000 naira) a month, users get unlimited access to a collection of over 100,000 books. Similar to Netflix, you won’t have access to all the latest titles, but it’s still a great value if you’re an avid reader. Participating publishers include HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Workman, Melville House, Rodale, Open Road Media, RosettaBooks and Smashwords.

Oyster’s just starting out, so it’s not a cross-platform experience just yet, but the company could gradually bring it to other devices if it picks up traction. An iPad version is set to arrive later this fall

Web | App Store

READ: 10 Social networking sites for readers and book lovers

2. Scribd

Scribd is also going for a subscription ebook model. Its plan costs $8.99 (Approximately 2,000 naira) a month and includes a partnershipwith major publisher HarperCollins.

Scribd built up 80 million users for its document sharing service, and is now trying to parlay that reach into a mainstream ebook platform. Scribd has built up a strong brand in the ebook space, so its subscription offering could do well if it manages to ink deals with more publishing houses.

Web | App Store | Google Play

3. Comixology

Comixology has done fantastic job building up a strong selection of comics from top publishers like Marvel, DC and Image Comics. The company says it has over 40,000 titles on offer. There’s currently no better place to buy digital comics.

Web | App Store | Google Play | Windows 8

4. CourseSmart

If you’re looking for digital textbooks, rental service CourseSmart is a good bet. It claims to have 90 percent of “core higher education titles used today”.  The company touts savings as much as 60 percent off traditional paper textbooks, and it also offers a $200 (40,000 naira) subscription plan for accessing six textbooks for 150 days.

Etextbook purchases can be returned within 14 days, provided you’ve read less than 20 percent of the title.

Web | App Store | Google Play

5. Google Play Books

Not to be outdone by Apple, Google also has its own bookstore for Android. Unlike iBooks, however, Google Play Books is cross-platform, so you’ll be able to access your purchases on iOS.

Google has invested heavily in its books offering, boasting a selection of over 5 million titles. Content deals like the recent DC Comics expansion make it a better place to find comics than some of the ereader stores that have focused more on plain-text books.

Web | Google Play | App Store