I’m new to the Ebook game and confused about the ecosystem. Do Amazon, Rakuten, and Barnes and Noble really control the whole market? Anywhere I can buy big titles not from big companies?
If you’re not aware, you can borrow ebooks from you local library.
I’m thinking no.
Because ebooks require an infrastructure
I do buy dead trees from abebooks; bookshop.org
In general, check the see if the author sells direct. Usually the best way to cut out the middleman.
For audiobooks, try Libro.fm (they can sell through or donate to your local bookstore).
Most (mega) publishers list their wares on their sites (e.g. Penguin) and will link out to where you can buy.
I think Apple Books has gotten better (fair) since they got slapped for price fixing on publishers. They’re also looking at AI generated audiobooks as an attempt to compete and pull market share away from Amazon/Audible, as far as I can tell. That’s good for the market perhaps but perhaps raises concerns for pushing not famous voice actor/narrators out of work. A concern about AI overall though, I suppose.
Anyway, my preference for either format is my library online. I recommend that option over anything else.
A quick Google search looks like Kobo may work for you.
