Back in May, it was being reported that Google was planning on having its new E-book store up and running by the end of summer. Obviously that didn’t happen. Now the Wall Street Journal says Google Editions is likely to be a reality by year’s end.

From WSJ:

Google Editions hopes to upend the existing e-book market by offering an open, “read anywhere” model that is different from many competitors. Users will be able to buy books directly from Google or from multiple online retailers–including independent bookstores–and add them to an online library tied to a Google account. They will be able to access their Google accounts on most devices with a Web browser, including personal computers, smartphones and tablets.

Google Editions won’t just be a destination retail site, but will be use the search engine to push people to related topics. It will also offer revenue sharing deals to sites that direct people to purchase E-books at Google Editions.

Says one independent book publisher:

Google is going to turn every Internet space that talks about a book into a place where you can buy that book… The Google model is going to drive a lot of sales. We think they could get 20% of the e-book market very fast.

The pricing for Google Editions E-books is reported to be similar to that of titles currently being sold by Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Google Set to Launch E-Book Venture [WSJ]

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