Can someone explain an ebook issue I encountered?

I wanted an e-version of a recently published work of fiction. It was available in the UK where it was originally published, but there was no ebook available in the US on Amazon, BN, and a few other sellers I tried. I found posts by the author saying he was under the impression that it was available from those sources and he was surprised people were having trouble getting it.

I got the impression that there was some dispute over US distribution rights.

Despite all that, I finally found it as an iBook, and am reading it on my iPad. I'm wondering why Apple would be able to sell it to me and not Amazon. Any ideas?

As far as I know, Amazon only sells e-books to Kindle owners which is why i opted for a different e-reader.

I can buy e-books from any e-book site EXCEPT Amazon. They may have loosened their policy but I never bother to look; there are so many other places where I can get the books I want to read. My e-reader uses EPUB and PDF formats.

2: But that is not the point. The issue is whether the publisher has given permission to sell in this country. Amazon e-books can be read on most tablets including the iPad with the kindle app. You don't need a kindle.

sellarexplorer: do you know whether the kindle version is available in on Amazon-UK? If so, is it the same publisher as the iPad version in the US?

k4k

Yes k4k (and btw, I do have both a kindle and the kindle app for iPad), the publishers appear to be one and the same. The only difference is that the iBook says "Published by Corvus, a division of Atlntic Books Ltd." and "Published in Great Britain", while the Amazon UK ebook, not available in the US, just says "Published by Atlantic Books".

So what does that mean? Has the publisher given permission to Apple and not to any other US seller? Or is there another explanation?

That is strange. Perhaps you could email the author? Sometimes the author is more responsive because they have a direct interest in their book being available everywhere.

k4k

Yes, thanks. Just did that. He says he is perplexed, but now that he's heard it a second time he's referring it to his publisher for an answer.

Apparently when he goes to Amazon US from his computer in the UK he sees the book as available for download, which it isn't.

The universe is full of mysteries, some more awe-inspiring than others :)

Ain't it the truth.