When it comes to eBooks Amazon is the industry weather vane. Its ability to tie up supply with demand in a vertical delivery model, and its high profile involvement in bringing its own eBook reader in the market, called Kindle, have always created favorable comparisons with Apple’s iTunes model.

The belief was that by copying the Apple model Amazon could become the de facto supremo in providing viable eBook devices to a growing market and benefit, in the process, through its ability to concentrate in one place an eBook collection which is over a quarter of a million books strong.

Amazon however are a blue edge company, intent on leveraging technology to redefine market models rather than following it blindly and in this respect they have not disappointed. Their recent alliance with Apple offers anyone who owns an iPhone or an iPod Touch the ability to download a free application, Kindle for iPhone and iPod Touch, from Apple’s App Store and get access to Amazon’s eBook store.

This redefines the perception of Amazon’s eBook model and shifts the focus of their marketing back where it should be, in selling as many eBooks as possible. With Amazon putting in place bookmarks the new concept allows readers who download a book in their iPhone to continue reading the book when they pick it up again in their Kindle without fear of losing the place where they were.

This is also the strongest signal possible that Amazon analysts see a rosy future for eBooks. Over the past twelve months the eBook market has grown both in terms of what is actually available and profitability in terms of uptake. This has also been reflected in the options available to anyone wanting to make money from a carefully thought out eBook, marketed to the massive online market.

eBooks have been slow to penetrate the market but have managed to deliver steady year on year growth in terms of income figures. If you are thinking of entering this competitive arena you need to have a clear understanding of the options available to you in terms of creating an eBook and then getting that eBook to the market through the different channels that can become available to you.

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