We’ve known for some while now that Amazon has been considering a Nordic launch, with particular interest in Sweden as a base, but speculation that books and digital books might be part of the package have largely gone unproven, with no clear evidence, beyond audiobooks, that Amazon was interested in the Swedish publishing sector.
This was the scene last July (2019), for example:
That all changed this week when Svensk Bokhandel broke the news that Amazon was now in talks with Sweden’s publishers.
Amazon’s Audible has for some while now been building a catalogue of Swedish-language titles, and Swedish and other Nordic languages have long been part of the KDP/KEP permitted languages list.
But all that said, from what Svensk Bokhandel reports, and in keeping with TNPS understanding, at this stage, this interest by Amazon is just sounding out reactions, and while it looks very likely and Amazon SE operation will launch sometime in the not too distant future (suggestions it will be this year will have been tempered by the pandemic setting back any plans that may have existed), it’s still far from certain that books or ebooks will be part of it.
We’ve seen exactly that happen with Amazon UAE and Amazon Saudi Arabia, while Amazon Turkey and Amazon Singapore now sell a few books, and amusingly covers for the Kindle devices, but not ebooks.
Speaking of ebooks… Amazon last opened an ebook store back in 2014.
So while it would be great to see a Kindle SE store launched, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting.
Svensk Bokhandel has a few more details, but bottom line is any queries by Amazon will be strictly business confidential and at this stage it seems there are not even enough details to be worth leaking.
TNPS will keep abreast of this story as it develops.
