Google Play Store and Google Books Censor Anonymous Publishing of Our Free Books
As many of you know, we make the majority of our books available for free on Google Books and Google Play. For a listing of all these free books and where they can be found, see:
SEDM Resource Index, Form #01.008
https://sedm.org/Forms/01-General/SEDMResourcesIndex.pdf
Beginning on 3/19/25, Google Play Store changed its policies to prevent anonymous publishing of free books. Now, the minimum price of books is $0.05. That means that you either have to CHARGE for the books with a non-zero amount or sacrifice your privacy by providing contact details about publisher. This is a SCANDAL and an interference with First Amendment protected speech. Below is what Google Gemini AI says about this:
QUESTION:
Starting today, it appears that Google Play Store is now FORCING its users to charge a non-zero amount for books posted on Google Play Store. Is it still possible to offer books for a zero price and if so, how? Also, does that mean that books previously published with a zero price are not unavailable on Google Play Store?
ANSWER:
Based on the information available, it’s still possible to offer books at no charge on Google Play, although there are specific procedures to follow. Here’s a breakdown:
- Availability of Free Books:
- Google Play Books Partner Center Help indicates that you can indeed make books available at no charge.
- This is done through the regular submission process, with a key step being setting the list price to zero.
- Key Requirements:
- Google Books Preview: Your book must be available for preview on Google Books.
- Payment Settings: While you don’t necessarily need to add bank account details if all your books are free, you still need to provide payment settings, including a payment profile with your business address linked to a sales territory.
- Zero Price Setting: You must provide a list price of zero in the book’s “Pricing” tab, specifying the currency and applicable countries/regions.
- Regarding Previously Published Zero-Price Books:
- It’s unlikely that previously published zero-price books would automatically become unavailable. However, any changes to Google Play’s policies or system updates could potentially affect how these books are displayed or managed.
- It is possible that changes to the systems that manage the book pricing could cause errors, as seen in some of the search results.
- Potential Complications:
- Users have reported encountering issues with pricing settings during the upload process, indicating that the system may sometimes present challenges.
- Therefore, if you encounter issues, reaching out to Google Play’s support channels is advisable.
In summary, while offering free books remains possible, it’s essential to adhere to Google Play’s specific guidelines and be prepared for potential technical hiccups. Sources and related content