Google Play Books isn't just for eBooks purchased from Google; yous can easily upload your own ePub or PDF eBooks that sync with Play Books and are attainable from all your Android devices and even on the Spider web.

Where To Get DRM-free eBooks

Start things outset: you're going to need some eBooks that don't have Digital Rights Direction (DRM) on them, although you can intermission the DRM if yous already accept some eBooks with it.

Essentially, DRM on an eBook prevents you from copying information technology, transferring it to a different device, or altering it in any way. We accept a more in-depth article on what exactly DRM is and how information technology works, but for our purposes, that'south all you lot demand to know. Unfortunately, most major publishers and retailers slap DRM on their books, but there are some DRM-free stores out there.

Google Play Books only supports ePubs and PDFs right now, and so make sure to download the correct file type. ePubs are much easier to read than PDFs by and large because they're scalable and customizable, while PDFs function similar to viewing an image of a page.

Smashwords

Smashwords

Smashwords is a wonderful place to notice independently published books, which means they're either cocky-published or published by a pocket-sized printing. I know that might sound scary, only they have some surprisingly quality content for cheap.

Baen Ebooks

Baen

This is ane of the largest collections of small-scale press eBooks out there, plus you can become eARCs hither -- electronic accelerate reader copies -- to get access to (unedited) books earlier they're officially released. There's a dainty variety of genres available.

Tor

Tor

Focusing on scientific discipline fiction and fantasy stories, Tor went DRM-free a while ago and hasn't looked back. For lovers of these genres, it's a no-brainer.

O'Reilly Media [No Longer Available]

Oreilly

O'Reilly might stand out to all our nerdy tech fans out there; they have only technology-related books. Definitely a niche site, but worth a look if that's your calling.

Weightless Books

Not the most beautiful website in existence, only at that place is a wide range of genres and a $1 eBook section for cheap reading. Besides, the books are "weightless" because they don't take DRM. Get it?

Project Gutenberg

Gratuitous eBooks! They're all public domain, which means they're actually one-time, only many of the classics, similar Pride and Prejudice, are hither for costless.

Upload On The Web

One time you've got your ePub or PDF file, it's time to upload it to Google Play Books. If the file is on your computer, start here; if it'south on your Android device, skip to the next section. The end result of both is that your book is saved in the deject and attainable from either the Web or Android. Yet, do have note that you can't redownload your uploaded books, so be sure to go on a backup if you want to hang onto them and use them on other services than Google Play Books.

Kickoff, visit play.google.com/books. In the upper right there is a blue button chosen "Upload files." Click this.

Google-Play-Books-Web-2

A window should pop upward in the centre with options to upload from your computer or Google Drive. From here, yous tin drag and drop files or select some from your reckoner.

Play-Books-Upload

In one case the upload is complete, congratulations!  Your eBook is now uploaded to Google Play Books.

Upload From Android

If y'all're coming from Android, the feel is a scrap different. You tin't upload books from within the app, and so you'll demand to locate the eBook in your file director. Don't have a file managing director? We recommend ES File Explorer, available in the Play Shop.

You could also detect the file in your Downloads app if you downloaded information technology from the Net. Additionally, if your eBook is saved in Google Drive, you can access it through that Android app.

One time you locate the file, select information technology and choose either "Share" or "Send," unless you're in Google Drive, in which example you just want to download it.

play-books-android-upload

The side by side affair you run across should be a popular-upwards prompting you to "Upload to Play Books" and any other ePub/PDF reading apps yous have installed. Go ahead and upload to Play Books.

Play-Books-Aldiko

Now head over to the Play Books app, and voila, your book is there! Regular eBooks are by and large pretty pocket-size in size, and so don't worry about it using too much data unless you have some large graphics-heavy PDFs, in which instance you lot'll desire to connect to Wi-Fi before uploading.

Unable to upload PDFs? Make certain to check the option in Play Books' settings as shown beneath.

Play-Books-Settings-PDF-Upload

From the home screen, swipe in from the left to get to the settings, then check the "Enable PDF uploading" box.

Conclusion

With Play Books opening itself up to outside eBooks, it really makes the Google suite of apps that much more appealing. It's refreshing to come across that they're at least trying to be somewhat open with their apps, rather than keeping it as a walled garden (though, again, it's only "open" in the sens you can put books in -- yous tin can't take books out).

Play Books for Android can be found on the Play Store or you lot can visit it on the Spider web.

What do you call back of this neat little feature? Is it plenty to get you using Play Books as your main eReading app? Let us know in the comments.

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