E-book gift cards. Really?

Some of the titles available from Livrada.

Publishers Weekly reports that a new company is working with major publishers to launch e-book gift cards.

Livrada, which formed earlier this year, has already placed the gift cards in most Target stores.

Here’s how it works:  The buyer purchases an e-book gift card for a specific book title. The recipient goes to Livrada’s website and then gets redirected to Amazon.com, bn.com or elsewhere. As soon as the recipient enters a code on the gift card, the e-book is sent wirelessly to his or her e-reader.

Here’s the problem. Livrada only has 6 titles at the moment. It will take many, many more for consumers to bite big, I think.

The really big problem: Gift cards usually allow recipients to pick their own gift. The beauty of a gift card is choice. And this one doesn’t give you any.

Why wouldn’t you just give an Amazon gift card?

Categories: E-readers
Maggie Galehouse | Books editor, features reporter

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