Are book publishers this clueless? - The Hull Truth

Flot · 02-02-2010, 04:42 PM

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Under the Apple model, publishers will receive 70% of each sale, or $10.49 on a $14.99 e-book. This compares unfavorably with what they were receiving from Amazon per title. However, publishers believe that Apple's customer base represents a vast new market and that they will make up the difference on volume. They also believe Amazon's $9.99 price tag doesn't reflect the true value of their books.

Book publishers really think their content is worth more than $10 a title? Why? I can go online and read all kinds of content 24 hours a day until the end of time for free.

I understand the price of books in a world where you have to print them, store them, market them, protect them, ship them all over the world, recall and destroy them, pay to keep the lights on at bookstores, etc, etc, etc. Amazon and Apple are willing to take over every one of those production and distribution headaches and make their products infinitely more accessable for everyone who buys a device - and a 30% cut is too much for them??

I think they've lost their mind to say that they can't sell a simple fiction e-book retail for under $10.

I guess they didn't notice what happened to the music industry.

beber · 02-03-2010, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flot

Book publishers really think their content is worth more than $10 a title?

I think they've lost their mind to say that they can't sell a simple fiction e-book retail for under $10.

I guess they didn't notice what happened to the music industry.

I completely agree. I don't own an E-reader, but why would I pay $15 for an electronic copy, when I can buy the actual book for $20?

An electronic copy should be substantially less in my mind because the publisher saves the money of actually printing and shipping books. If the publisher isn’t actually “publishing” anything what’s the point of them being in business.

If I was a famous author I'd seriously consider dropping my publisher and just sell electronic E-reader copies of my book directly for $7-8 and keeping all the money myself.

Jarhead 215 · 02-03-2010, 11:03 PM

What has been said above is absolutely smash on.

I have been using my Kindle for a little over a year and while most of my purchases have been from Amazon, I have also bought product from other ebook sites. There is so much product out there that I just wait for the over priced publications to come do to the right price level (and they all do).

The paper and ink books will always be with us but the ebook is no longer just the future - it is the now !

My Kindle is named Montag, and he is ready to do his job anytime the call goes out.