[Batgirl13]

Hi All, A co-worker was telling me about this just this week.

I just got the Kindle from Santa, so it saddens me that the prices are going up on the books. I have 2 ways to look at it:

1) If it costs the publisher/Amazon NOTHING but a few cents to send over the electronic document (no paper, no printing, no packaging, no shipping) why would a price increase? They are making virtually 100% profit, right?

2) However, take a random author (Steven King, Anne Rice, Charlaine Harris, etc.) and note that they make their money based on how many books the publisher prints and sells. So the Publisher now owns the right to publish the book. They make a tidy profit on the $25-$29 hardback, still a decent profit on the $6.99 to $8.99 paperback, and of course they also want their share of the soft copies sent electronically. For almost every electronic copy that goes out, they (and the author) are losing the money that same reader might have given them through royalty $$$ for a printed copy. If the publisher doesn't sell books, he loses money. The author loses money. The only way they can re-coup it is to raise the price on the version they are losing money on.

Do I like it? Heck no! I spent over $300 for the reader, so I do think I should get a discount on the finished product.... however I do see both sides.

The co-worker said he had read that the Publishers are the ones forcing Amazon the increase in their prices, as they want their money, and Amazon was setting their own price. In America, shouldn't a wholesaler have a set price, and sell it to the retailer, who then decides if they want a 10, 50 or 100% profit on the merchandise?

The true fans of any auther probably buy the hard copy as well! I know I do for several authors.... Just my opinion, and if I insulted anyone, my apologies! Not my intention :-)