The New Agency Pricing Scheme is Total B.S.

[dmaul1114]

Yep, not fair, but not surprising. As the market grows and sales lag on books priced more than the cheapest print version pale in comparison to books priced at or below the cheapest print version, pricing will work itself out.

People who want every book to cost less than the cheapest print version will probably remain out of luck, but I'd say eventually most every e-book will cost at most the same as the print version.

But it will be annoying until then. But there's still a ton of books priced at or below the print versions, as well as free books, so I have plenty to read at prices I can live with in the meantime.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

...but I'd say eventually most every e-book will cost at most the same as the print version.

The one caveat here is that with the print versions, you always have the option of getting one from a used bookstore if the new price is too high. With eBooks, not only are the eBooks commonly overpriced, but the Publishers are using DRM to eliminate first sale rights and kill off the used book market.

[dmaul1114]

Yep, that's the one negative of all forms of digital content pretty much.

Can't buy used versions, no first sale rights in many cases etc.

I don't mind personally for books as I seldom bought used (textbooks during college aside) and never resold books (besides textbooks). The ones I don't want to keep (the vast majority) just get given away, donated or chucked in a recycling bin when moving and not having time to deal with donating.

So I'm fine with it for books as I prefer the convenience of not having a physical copy to store or dispose of.

But I hate it for video games as I get most of my games used off a game trading site (Goozex) and trade most every game on there after beating them.

Hopefully eventually they'll have some unified licensing system that allows reselling/transferring of licenses so people can sell their e-book, download game etc. while losing access to it on their machine (unless they rebuy).

That's the main challenge to it for publishers. With a paper book you sell or give away you no longer have a copy. It's much easier to keep a copy of an e-book while selling or giving away multiple copies.

So we're not going to get first sale rights until they come up with a system to allow sales/trades that takes the license away from the seller/giver. Pirates will still get around it of course, but the average user would be fine with it just like they're fine with selling or giving away the physical copy and not having access to it.

[mykoffee]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

People who want every book to cost less than the cheapest print version will probably remain out of luck, but I'd say eventually most every e-book will cost at most the same as the print version.
.

Cost the same as the suggested retail price of the print version? Because for a hardcover that can be $25 or more. A retailer such as B&N, Amazon, Target, etc are allowed to offer those hardcovers and paperbacks at a discount. No discounts allowed on this set ebook pricing. When was the last time many of us purchased a hardcover book at full retail price? Before ereaders most of us got them discounted at retailers or checked them out from the library. How will it be determined what matches the price of a print version when retailers can discount print versions but not digital versions?

Linda

[dmaul1114]

I never bought hardcovers period. I always waited for the mass market paperback, and those tend to just cost cover price in bookstores and online stores like Amazon.

So with e-books it's the same. If it costs the hardcover MSRP (or even the discounted hardcover price on Amazon) I'll not buy the ebook then and wait for it to be cheap when the paperback is out and at the same price.

Just a matter of having some self control/patience and not having to buy books right when they come out. Before if you wanted to do that you had to pay a higher price for a hardcover, I see no reason it shouldn't be the same for e-books. Cost more when it first comes out, price drop with the paper back is out.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

Yep, that's the one negative of all forms of digital content pretty much.

Not all, just those with DRM.

Can't buy used versions, no first sale rights in many cases etc.

To be correct, you still legally have first sale rights. The Publishers are blocking it with DRM. The end result is the same, but we should make sure not to mislead people into believing that first sale rights don't legally exist just because something is digital.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

Cost more when it first comes out, price drop with the paper back is out.

Assuming that's what actually happens.

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

Not all, just those with DRM.

True. I just meant that aside from music, most digital content has DRM. At lesat most content from major publisher's, studios etc.

Can't resell or trade downloaded video games on the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3. Can't resell or trade movies and TV shows bought and downloaded from iTunes and other sources.

There is some DRM free movies, books etc., but most has DRM. I don't have a big issue as I see it as a huge threat to publishers when people can sell/give away their content while keeping a copy for themselves.

They just need to come up with a DRM scheme that allows license transferring IMO.

Originally Posted by Shaggy

Assuming that's what actually happens.

Of course. But I think it will as long as people don't buy e-books that cost more than the cheapest print version. They'll see that they have to at least match the print version pricing schemes if they want to maximize sales.

But only time will tell for sure.

[Hellmark]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

No, what I'm saying is if the books are not available at all in ebook. Not just expensive, not there at all to be purchased.

If books can be bought in any form, it'll be available to be pirated. A good chunk of the pirated ebooks I've seen have been scanned. Funny enough, some of them are better quality than the commercial version.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

They'll see that they have to at least match the print version pricing schemes if they want to maximize sales.

I'm not convinced that they really want to maximize sales. The impression I have from many Publishers is that they would prefer that eBooks didn't exist.

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

I'm not convinced that they really want to maximize sales. The impression I have from many Publishers is that they would prefer that eBooks didn't exist.

For sure. All digital media is a threat to publishers, studios etc. as piracy is much easier with digital content than physical product (less steps involved).

But as the market grows, they'll have no choice but to embrace it as larger chunks of book sales are going to e-books. They can't turn the back on chances to make money and maximize profits when the market becomes to large to ignore.

[sminarovich]

Here are a few interesting prices, yesterday I purchased to books at my local independant bookstore...I like to support local businesses but this makes me wonder??

I purchased the hardcover The Spellman's Strike Again by Lisa Lutz and in paperback The Bad Book Affair by Ian Sansom for a total of ... $50.03 CAD

So i checked online to order from CAD Amazon the price $36.05 CAD

if I was to purchase these books as ebooks from two
different sellers since you can't purchase from the
same seller their total price, Kobo in CAD $ and from
Books on Board in US pricing $27.58 CAD

keep in mind I added the yet to be added Harmonized Sales Tax
yet to be implemented and the Cad price when purchased using a credit
the Cad conversion not the book price is trading at par...
Except for the inconvience and difficulty getting all the books I want ( Changeless by Gail Carriger is unavailable in Cad as an ebook so far as I can find ) these prices seem all over the place.

Book buying seems to be getting complicated how can I support my local businesses
with these prices??

[MerLock]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

I'm not convinced that they really want to maximize sales. The impression I have from many Publishers is that they would prefer that eBooks didn't exist.

That's very odd since the publishers could have refused to release ebooks in the first place. As far as I know, I started hearing about ebooks for sales when Sony first released their PRS 500 and Sony was working with publishers to make a Sony ebookstore. If publishers feared ebooks, shouldn't they have told Sony that no way they were going to digitalize any books for sale?

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by sminarovich

Book buying seems to be getting complicated how can I support my local businesses
with these prices??

That's nothing new. Local businesses haven't been able to compete price wise for years.

First it was the big box stores (being it chain book stores, or target/walmart etc.) and then the online stores undercut everyone.

Supporting local businesses largely means being willing to pay more to shop their vs. a chain store or online store.

[greenapple]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

I'm not convinced that they really want to maximize sales. The impression I have from many Publishers is that they would prefer that eBooks didn't exist.

They're probably trying to make it happen.