Shadow Puppets

Taylor514ce · 05-21-2008, 02:04 PM

...by Orson Scott Card. $18-$20 everywhere (Sony, Mobipocket, Fictionwise), but $6.99 for Kindle Edition. I made a mistake buying the Sony. I should have gone with the ugly, overpriced, asymmetrical, out-of-stock Kindle.

It's obvious that Amazon is getting preferential wholesale pricing, volume discounts, whatever. Why Sony entered the e-book market knowing (or worse, without knowing) that they couldn't compete, is beyond me, and I'm a sucker for giving them my money.

badgoodDeb · 05-21-2008, 02:14 PM

Yup -- I've noticed the pricing difference. Every mailing I get for ereader books (from my long years reading on the pda, I'm still on the mailing list) -- I check the price on Amazon before buying anything, and it's always been better on Amazon. So far, anyway. Guess that was part of why I picked the Kindle -- but you probably got your Sony earlier and before Amazon got into the game.

Maybe somebody wants to buy your Sony, and you can switch...... the Kindle is really better in person than it looks to be in pictures.

NatCh · 05-21-2008, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

It's obvious that Amazon is getting preferential wholesale pricing, volume discounts, whatever. Why Sony entered the e-book market knowing (or worse, without knowing) that they couldn't compete, is beyond me, and I'm a sucker for giving them my money.

I think it's more that Amazon is forcing preferential pricing.

And Sony entered the market over a year before Amazon, so ....

Taylor514ce · 05-21-2008, 02:17 PM

So... so, they've had a year to react, to fight back, to demand better pricing from publishers. Don't ruin my bad mood with logic and facts, damn you.

Guess I'll go eat worms. (Sung to the tune of "Polly-Wolly Doodle")

NatCh · 05-21-2008, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

So... so, they've had a year to react, to fight back, to demand better pricing from publishers.[/URL]

November '07 to May '08 ... 7 months.

vivaldirules · 05-21-2008, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatCh

November '07 to May '08 ... 7 months.

I think he means Sony, not Amazon. Surely Sony knew that Amazon was going to make a move before November.

nekokami · 05-21-2008, 03:29 PM

Amazon has a lot more clout with book publishers than Sony. Ebooks are the only books Sony sells, whereas Amazon is a major outlet for all books.

I think the lower prices at Amazon will end up forcing the rest of the market down, though. Particularly if ebook sales do well at Amazon. We've often argued here that if prices were lower, people would buy more ebooks. Amazon might finally put that to the test (though I think $6.99 is still too high).

NatCh · 05-21-2008, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

I think he means Sony, not Amazon. Surely Sony knew that Amazon was going to make a move before November.

So did I mean Sony.

I'm quite confident that Sony knew that Amazon was working on the Kindle, but as to how much warning of the actual launch date they had, I wouldn't like to guess. I do remember some rather vehement pronouncements in late October that Amazon couldn't be planning to launch before Christmas because they hadn't done any pre-launch marketing stuff.

I suppose it would be self-promoting of me to note that my suggestion proved out that all Amazon really had to do was put it on their own front page to produce an instantaneous marketing blitz, so I won't do that.

deedward9 · 05-21-2008, 03:46 PM

I have to say that I asked for and recieved a Sony PRS-500 for christmas this pas year, one of the refurbed ones. I've been very happy with the reader, though I think prolly Sony would not be very happy with me. I've spent most of my time on it reading books from here, as well as my free downloads from Sony. I just have yet to see something that I would want to buy for it.

But I keep looking. I do agree that I think that prices are still a bit to high. I hope that competition from the Kindle will continue to help drive down prices everywhere. I agree like most people, I considered a Kindle, but based on lack of availability, and the fact it looks like from 1978 Battlestar Galactica, it was just not the reader for me.

Devin

Jack B Nimble · 05-21-2008, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

...by Orson Scott Card. $18-$20 everywhere (Sony, Mobipocket, Fictionwise), but $6.99 for Kindle Edition. I made a mistake buying the Sony. I should have gone with the ugly, overpriced, asymmetrical, out-of-stock Kindle.

The really puzzling thing to me is that, while it is $18-$20 at most of the ebook stores, as you said, the paperback is available for $7.99, not only at Amazon, but Barnes & Noble, etc.

Man, that always upsets me! I'd like to think that the paperback just came out, and this is a temporary sitch before the prices adjust, but the paperback came out in 2003!

Jack

pilotbob · 05-21-2008, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

...by Orson Scott Card. $18-$20 everywhere (Sony, Mobipocket, Fictionwise), but $6.99 for Kindle Edition. I made a mistake buying the Sony. I should have gone with the ugly, overpriced, asymmetrical, out-of-stock Kindle.

Yep, I just ordered my Kindle to replace my Sony. But, I got the sony when it first came out and there was no other option. I have never bought from the sony connect store due to the prices.

BOb

Taylor514ce · 05-21-2008, 06:22 PM

Supposedly, publishers set their ebook prices to match whatever their latest offering is. If they re-release a book as a new hardcover edition, it doesn't matter that you can buy a paperback for seven bucks. If that new hardcover edition is 20 bucks, then so is the ebook.

Why? Because publishers really don't want you to buy the ebook, is my guess. They wish the whole ebook thing would go away.

And good grief (he hastens to edit) what does the concept of "wholesale" pricing have to do with EBOOKS? Amazon gets a better price because they buy 100,000 copies of an ebook? I guess it costs them more to store all those "extra" ebooks, on a bigger hard drive.

"Volume" discounts? What a crock.

They get a better price because the promise to sell more, or promise NOT to sell it all if they DON'T get a better price.

igorsk · 05-22-2008, 10:26 AM

I think Amazon also said that they're prepared to sell popular books at a loss if they can't get the price from the publisher.

Taylor514ce · 05-22-2008, 10:38 AM

They can subsidize aggressive ebook pricing (and thus Kindle domination) from their print edition sales. No other ebook vendor has that ability. It's extremely smart on the part of Amazon, and effective. I don't think Sony can counter that, and should strike a deal with Amazon to get Amazon to support LRF, or, alternatively, upgrade/redesign the Sony device so it can be registered with Amazon as a "Kindle" device.

IceHand · 05-24-2008, 12:58 PM

Hm, now Shadow Puppets is at $7.95 for PDF, MS Reader, eReader and $11.20 for Mobipocket at Books on Board.

You're right though – I hope non-Kindle e-book prices will go down soon.

05-21-2008, 02:04 PM	#1
Taylor514ce Actively passive. Posts: 2,042 Karma: 478376 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Device: Sony PRS-505/LC	Shadow Puppets ...by Orson Scott Card. $18-$20 everywhere (Sony, Mobipocket, Fictionwise), but $6.99 for Kindle Edition. I made a mistake buying the Sony. I should have gone with the ugly, overpriced, asymmetrical, out-of-stock Kindle. It's obvious that Amazon is getting preferential wholesale pricing, volume discounts, whatever. Why Sony entered the e-book market knowing (or worse, without knowing) that they couldn't compete, is beyond me, and I'm a sucker for giving them my money.

05-21-2008, 02:17 PM	#4
Taylor514ce Actively passive. Posts: 2,042 Karma: 478376 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Device: Sony PRS-505/LC	So... so, they've had a year to react, to fight back, to demand better pricing from publishers. Don't ruin my bad mood with logic and facts, damn you. Guess I'll go eat worms. (Sung to the tune of "Polly-Wolly Doodle") Last edited by Taylor514ce; 05-21-2008 at 02:19 PM.

05-21-2008, 06:22 PM	#12
Taylor514ce Actively passive. Posts: 2,042 Karma: 478376 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Device: Sony PRS-505/LC	Supposedly, publishers set their ebook prices to match whatever their latest offering is. If they re-release a book as a new hardcover edition, it doesn't matter that you can buy a paperback for seven bucks. If that new hardcover edition is 20 bucks, then so is the ebook. Why? Because publishers really don't want you to buy the ebook, is my guess. They wish the whole ebook thing would go away. And good grief (he hastens to edit) what does the concept of "wholesale" pricing have to do with EBOOKS? Amazon gets a better price because they buy 100,000 copies of an ebook? I guess it costs them more to store all those "extra" ebooks, on a bigger hard drive. "Volume" discounts? What a crock. They get a better price because the promise to sell more, or promise NOT to sell it all if they DON'T get a better price. Last edited by Taylor514ce; 05-21-2008 at 06:35 PM.

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05-21-2008, 02:14 PM	#2
badgoodDeb Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,501 Karma: 64095689 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harrisburg outskirts Device: Palms, K1-4s, iPads, iPhones, KV, KO1	Yup -- I've noticed the pricing difference. Every mailing I get for ereader books (from my long years reading on the pda, I'm still on the mailing list) -- I check the price on Amazon before buying anything, and it's always been better on Amazon. So far, anyway. Guess that was part of why I picked the Kindle -- but you probably got your Sony earlier and before Amazon got into the game. Maybe somebody wants to buy your Sony, and you can switch...... the Kindle is really better in person than it looks to be in pictures.

05-21-2008, 03:29 PM	#7
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Amazon has a lot more clout with book publishers than Sony. Ebooks are the only books Sony sells, whereas Amazon is a major outlet for all books. I think the lower prices at Amazon will end up forcing the rest of the market down, though. Particularly if ebook sales do well at Amazon. We've often argued here that if prices were lower, people would buy more ebooks. Amazon might finally put that to the test (though I think $6.99 is still too high).

05-21-2008, 03:46 PM	#9
deedward9 Enthusiast Posts: 39 Karma: 2112556 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Morristown Device: Boox Nova 2, Kobo Clara, Nook Glowlight Plus, Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4	I have to say that I asked for and recieved a Sony PRS-500 for christmas this pas year, one of the refurbed ones. I've been very happy with the reader, though I think prolly Sony would not be very happy with me. I've spent most of my time on it reading books from here, as well as my free downloads from Sony. I just have yet to see something that I would want to buy for it. But I keep looking. I do agree that I think that prices are still a bit to high. I hope that competition from the Kindle will continue to help drive down prices everywhere. I agree like most people, I considered a Kindle, but based on lack of availability, and the fact it looks like from 1978 Battlestar Galactica, it was just not the reader for me. Devin

05-22-2008, 10:26 AM	#13
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	I think Amazon also said that they're prepared to sell popular books at a loss if they can't get the price from the publisher.

05-22-2008, 10:38 AM	#14
Taylor514ce Actively passive. Posts: 2,042 Karma: 478376 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Device: Sony PRS-505/LC	They can subsidize aggressive ebook pricing (and thus Kindle domination) from their print edition sales. No other ebook vendor has that ability. It's extremely smart on the part of Amazon, and effective. I don't think Sony can counter that, and should strike a deal with Amazon to get Amazon to support LRF, or, alternatively, upgrade/redesign the Sony device so it can be registered with Amazon as a "Kindle" device.

05-24-2008, 12:58 PM	#15
IceHand Linux User Posts: 323 Karma: 13682 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany Device: Kindle 3	Hm, now Shadow Puppets is at $7.95 for PDF, MS Reader, eReader and $11.20 for Mobipocket at Books on Board. You're right though – I hope non-Kindle e-book prices will go down soon.