Has the Price war started? Preorder book for $13.10 - Page 2

CopperTrail · 01-31-2010, 01:12 PM

From what I've read, Apple is offering the publishers a "No Hassles" contract for their electronic book store. Their eBook prices will be either $12.99 or $14.99, with Apple retaining 30%. So while you're conecrned with paying $13.10 vs $9.99 (I would be too), it will be a minimum of $12.99 through Apple. All this is one reason why my Kindle has been gathering dust over the past year.

My take is that since the publisher has no printing and distribution costs for ebooks, they should be $9.99 for a new release. $13 or $15 for a new release eBook? No thanks.

johnstu · 02-01-2010, 11:31 AM

I am a little worried about how Apple seem to have happily agreed to publisher's demands. If Amazon are forced to follow suit then that could make kindle books prohibitively expensive here in the UK where the $9.99 books are currently $14.09 ($9.99 for book plus $2 for international wireless plus 17.5% tax).

If the standard book price goes up to $14.99 then the UK price will be around $19.97 which is about £12.50. Far too much for my pocket.

chilady1 · 02-01-2010, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcl

I can happily say I won't buy it. I have enough trouble swallowing book prices that are close or equal to the price of the paperback. There's no way I'm buying an e-book that costs almost as much as the hardback.

Publishers, I'm going to be very clear about this: Jack up the price of e-books, and I'll stop buying. I strongly suspect I'm not alone. I know it's hard for you--what with the drastically reduced overhead costs of e-books and all--to refrain from making a bald-faced money grab. But please, do try to control yourselves.

AMEN!!!! This is exactly how I feel as well. Let them play their games - in the long run it will only hurt the authors. I have more than enough books on my Kindle that will keep me reading for the rest of the year. I would love for all e-readers (regardless of type) communities to come together on this because although this has started with Amazon, it is just a matter of time before this crap starts to run downhill to B&N and other e-book sellers.

I will continue my never ending pursuit of good books under the $9.99 threshold and if that means I don't read new releases unless I go to the library, then so be it. I would rather wait and check out the book via Overdrive months later than give my hard earned money to publishers that refuse to embrace a new medium. Good luck with this - count me out!

CopperTrail · 02-01-2010, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chilady1

AMEN!!!! This is exactly how I feel as well. Let them play their games - in the long run it will only hurt the authors. I have more than enough books on my Kindle that will keep me reading for the rest of the year. I would love for all e-readers (regardless of type) communities to come together on this because although this has started with Amazon, it is just a matter of time before this crap starts to run downhill to B&N and other e-book sellers.

I will continue my never ending pursuit of good books under the $9.99 threshold and if that means I don't read new releases unless I go to the library, then so be it. I would rather wait and check out the book via Overdrive months later than give my hard earned money to publishers that refuse to embrace a new medium. Good luck with this - count me out!

I'm right with the both of you, paper is fine for me.

time4mercy · 02-01-2010, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CopperTrail

I'm right with the both of you, paper is fine for me.

I agree. . . except to add that if I'm buying paper I'm buying used. IMO, buying a new p-book from the same retailer that sells the e-book at a ridiculous price will send the wrong message.

jes1 · 02-02-2010, 11:01 AM

Fantasy in Death is $13.10 at Barnes and Noble now, too.

Slow_hand · 02-03-2010, 04:09 PM

We do control the prices. If we refuse to buy at the higher prices they will be forced to sell lower. No "capitulation"!!! Vote with your money.

bwaldron · 02-03-2010, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slow_hand

We do control the prices. If we refuse to buy at the higher prices they will be forced to sell lower. No "capitulation"!!! Vote with your money.

I agree...though I am sure that publishers would take low sales as a validation that nobody wants to buy ebooks (which is their fervent hope), rather than that their pricing is wrong.

pshrynk · 02-03-2010, 06:13 PM

Well, if MacMillan has low e-book sales and everyone else is booming, maybe even u pper management would have to take notice?

kevinpars · 02-03-2010, 07:18 PM

I used to get most of my books at the library or second hand. I am spending more on books the last few years than I have ever been before. If ebook prices go up, that will change. I can wait and get the books from the library.

angelad · 02-03-2010, 09:08 PM

Just wait for release, and it will drop. Pre-releases quite often on the high end.

syfr · 02-04-2010, 08:10 AM

A couple of points in the favor of the consumer (and ultimately the authors)

* there is no such thing as a proprietary format when PCs and smart coders are around.

* piracy is an effective cap to pricing. Make books affordable, people will buy them. Price them too high, and people will download them for free. Just because apple has legions of fanboiz doesnt make them immune to this,

*antitrust legislation. While theres no problem so big the government cant make worse, I think Jobs and the publishers are venturing on the ice.

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01-31-2010, 01:12 PM	#16
CopperTrail Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 57 Join Date: Feb 2005 Device: Dell Axim X3i	From what I've read, Apple is offering the publishers a "No Hassles" contract for their electronic book store. Their eBook prices will be either $12.99 or $14.99, with Apple retaining 30%. So while you're conecrned with paying $13.10 vs $9.99 (I would be too), it will be a minimum of $12.99 through Apple. All this is one reason why my Kindle has been gathering dust over the past year. My take is that since the publisher has no printing and distribution costs for ebooks, they should be $9.99 for a new release. $13 or $15 for a new release eBook? No thanks.

02-01-2010, 11:31 AM	#17
johnstu Member Posts: 19 Karma: 86 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Epsom, UK Device: Sony PRS505, iPhone, Kindle 2, iPad 2	I am a little worried about how Apple seem to have happily agreed to publisher's demands. If Amazon are forced to follow suit then that could make kindle books prohibitively expensive here in the UK where the $9.99 books are currently $14.09 ($9.99 for book plus $2 for international wireless plus 17.5% tax). If the standard book price goes up to $14.99 then the UK price will be around $19.97 which is about £12.50. Far too much for my pocket.

02-02-2010, 11:01 AM	#21
jes1 Zealot Posts: 139 Karma: 698 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Texas Device: Astak EZReader, Dell Axim x50v, iPod Touch, nook	Fantasy in Death is $13.10 at Barnes and Noble now, too.

02-03-2010, 04:09 PM	#22
Slow_hand Groupie Posts: 190 Karma: 326 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Baltimore Device: Amazon Kindle 2	We do control the prices. If we refuse to buy at the higher prices they will be forced to sell lower. No "capitulation"!!! Vote with your money.

02-03-2010, 06:13 PM	#24
pshrynk Beepbeep n beebeep, yeah! Posts: 11,726 Karma: 8255450 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: La Crosse, Wisconsin, aka America's IceBox Device: iThingie, KmkII, I miss Zelda!	Well, if MacMillan has low e-book sales and everyone else is booming, maybe even u pper management would have to take notice?

02-03-2010, 07:18 PM	#25
kevinpars Connoisseur Posts: 53 Karma: 509166 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Kindle	I used to get most of my books at the library or second hand. I am spending more on books the last few years than I have ever been before. If ebook prices go up, that will change. I can wait and get the books from the library.

02-03-2010, 09:08 PM	#26
angelad Groupie Posts: 163 Karma: 64 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: kindle dx	Just wait for release, and it will drop. Pre-releases quite often on the high end.

02-04-2010, 08:10 AM	#27
syfr Member Posts: 15 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: kindle2	A couple of points in the favor of the consumer (and ultimately the authors) * there is no such thing as a proprietary format when PCs and smart coders are around. * piracy is an effective cap to pricing. Make books affordable, people will buy them. Price them too high, and people will download them for free. Just because apple has legions of fanboiz doesnt make them immune to this, *antitrust legislation. While theres no problem so big the government cant make worse, I think Jobs and the publishers are venturing on the ice.

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