How do you plan to wait out the coming ebook shakedown?

ficbot · 10-27-2010, 07:49 PM

I am getting a little sick of the whole geo-restriction/price fixing/customer hating going on in the publishing industry these days. I am tired of reading about it, tired of whinging about it, and just tired of the whole thing. I figure it will take about 5 years for everything to straighten itself out, for the 'industry' (whomever that might involve) to realize there is more money to be made in selling ebooks to paying customers as a fair price than in gouging them and trying to lock people out who want to actually purchase.

So, I have decided that I am going to vote with my wallet and just wait it out. Here is my plan:

If a new book comes out from Big Pub and I want to read it, it goes on my wishlist at Kobo. It will come OFF my wish list for whichever of the following scenarios occurs first:

- Public library gets the ebook and I obtain it there
- Book hits best-seller list and price drops below $10 as a result
- Book comes out in paperback and price drops below $10 as a result
- Coupon code crosses my path which makes book obtainable at $10 or less

I will not purchase a commercial book except under the above circumstances.

I figure I have more than enough books to keep me busy in the event that not enough books are available under the above system. In addition to my ongoing Smashwords reviews, there are still a bunch of old Fictionwise purchases I have not gotten to yet, about a year's worth of Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock back issues I have not gotten to yet, all my Zinio mags (most of which run about $12 for an entire year of issues), Amazon freebies, Smashwords freebies, Kobo freebies, Baen freebies, freebies from the public library, freebies my sister finds and shares with me, freebies my dad finds and shares with me, a huge quantity of golden age mystery at Project Gutenberg, paper books my mother buys and shares with me, and so on. I am sure I won't be lacking in material!

So, no more searching inkmesh to save pennies on $12 ebooks which are available in paper for half that. No more 'US only' Sony store frustrations. They sell to me here in Canada, for $10 or less, or I am simply not buying it---it can stay on my wish list indefinitely, until this whole sorry mess straightens itself out!

Blue Tyson · 10-27-2010, 08:20 PM

Should be less than five years for some large book chains to be toast, though.

Then there will be some entertaining desperation.

Given speed so far, in about 5 years we might actually get some books at Kobo....

HamsterRage · 10-27-2010, 08:49 PM

Interesting. I'm pretty much doing that too, although without making a formal policy about it.

karenr_nz · 10-27-2010, 09:37 PM

This is a good plan. I have been doing something similar, but it is nice to have it codified.

meromana · 10-27-2010, 10:12 PM

Definitely making the right move. What kind of business geniuses turn their backs on customers with their wallets out and open, panting to buy?

The kind who don't last! I don't think it will be any five years, either.

--Maria

bgalbrecht · 10-27-2010, 10:20 PM

I don't know how much a mass market paperback costs in Canada, but my target price is the average price of a mass market paperback or less. This appears to be currently $8 in the US.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 10-27-2010, 10:26 PM

Sounds like a good plan to me... especially when you've already got so much to read, and can still check out reasonably-priced books and indies as they come along.

Barcey · 10-27-2010, 10:48 PM

I removed all the books that I had on my wish lists and removed myself from the mailing lists that I was on. I've stopped visiting the major book sites or browsing the best seller lists. I deleted my bookmarks to authors with the BPH's. Out of sight out of mind.

There are tons of classics that I've been wanting to read and I figured that I would work on my TBR list for a while. I got a library card and have been borrowing from there. I've been buying indie ebooks that catch my eye and of course there's Baen.

I thought that I would miss some of my favourite authors and the series that I was in the middle of but honestly I haven't. My only problem is that my TBR list is still growing.

Sweetpea · 10-28-2010, 05:37 AM

Same as Barcey, I've removed myself from the mailing lists.

But I'm also sick and tired of those stupid, dumb, retarded, ancient ostriches with their heads in the sand, that I'm thinking about proving their point:

I read electronically, ergo I'm a pirate...

Lady Fitzgerald · 10-28-2010, 05:46 AM

I started out just scanning the huge, already read book collection I have. Now, I'm scanning newly purchased books (both new and used) before I read them. I will buy e-books only if they are not DRMed and are the same price or less as paperbooks (including used ones if available). Otherwise, I'll buy p-books (new aqnd used) and scan them.

mldavis2 · 10-28-2010, 07:30 AM

Wow! @Lady Fitzgerald. What's your time worth?

fjtorres · 10-28-2010, 08:11 AM

I made it clear I was boycotting the Price-Fix Five entirely back in April.
So far, I've held to it. I've bought zero books, p- or e- from them.
So far, no shortage of new material.
I have gone back to some old favorites that are new(ish) to ebook form.
And I still have the TBR list to hit...

Oh, and I don't expect the publishers' war on consumers to last more than a year or so; it'll be clear soon enough they are leaving money on the table and the shareholders will have something to say.

Lady Fitzgerald · 10-28-2010, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mldavis2

Wow! @Lady Fitzgerald. What's your time worth?

Quite a bit. I don't bother with OCR and the resulting editing so it doesn't take me as long as you're imagining.

kcmay · 10-28-2010, 08:29 AM

I'm with you on that. I simply won't pay over $9.99 for an ebook. Lately, I've been reading about 50% indie anyway, which further helps to lower my per-book average cost.

I think the mega publishers may actually be driving business toward indies, so I'm not complaining too loudly at their dumb pricing strategies.

jbcohen · 10-28-2010, 08:50 AM

Slightly different plan, its the same plan as I had with LCD TVs. When I see a product available that I like, I imagine a price I want to pay for it and eventually someone will sell me that product at that price. My strike price for ebook readers has been $100, and although the touch screens have not hit that yet, Aluratek was willing to sell for that amount, even though its not touch screen. I am watching and waiting for a touch screen to hit that price, and I will eventually getit if I am patient enough.

As far as preying on customers goes, they all do that so its sort of like pick the friendliest vulture. I picked Borders becuase there prices tended to under cut most of their compeition and I want to encourage retailers to under cut eachother's prices. They also frequently send out discount codes, and I want to encourage that since it drops prices.

10-27-2010, 07:49 PM	#1
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	How do you plan to wait out the coming ebook shakedown? I am getting a little sick of the whole geo-restriction/price fixing/customer hating going on in the publishing industry these days. I am tired of reading about it, tired of whinging about it, and just tired of the whole thing. I figure it will take about 5 years for everything to straighten itself out, for the 'industry' (whomever that might involve) to realize there is more money to be made in selling ebooks to paying customers as a fair price than in gouging them and trying to lock people out who want to actually purchase. So, I have decided that I am going to vote with my wallet and just wait it out. Here is my plan: If a new book comes out from Big Pub and I want to read it, it goes on my wishlist at Kobo. It will come OFF my wish list for whichever of the following scenarios occurs first: - Public library gets the ebook and I obtain it there - Book hits best-seller list and price drops below $10 as a result - Book comes out in paperback and price drops below $10 as a result - Coupon code crosses my path which makes book obtainable at $10 or less I will not purchase a commercial book except under the above circumstances. I figure I have more than enough books to keep me busy in the event that not enough books are available under the above system. In addition to my ongoing Smashwords reviews, there are still a bunch of old Fictionwise purchases I have not gotten to yet, about a year's worth of Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock back issues I have not gotten to yet, all my Zinio mags (most of which run about $12 for an entire year of issues), Amazon freebies, Smashwords freebies, Kobo freebies, Baen freebies, freebies from the public library, freebies my sister finds and shares with me, freebies my dad finds and shares with me, a huge quantity of golden age mystery at Project Gutenberg, paper books my mother buys and shares with me, and so on. I am sure I won't be lacking in material! So, no more searching inkmesh to save pennies on $12 ebooks which are available in paper for half that. No more 'US only' Sony store frustrations. They sell to me here in Canada, for $10 or less, or I am simply not buying it---it can stay on my wish list indefinitely, until this whole sorry mess straightens itself out!

10-28-2010, 08:11 AM	#12
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	I made it clear I was boycotting the Price-Fix Five entirely back in April. So far, I've held to it. I've bought zero books, p- or e- from them. So far, no shortage of new material. I have gone back to some old favorites that are new(ish) to ebook form. And I still have the TBR list to hit... Oh, and I don't expect the publishers' war on consumers to last more than a year or so; it'll be clear soon enough they are leaving money on the table and the shareholders will have something to say. Last edited by fjtorres; 10-28-2010 at 08:16 AM.

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10-27-2010, 08:20 PM	#2
Blue Tyson Blue Captain Posts: 1,595 Karma: 5000236 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Australia Device: Kindle Keyboard 3G,Huawei Ideos X3,Kobo Mini	Should be less than five years for some large book chains to be toast, though. Then there will be some entertaining desperation. Given speed so far, in about 5 years we might actually get some books at Kobo....

10-27-2010, 08:49 PM	#3
HamsterRage Evangelist Posts: 435 Karma: 24326 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kobo	Interesting. I'm pretty much doing that too, although without making a formal policy about it.

10-27-2010, 09:37 PM	#4
karenr_nz Connoisseur Posts: 69 Karma: 820 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: New Zealand Device: PB360	This is a good plan. I have been doing something similar, but it is nice to have it codified.

10-27-2010, 10:12 PM	#5
meromana Zealot Posts: 129 Karma: 11430 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: NC, USA Device: my laptop	Definitely making the right move. What kind of business geniuses turn their backs on customers with their wallets out and open, panting to buy? The kind who don't last! I don't think it will be any five years, either. --Maria

10-27-2010, 10:20 PM	#6
bgalbrecht Wizard Posts: 1,806 Karma: 13399999 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: US Device: Nook Simple Touch, Kobo Glo HD, Kobo Clara HD, Kindle 4	I don't know how much a mass market paperback costs in Canada, but my target price is the average price of a mass market paperback or less. This appears to be currently $8 in the US.

10-27-2010, 10:26 PM	#7
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	Sounds like a good plan to me... especially when you've already got so much to read, and can still check out reasonably-priced books and indies as they come along.

10-27-2010, 10:48 PM	#8
Barcey Wizard Posts: 1,531 Karma: 8059866 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Canada Device: Kobo H2O / Aura HD / Glo / iPad3	I removed all the books that I had on my wish lists and removed myself from the mailing lists that I was on. I've stopped visiting the major book sites or browsing the best seller lists. I deleted my bookmarks to authors with the BPH's. Out of sight out of mind. There are tons of classics that I've been wanting to read and I figured that I would work on my TBR list for a while. I got a library card and have been borrowing from there. I've been buying indie ebooks that catch my eye and of course there's Baen. I thought that I would miss some of my favourite authors and the series that I was in the middle of but honestly I haven't. My only problem is that my TBR list is still growing.

10-28-2010, 05:37 AM	#9
Sweetpea Grand Sorcerer Posts: 9,707 Karma: 32763414 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Krewerd Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	Same as Barcey, I've removed myself from the mailing lists. But I'm also sick and tired of those stupid, dumb, retarded, ancient ostriches with their heads in the sand, that I'm thinking about proving their point: I read electronically, ergo I'm a pirate...

10-28-2010, 05:46 AM	#10
Lady Fitzgerald Wizard Posts: 2,013 Karma: 251649 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Tempe, AZ, USA, Earth Device: JetBook Lite (away from home) + 1 spare, 32" TV (at home)	I started out just scanning the huge, already read book collection I have. Now, I'm scanning newly purchased books (both new and used) before I read them. I will buy e-books only if they are not DRMed and are the same price or less as paperbooks (including used ones if available). Otherwise, I'll buy p-books (new aqnd used) and scan them.

10-28-2010, 07:30 AM	#11
mldavis2 Coffee Nut Posts: 410 Karma: 298350 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Missouri Device: Kindle 3; K4PC; Calibre	Wow! @Lady Fitzgerald. What's your time worth?

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10-28-2010, 08:29 AM	#14
kcmay Addict Posts: 363 Karma: 500001 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Georgia, USA Device: Kindle2	I'm with you on that. I simply won't pay over $9.99 for an ebook. Lately, I've been reading about 50% indie anyway, which further helps to lower my per-book average cost. I think the mega publishers may actually be driving business toward indies, so I'm not complaining too loudly at their dumb pricing strategies.

10-28-2010, 08:50 AM	#15
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,025 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Piper College Device: Samsung A21	Slightly different plan, its the same plan as I had with LCD TVs. When I see a product available that I like, I imagine a price I want to pay for it and eventually someone will sell me that product at that price. My strike price for ebook readers has been $100, and although the touch screens have not hit that yet, Aluratek was willing to sell for that amount, even though its not touch screen. I am watching and waiting for a touch screen to hit that price, and I will eventually getit if I am patient enough. As far as preying on customers goes, they all do that so its sort of like pick the friendliest vulture. I picked Borders becuase there prices tended to under cut most of their compeition and I want to encourage retailers to under cut eachother's prices. They also frequently send out discount codes, and I want to encourage that since it drops prices.