Did Sony Connect lower prices to match Kindle?

jckatz · 11-29-2007, 05:20 PM

I was just checking out the Kindle page (a book I just purchase said I could have gotten it for Kindle). I noticed it was only 390 KB so I went to Sony Connect and notice it was 1.2 Megs.

But the really interesting thing I noticed was the price was exactly the same as Amazon.com, yet 2 weeks ago I purchased the book from Amazon.com because it was $4 cheaper in paperback.

Does anyone know if Sony is lowering all their book prices (this would be GREAT!).

NatCh · 11-29-2007, 05:33 PM

Yup, Connect's prices went down the day after Kindle launched. So did Fictionwise and Mobipocket, for that matter.

dunster · 11-29-2007, 09:38 PM

AT BOOKS A MILLION:
The Savage Detectives
by Roberto Bolano; Natasha Wimmer / Hardcover

Club Price: $15.65

AT SONY CONNECT:
The Savage Detectives
by
Roberto Bolano
Natasha Wimmer
Macmillan (04/02/2007)
Other Mystery & Thrillers

$16.20

jasonkchapman · 11-30-2007, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dunster

AT BOOKS A MILLION:
The Savage Detectives
by Roberto Bolano; Natasha Wimmer / Hardcover

Club Price: $15.65

AT SONY CONNECT:
The Savage Detectives
by
Roberto Bolano
Natasha Wimmer
Macmillan (04/02/2007)
Other Mystery & Thrillers

$16.20

Wow. That's an amazing comparison of e-book prices--except one of them is paper. Maybe I should reread the thread title.

"Did Sony Connect lower prices to match Kindle?"

Kindle edition:
Not even listed as "unavailable". It just doesn't exist.

So is the point that Sony should have stopped selling this edition to match the Kindle?

dunster · 11-30-2007, 01:47 PM

I just find it amazing that some ebook prices are higher than paper prices. I can't believe that they would not increase sales and popularize ebooks more if the prices were not greater than sale prices of paper books which most people place a greater value on than a download.

NatCh · 11-30-2007, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dunster

I just find it amazing that some ebook prices are higher than paper prices.

Alas, so it has been from the beginning, and is in fact a less pronounce phenomenon these days. Kinda makes you wonder if Publishers (who are the ones who set the prices) want e-books to succeed, dunnit?

jasonkchapman · 11-30-2007, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dunster

I just find it amazing that some ebook prices are higher than paper prices. I can't believe that they would not increase sales and popularize ebooks more if the prices were not greater than sale prices of paper books which most people place a greater value on than a download.

The problem is that I'm not sure who "they" are in this situation. Sony? Fararr, Straus and Giroux? FS&G's parent, Macmillan (Holtzbrinck's US branch)? The original Spanish-language publisher who (I'm assuming) sold Macmillan whatever rights it is that they now hold? Amazon for not doing a Kindle edition? Holtzbrinck for not putting out the PB of the translation until next April? Sony for only getting a 35 or 40 percent discount off of the HB cover price and still wanting to make a profit?

The publishing rights labyrinth can be really messy sometimes. Sometimes "they" is unclear and there's no monolithic "someone" to rail against.

dunster · 11-30-2007, 08:24 PM

Not railing. Or trying to be argumentative. I just think that until something changes, the value/price equation is not likely to make ebooks take off. Whoever "they" are, until they decide to lower prices either because the market drives them to do it, or they do it as a calculated loss leader, ebooks will not flourish. Noone, or at least not enough to support a large market, is going to buy an ebook for more than a nice hardcover edition, especially those who read more "literary" titles.

JSWolf · 11-30-2007, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dunster

AT BOOKS A MILLION:
The Savage Detectives
by Roberto Bolano; Natasha Wimmer / Hardcover

Club Price: $15.65

AT SONY CONNECT:
The Savage Detectives
by
Roberto Bolano
Natasha Wimmer
Macmillan (04/02/2007)
Other Mystery & Thrillers

$16.20

Sony has it, Amazon, Mobipocket, Fictionwise, ebooks, and BooksOnBoard do not have it.

So it looks like if you want an ebook edition, you HAVE to go to the Connect Store to buy it.

11-29-2007, 05:20 PM	#1
jckatz Connoisseur Posts: 51 Karma: 216 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Chicago, IL Device: SONY PSR-500	Did Sony Connect lower prices to match Kindle? I was just checking out the Kindle page (a book I just purchase said I could have gotten it for Kindle). I noticed it was only 390 KB so I went to Sony Connect and notice it was 1.2 Megs. But the really interesting thing I noticed was the price was exactly the same as Amazon.com, yet 2 weeks ago I purchased the book from Amazon.com because it was $4 cheaper in paperback. Does anyone know if Sony is lowering all their book prices (this would be GREAT!).

11-29-2007, 09:38 PM	#3
dunster Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2007 Device: Sony reader	Would you like to buy the Brooklyn Bridge? AT BOOKS A MILLION: The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano; Natasha Wimmer / Hardcover Club Price: $15.65 AT SONY CONNECT: The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano Natasha Wimmer Macmillan (04/02/2007) Other Mystery & Thrillers $16.20

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11-29-2007, 05:33 PM	#2
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Yup, Connect's prices went down the day after Kindle launched. So did Fictionwise and Mobipocket, for that matter.

11-30-2007, 01:47 PM	#5
dunster Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2007 Device: Sony reader	I just find it amazing that some ebook prices are higher than paper prices. I can't believe that they would not increase sales and popularize ebooks more if the prices were not greater than sale prices of paper books which most people place a greater value on than a download.

11-30-2007, 08:24 PM	#8
dunster Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2007 Device: Sony reader	Not railing. Or trying to be argumentative. I just think that until something changes, the value/price equation is not likely to make ebooks take off. Whoever "they" are, until they decide to lower prices either because the market drives them to do it, or they do it as a calculated loss leader, ebooks will not flourish. Noone, or at least not enough to support a large market, is going to buy an ebook for more than a nice hardcover edition, especially those who read more "literary" titles.

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