Amazon pulls MacMillan?

[kacir]

Originally Posted by jgaiser

Guess I'd better not delete it..

Disable the Whispernet RIGHT NOW!
And backup the book to the CD.
You never know what software glitch or a misguided rouge employee might do. Like delete your book remotely

[tapar]

I am hoping Amazon wins this round, I prefer paying less for ebooks. It does feel a bit weird to cheer for the big company trying to force it's views on the little guys.

It still feels a bit like Amazon is abusing it's power, but it is using that power on my behalf. I love books and I don't want to devalue them to the point authors have no reason to write...yet I feel like ebooks should cost less, even the 9.99 price point seems a bit high with no printing process or physical distribution. I do fear for the industry a bit with piracy such an easy alternative.

I honestly don't know how I feel about the publishing industry. Are they a bunch of chumps trying to pick my pocket and clinging too an outmoded business model? Do they actually provide value and is their role in the book creation process important? Perhaps if the separated editing from the publishing it would be easier to paint them with the same evil brush as the recording industry? In any case, I think watching how this turns out is going to be very interesting.

[Pardoz]

Originally Posted by tapar

I honestly don't know how I feel about the publishing industry. Are they a bunch of chumps trying to pick my pocket and clinging too an outmoded business model? Do they actually provide value and is their role in the book creation process important? Perhaps if the separated editing from the publishing it would be easier to paint them with the same evil brush as the recording industry?

Yes, yes, and probably. (Like all generalizations there are exceptions, of course.)

[lilac_jive]

GO AMAZON!

I can't believe that publishers are really pushing with Apple to bring ebooks up to $15. The market has already established a $10 price point. People are not going to swallow a 50% price increase overnight. Publishers need to come to terms with this.

I'll be honest, I wouldn't mind a book being $15 for the first week or two, so the publisher can make a higher margin from those who can't wait. Sony already does this, and to a certain extent amazon. I know books will drop to $9.99, but a few times I just couldn't wait that long.

I do hope this gets resolved soon though. I don't want the authors to suffer.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

People are not going to swallow a 50% price increase overnight.

I don't recall there being rioting in the streets when Baen increased their "Webscriptions" price from $10 to $15 .

Not saying that I don't agree with you, but people can, and do, accept price increase, when the product is one that they want to buy. If a book takes you, say, 10h to read, then it's still one of the cheapest forms of entertainment around, whether it costs $10 or $15.

[ardeegee]

The Doctor is in:

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/01/29...macmillan.html

[BearMountainBooks]

Some blogs are reporting Amazon pulled them, others that MacMillian pulled them. Neither company has made an official statement; it appears to be dependent on whether the person reporting likes amazon or macmillian more...as to who demanded the buy it now button disappear.

I wish something official would come out.

[brecklundin]

ultimately, this shows we the customer, are nothing to either company but probably the publishers care about the customer the least of the two....

Amazon is right here, and if Apple is the motivator here...well, guess what? Everything those of us who have disliked the company for a few decades now have been saying....it's true. The simply want to take every nickel from your pockets for ANY reason. However, I am hoping the discussion was a heated one with Jobs being pissed at Macmillan for the same reason Amazon apparently is...

One wonders who would be legally allowed to not have Macmillan content on Amazon as I assume there is a purchase agreement between the companies. Probably along the lines of Amazon essentially paying a flat fee for access to the current Macmillan catalog rather than a per unit pricing deal, that would be just a horrendous accounting headache which likely never offer an accurate accounting. So, I imagine someone may or may not be in violation of the terms of such an agreement...interesting, and it will likely get more interesting as time goes on...

[SpecialEd]

When I visit the Website of amazon.com (from Germany), I can still buy the Kindle Editions of Robert Jordan´s books. Lots of different titles.

[thinkpad]

Would people start buying less books if the prices went up to $15? In the beginning I think so. Then people would get used to it. The fact is that Amazon has set the standard so for anyone to be able to increase the prices and pull it off they would have to be really big say like Apple.

[brecklundin]

Originally Posted by thinkpadx

Would people start buying less books if the prices went up to $15? In the beginning I think so. Then people would get used to it. The fact is that Amazon has set the standard so for anyone to be able to increase the prices and pull it off they would have to be really big say like Apple.

And until they sell their first MILLION iPads who pays for the lost revenue while the content is not for sale on Amazon? Stockholders & the Board of Directors will not be pleased...

[GJN]

Originally Posted by kacir

You never know what ... a misguided rouge employee might do. Like delete your book remotely

Ah those dastardly Reds!

[texasnightowl]

Originally Posted by Lemurion

Personally, I could handle it if they set the default e-price for new-release hardcovers to $15, that's what Baen does with their E-Arcs. However, if they're setting e-books of hardcovers to $15 then they should set e-books of paperbacks closer to $5.

I've rarely felt ripped off by the e-price of a book that's still in hardcover, because even when dead tree is discounted and cheaper, the e-version is usually at least lower than list. It's when the e-version is damn near double the list price of dead tree, like a $15 e-book for a $7 or $8 paperback that I get angry.

Sure does look interesting though.

This.

I completely agree.

I'd be ok with the price of a newly released ebook being $15 which would be similar in price to its hardback version.

But when paperbacks of a particular title are running $6-8, then a $15 price for an ebook is ludicrous. There are some titles where the ebook was priced at $10 for a $6 paperback that I have completely passed on because the price difference was outrageous.

[brecklundin]

when comparing Baen to Amazon or whoever else, take into consideration the Baen book is DRM free...plus on at ARC's that is a gimmick sale making people feel special in that they can get copies of works in progress or at near enough to completion to be read then re-read once the final edition is out.

So, comparing to Baen's model vs. BigPublisherCorps does not seem to equate as the content is significantly different in it's character. Now if the big fish are willing to give up DRM for that extra cash, maybe we can talk...but not when the content is tied to one device.

[jasonkchapman]

It’s not clear yet if publishers can withhold books from Amazon while giving them to other parties like Apple. I’ve spoken to two antitrust lawyers who say it could raise legal issues.

I'm not sure that this is really going to be a factor. Antitrust laws would only require the publishers to make the same deal available to everyone, not to accept whatever terms the buyer offers.