|
I know this topic has been rehashed countless times here and in other forums. Call me obtuse, but I'm just not getting the publisher's rationale(s) behind their pricing structures.
I know all books are electronically typeset these days. That means there's already a formatted electronic copy of the book. So what is with all the tales they spin about cost of storage, costs of formatting, and on and on? It's all about money, pure and simple.
The tradition channels of print publishing generate known revenue streams with lots and lots of people getting their cut along the way. The publishing powers-that-be think that e-versions will be sold once and then distributed illegally a zillion times. It's much easier to pirate an e-version of anything than it is to steal a physical book (or CD, or DVD) from your local store.
What they don't see is the big picture. Print will eventually become a niche product rather than mainstream. It may not be in my lifetime but I'd bet it will in my kid's lifetimes. It costs almost nothing to store and distribute 100,000 e-copies of a book as opposed to print version of the book. No raw paper and ink costs, no printer's unions to pay to print all those books, no storage warehouses, no costs to truck those books to bookstores, and on and on. You can send 1,500 e-books to Duluth or Stockholm or Glasgow for the same cost as you can send 1 e-book -- and you can get it there instantly.
That means more money for the publisher, and (potentially) a bigger cut for the author. And all of those savings could/should be passed along to you and me. It will take a major re-tooling of the entire publishing industry.
But what the heck do I know. I went to school for 7 years to learn to take care of sick folks. Reading is my hobby...
|