Quote:
Originally Posted by Fabe
Ultimately we are paying for the value of the content, not the cost of the packaging. There is no reason what-so-ever electronic books should cost less or more than a hard or paperback edition. It comes down to what the market will bear.
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One of the major issues besides the price is that there the Agency Model will not allow sales or discounts. So while the paperback and eBook are both say priced at $7.99, I can get the paperback cheaper as Borders send discounts via email. But the eBook then becomes MORE expensive because there is no discount or sale.
So how is this a good value? Also, I've seen too many cases where the pBook is published in a cheaper paperback and the price of the eBook doesn't fall in line and stays at the hardcover price.
Also, the publishers fail to realize something important. People who want the eBook DO NOT WANT the hardcover. They do not want to pay hardcover price. Also, according to the terms and conditions, the eBook has less going for it the then pBook and thus should be priced less due to these restrictions. We are not allowed to resell and eBook. We are not to strip the DRM (if the publishers had their way), we are not allowed to allowed to give away an eBook. We are not allowed the rights we should be allowed for purchasing something. The sites say
BUY on them, not rent or lease. So since they say we are
BUYING, then we deserve the rights we get pBooks.
All of this nonsense undermines the value of an eBook vs a pBook. So why are we paying the same or more? Where is the value in that?
Now, picture this, you have a book out in hardcover that say goes got $25. the eBook is priced at say $14.99. The think is, would you rather have say 5 sales of the eBook at $14.99 for a grand total of $74.95 or say 10 sales of the eBook at $9.99 for 99.90? If an eBook that has a current hardcover version is priced no higher then $9.99, it will sell a lot more and the publisher and author will make more money and the reader will get a much better value for the money. How does this not work out for everyone?
My purchasing of eBooks has lowered and I've gone more to the library/Overdrive to get FREE eBooks. Every eBook I might have bought but didn't is a lost sale for the Agency 5. So would you rather your eBooks sell for $6 or would you rather they don't sell for $12.99?