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But again Lee
Getting stuck in the hardback, paperback declining price model is the traditional method of publishing that you are trying to force onto an evolving and dynamic market. It is quickly becoming a new market and new markets have new rules.
The entire point of Agency pricing was to try and prevent eBooks from "devaluing" a book. The problem is, the digital era is disintegrating the barriers of entry into the publishing marketplace. Right now the Agency Five can lock the value of a new release eBook at $12.99. Okay, it'll semi work in the short-term because the Agency Five can at least semi-control the bestseller lists and the shelf space by the front door at Barnes and Noble and Borders.
The problem is, customers are quickly moving away from shopping in physical bookstores and the bestseller lists are starting to be heavily effected by eBooks. All ebooks - not just the major publishing house ebooks.
Five years from now when there are 50 start-up mid-range publishing houses selling their new releases at $8 and Amazon is churning out 4 books a month via Amazon Encore and pricing them at $4 and 12 big name authors have started self-publishing via the internet and selling their backlist for $4.99.
Will there be millions of people left buying those $25 new releases?
I wouldn't bet money on it.
Do the Publishers care?
My guess is yes.
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