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On the treebook (as opposed to ebook) front, I've been arguing the toss over the weekend with an Australian author who says we have priced her book too cheaply at just over $10 Aus.
Our profit margins are tight but we casrefully price to be sure that our paperbacks are covered by prices that compete well in the international market place. The problem is (and the author gave me comparitive prices to back this up) that book prices seem artificially inflated in Australia and that, by comparison, our cover prices are so low as to suggest a second-rate product (they're anything but second-rate).
So what do we do? Up-price Down Under merely to bolster what we consider unjustified local market pricing or stick to our guns and play from a square bat?
I know what I'd prefer to do ... and it doesn't involve increasing Oz prices over the cost of a title priced fairly in the rest of the world.
I'm still waiting to see what Australian and New Zealand online stores decide to do with our regular $5.95 ebook cover price on all 150 titles in our current catalogue. All store contracts mean the recommended retail price cannot be discounted, but anyone can increase that price. Of course, publisher/author return is based on RRP and not on any in-shop loading.
Best. Neil
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