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Good to have your company, Digby, and many of us share your frustration.
Don't be too quick to blame publishers, though; the pricing anomalies are Big Retail moves to strike back against a thing called the Agency Five Model.
Under the relatively new Agency Five, publishers fix the price of an ebook and retailers work as 'licenced agents' on a 30% sales commission. They are not allowed to discount Agency Five ebooks.
We don't like Agency Five here at MR or, indeed, at my own small indie publishing house, and think it's a trap. But the fact remains that those stores that can afford it are hitting below the belt by discounting paperback and hardback to loss leader level in retribution, encouraging just the feelings you describe in your introductory post.
I have little doubt that Agency Five will soon be ruled illegal in the courts. But this will hand pricing back to the big shopkeepers. What will we see then, I wonder.
It must be remembered that the success of the ebook hits the Big Five publishers and a few other big boys badly. Working on mass-run, you see, print and distribution accounts for only around 12.5% to 15% of a book's cover price. Contstant in-house overheads must now be shared between lower (RRP) priced digital and print editions.
AND it must be remembered that -- unlike brick-and-mortar stores in your local high street that traditionally claim over 40% sales commission (supermarket chains up to 95%) and the right of full refund on unsold stock (about 50% of all paperbacks) -- have no inventory, no in-store promotion of titles and stock, no returned stock and provide nothing more than a crowded shop window.
Anyway, Digby, until things settle down, enjoy your Sony. Very best wishes. Neil
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