Quote:
Originally Posted by Halk
I don't really have a problem with that. I'd have preferred the electronic version to be more than a dollar cheaper. But essentially when a book comes out there's a standard policy of charging way more than the paperback, because it's new. People have the choice of waiting for the paperback, or paying the extra.
When it comes to electronic versions, it seems fine to me to charge a way over the top price to start off with, and then reduce it later - at the same time as the paperback comes out. It's not as if the hardback costs significantly more than the paperback. We're only talking larger pages, and a thicker cover.
Of course after the paperback has been out for a while there's also the opportunity to buy it second hand, and I've also seen older paperbacks heavily discounted.
So perhaps we'll see a three tier system for content ; New, Current and Old. And at a guess, for my model above 15, 6, and 4 for pricing. That'd remove the hardcover option I guess, and cause the whole thing to be reworked.
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i do understand the "more expensive when it's new" model, however i think there should be limits. 19€ for a digital copy of a 20€ paperbook is not a big enough difference. i could understand that they might be a bit more expensive than a paperback at first, but within reason.
i think a 3 tiered system like you describe would be brilliant, to simulate what currently exists in the used book market where the prices are significantly cheaper than new, and which cannot easily be replicated with ebooks. the "new" price seems a bit steep to me ; if the "current" price will be 6$, the new price could be around 10 to 12. this would allow publishers to continue to release the fancy paper book first at a high price, and then the pocket paperback later for less, with corresponding reduction in price of content in ebook form. and as you say, older content could be reduced even further.
i don't see why we would have to remove the hard cover option though ; it's just one more option.