Quote:
Originally Posted by pilotbob
Much software is not sold [licensed] for $X as a download or $X + $Y for a shipped CD with packaging. The extra cost covers the package, shiping and handling.
Why should books be any different just because the delivery method changed... only the cost of that deliver method should be adjusted, the royalties the author makes should be the same.
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How many ebooks have you seen that were cheaper than the paperback? In most cases the publisher is charging the same, or even more for the ebook. They're still trying to charge for the physical delivery method, which is a significant part of the price. That's basically my point.
Yeah, you don't have to give away ebooks for free (that's just one model people have suggested), but you'll need to find a price point that consumers will be willing to pay versus just copying/downloading it themselves. I don't know how high that will be though. The idea is that a significant part of the price for physical books today are for things that no longer exist with ebooks, but the music companies and book publishers are not wanting to change.
It wouldn't surprise me if we start seeing more and more artists (both authors and musicians) selling directly to consumers without going through a RIAA or publishing company (some already are). With the internet, it's also conceivable that they could effectively promote themselves as well. The sale price of their mp3/ebook would be a lot lower than it is today (no middle men anymore), and the artist would probably take a much bigger cut than their current royalties. This idea is pretty scary to the RIAA/publishers though, and you can bet they're going to fight it very hard.