Quote:
Originally Posted by Elfwreck
Customers who can't afford them, don't benefit from "more interactive" ebooks....
|
So someone who can afford to spend $10 on an ebook can't possibly afford to spend $13?
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Elfwreck
I'm also *endlessly* fascinated by the claim that Amazon ruled the publishing industry with an iron fist. Because, wtf, if you don't like the retailer, don't sell to that retailer.
|
That's not really an option.
The publishers are not legally obligated to sell through a specific retailer. However, by the time Amazon started throwing its weight around, the publishers could not afford to just pull their books from Amazon. (What do you think would have happened if Scholastic refused to supply Amazon with Harry Potter books, because Amazon discounted them too heavily?)
Retailers can also get paper books from distributors. Publishers can increase Amazon's costs a little bit, but really can't stop them from selling altogether.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Elfwreck
Publishers had plenty of opportunity to support Fictionwise, Diesel, and other ebook stores... they wanted Amazon's publicity engine but not Amazon's sales terms.
|
Briefly put, publishers can't discriminate on their prices, except based on volume.
Amazon is around 60% of the market; at one point they were closer to 90%. There is no legal way for the publishers to aid Fictionwise enough to grow their market share by 10% or 20%. Amazon can also afford to offer bigger discounts on day-to-day prices and targeted sales.
The closest the publishers could do is level the playing field. Without that, everyone else (except Apple -- maybe) is screwed. I don't think Fictionwise and Kobo will go out of business, since they don't have the huge overhead of a big store like B&N; Kobo also seems fairly savvy. But they are likely to end up like Rhapsody -- a bit player in a market dominated by a single retailer.