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The Publishers are going to have to adjust to the idea that as computers and tablets grow in usage and popularity, fewer people are going to want paper books. Todays generation is growing up playing on a Ipad or IPhone or netbook or something along those lines. They are going to end up using those devices to carry their text books by the time they are in high school because they are used to using them, the electronic devices are lighter then a backpack full of text books, and the books are going to be less expensive.
Imagine a high school or junior high in the US who can tell their kids to go to website X and download free versions of their classic literature instead of the school having to provide beat up paper version.
So while Publishers might be right that selling the EBook for less then the hardback version is going to hurt their business, the reality is that ebooks are going to grow in popularity and usage. They are going to see all paper versions move to a more niche market. Business wise, they are better off starting to figure that out now then waiting.
And I am sorry, but Amazon would have lost position with or without the Agency model. The Nook, Kobo and other new devices were on their way in. The fact that they could be used at the library in the US, when the Kindle could not, and internationally you need an EPub reader to easily use the library was huge for folks. Amazon could not sell books for those devices, at least not without some work and we know that most people would not put in that work. Amazon was going to lose market share any way.
I am tired of the folks who are whinging. The ebook increase has been a noticeable phenomenon for the last 5 years. Publishers have to change how they handle their business. Cut back on the advances, increase the royalties to make up for the loss of advances, and start prepping for the new format.
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