Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
I'm not sure the "naive" is the right word, but it would be a backward step to sell only direct to customers. The main reason I like to buy from Amazon is that it's a "one stop shop" for everything. I'm much less likely to buy a book if I have to take the trouble to go to a different site to buy it; I'd probably buy a different book from Amazon instead. If Tor decide to sell through their own site, that's great - as long as they also sell through the major eBookstores.
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I think the "naive" was tongue in cheek based on the context of the quote
It would be a step back to sell direct only because publishers are not and likely won't be for some time experts in retail. Retailers know their customers and likely spend (the good ones anyway) a lot of time working out exactly how high they can take a price to maximise their profits.
That said, having a direct outlet means at any time a publisher can turn around to a single store and say that the terms offered are unacceptable. the fact the books are DRM free means that stores customers can at least still get the books. I think it might (nothing is certain
) give the publishers a little more freedom to manoeuvre in the future.