Anything that prevents discounting will kill the industry (that part of it which prices high and prevents discounting, at least).
Of my favourite books and authors, the proportion that I was introduced to by buying a full-price book is vanishingly small. Libraries, personal loans, second-hand books, promotional offers, damaged/discounted books and remainders account for nearly all of my first encounters with my favourite works.
If any kind of agency model is to work, they need to allow vendors room to do special offers.
It would only really work if they killed off paper. I've bought two books as used paperbacks in the last few weeks that were on my Kindle wish list at a price I wasn't willing to pay. (And of course, they already exist. They'll still exist as long as I, and subsequent owners, take care of them.)
|