|
When I'm looking for a specific older release from a publisher, I'd guess that at least 50% of the time I find better pricing at B&N or Kobo than at Amazon (pre coupon use etc.). When a severely discounted title at Amazon is offered by a publisher (instead of an Amazon-originated promo), I find that it frequently, but unreliably, will show up at B&N, Kobo, and/or GooglePlay. (I don't use iTunes, so I never look there.) As mentioned above, if it's a KDP promo, you won't find it anywhere else, and I'd guess that the lion's share of Amazon freebies are KDP program books.
I don't know why the other stores seem to do a worse job of matching publisher-discount pricing, except to postulate that those stores have a different business model for how to benefit/attract customers. Kobo thinks it's smarter to offer the reader a discount from a wider variety of user-selected titles, via coupons. To a certain extent, I think Google has a build-it-and-they-will-come attitude about ebooks. I haven't been able to figure out what B&N's ebook business model is.....
As to why there are more Amazon deals on the Deals & Bargains forum here, there's one big reason (other than the obvious that the KDP program greatly increases the number of titles available for special pricing): It's easier to FIND information about Amazon temporary discounts, largely because of the Affiliate system mentioned above, and because Amazon has by far the best search engine of any of the ebook sellers. (The affiliate system is currently in turmoil, as mentioned above, with a thread in this forum, too.)
I do sometimes post finds in the Deals forum. It's easiest for me to learn about the Amazon discounted titles than anyone else's-- confirming whether they're also the same price at the other sellers probably more than triples the time it takes to prepare a post. I certainly appreciate it when other posters in the Deals forum take the time to provide alternative-vendor price checks & links, and I try to when I have the time.
KentE
|