Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg
I do agree (if this is your opinion) that the current eBook price on your link, $14.99, is high for an author who seems to come out with a new book every 3-4 weeks.
J. K. Rowling/Robert Galbraith, who I'm sure puts in more work on each book, came out with a new one today for which Amazon is charging $25.20 for hardcover (from Amazon directly) and $9.99 for the eBook. This, of course, does fit my eBook-is-cheaper-for-the-first-couple-years thesis. Maybe both eBook prices have a little something to do with the Hachette dispute, since I'd think the reverse pricing ($9.99 for last year's Patterson, and $14.99 for today's J.K. Rowling) would make more marketing sense. |
When it comes to ebook vs hardcover, I think you're absolutely right. What bothered me, and some I know, wasn't the new release hardcover price vs ebook price, but ebook vs the mass market paperback prices.
Also, I won't sit here and say the publishers are wrong for doing what they feel is in the best interest of their business, although I might disagree with them, but that in the process the reader gets squeezed. As for Patterson himself, I think they might just be abusing the fact that he has a massive following and all the ghost writers that allow him the rapid release schedule.
In turn stuff like that reflects badly on the whole, perhaps a case of Peter paying for Paul et al.