Quote:
Originally Posted by pwalker8
I never said that Amazon selling ebooks at a loss was a losing proposition for Hachette. That's just your misrepresentation of what I said. However, Amazon setting a price point in the public's mind that devalues ebooks is a big issue for all the major publishers and what they have been fighting against for several years. Of course, Amazon's new demand that publishers foot the bill for Amazon selling ebooks at a loss is a pretty big issue as well.
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Devalues ebooks? Ebooks devalue themselves automatically once the mmpb enters. How come the exact same ebook is now worth less money? If it isn't dirty price fixing. The mistake enters when you actually believe that an ebook is the exact same thing as a hardcover book. It is the same, but only until the paperback comes out. Then it is the same as a paperback. The true value is the exact same as a hardcover, but then after a while the true value changes to the paperback? That does not make any sense. The true value of an ebook is somewhere inbetween. It is durable like a hardcover, but it is portable like a paperback. Most ereaders or phones take up less space and weight than a paperback. When you buy a hardcover you pay for two things - the better quality of the book itself compared to paperback and early access. With an ebook you only get the early access, thus it is only one benefit over the paperback. If all is fair, than the ebook should be exactly cheaper by the amount of the per unit price of the hardcover book (printing and storing). More than likely the ebook still won't be quite $9.99 suggested retail price if the hardcover suggested retail is $14.99. But then it should be at the retailers discretion to discount.