Quote:
Originally Posted by AnemicOak
You do realize that all of the big publishers sold ebooks directly before the Kindle even existed right? They had shops back when Amazon and B&N sold ebooks the first time around (before they stopped selling them originally). A few pubs stopped selling ebooks later after the Kindle was so popular, but many never stopped and still do sell them. They just aren't all that good at it.  S&S used to have a pretty nice setup which they eventually ruined by redesigning it and raising prices.
What's "at first"? Most ebooks had a a list price that closely matched their paper book equivalent originally (back in the days of Fictionwise, etc.). The only thing that often made them as cheap or cheaper than a paper book was the street price after the retailer had discounted the book. |
Don't forget the retailers had MFN clauses in their contracts. The publishers were not permitted to undercut their retail partners. Might as well let them handle the transaction, expense and customer service.