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Originally Posted by DiapDealer
We really need to stop using phrases like "drive to commoditize books" as if it's a new concept invented by Amazon--or even relevant/accurate for that matter. Books are commodities. Have been for a long time. So are the authors who write them. Have been for even longer. The problem publishers (and some authors) have is that Amazon is threatening the stranglehold that they have historically held on those commodities. Nothing more, nothing less.
I have no doubt that there are people who work for publishers who care deeply about literature. Just as I have no doubt that there are people who work for Amazon who care about the plight of the working man. But publishing companies care no more about the "integrity of literature" than Amazon cares about the common man.
They are corporate entities at odds for control of how money gets made by the sale/promotion of commodities. Period.
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I disagree. Books are not a commodity. I buy books from specific authors that I like, not generic books from generic authors.
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DEFINITION of 'Commodity'
1. A basic good used in commerce that is interchangeable with other commodities of the same type. Commodities are most often used as inputs in the production of other goods or services. The quality of a given commodity may differ slightly, but it is essentially uniform across producers. When they are traded on an exchange, commodities must also meet specified minimum standards, also known as a basis grade.
INVESTOPEDIA EXPLAINS 'Commodity'
1. The basic idea is that there is little differentiation between a commodity coming from one producer and the same commodity from another producer - a barrel of oil is basically the same product, regardless of the producer. Compare this to, say, electronics, where the quality and features of a given product will be completely different depending on the producer. Some traditional examples of commodities include grains, gold, beef, oil and natural gas. More recently, the definition has expanded to include financial products such as foreign currencies and indexes. Technological advances have also led to new types of commodities being exchanged in the marketplace: for example, cell phone minutes and bandwidth.
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Books are not of uniform grade. That's why some authors are best sellers and other authors have trouble getting family members to buy their books.