Quote:
Originally Posted by mr ploppy
That would be the only reason I can see why anyone who is already successful on their own would want a publisher. Even a print only deal, with the writer keeping ebook control, would be pointless if all they can do is sell it on Amazon at inflated prices.
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One of the problems is that indies sell their books for 2.99 to 5.99. A publisher comes along with overhead, takes over and has to charge (or wants to charge) 8.99 to 12.99 for an ebook--to a customer who has been reading that author for under 5 dollars. The audiences may be completely different when you suddenly change the price. They generally become harder to convince.
An example is that a lot of cozy readers just want a simple, happy mystery. They go through them like ... 99 cent bargains. That same reader might not pay 2.99 or 9.99 for even a favorite author.
We had patrons at the library who came in and checked out 15 romance books at a time. They just wanted quick, light happy reads. This type of patron is not going to pay 5.99 for every single quick light read. They go through them one a day--they buy them/check them out partly because they are 99 or free or 1.99.
Everyone has a price range and what is successful at 99 cents may not be successful at 12.99. I think publishers are figuring that out. These authors are popular, but price did play a part in it and the publishers aren't willing (or able) to necessarily offer that same product for the low price. They may not be willing (or able) to FIND an audience for that same book at a higher price.
There are books I've read for free and enjoyed. But that doesn't mean I enjoyed them enough to spend 5 dollars on the next. There are books I've read and enjoyed and HAPPILY spend 4.99 on the next.
Consumers are much more complicated than publishers would like.
