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Originally Posted by moz
I think many publishers are holding back from ebooks for that reason, but it doesn't explain the ones who have already made that investment pricing their books at silly levels. Likewise the hardback run argument doesn't hold when the ebook price stays high after the paperback hits the discount stores. That just says that insofar as they've thought about it at all, publishers think ebook readers are rich dummies. The supply of which is being chiselled away at every day.
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I'm guessing the reason for the high prices staying high has more to do with inattention than anything else. You're making the assumption that publishers' staffs are always on top of their business. I can tell you from experience that that's not true. Most people who work for publishers are overworked, and a lot of this stuff gets done on a "when I can get to it" basis. Also, in-house communication isn't always what it should be.
Quote:
Originally Posted by moz
I'm quite keen to see someone do an Amazon-style ebookstore, and I don't particularly care if it is Amazon that does it. But the whole one stop shop is attractive to me, partly because I think they'd have the leverage to explain to recalcitrant authors or the estates therof that they will put their ebooks up just the same as everyone else, there will be no special restrictions just because the author is special. I mean that as in "special needs".
What amazes me is science fictyion authors who otherwise seem quite reasonable but who can't understand that the market they sell into is changed and they need to change their behaviour to match it. Sulking and stamping their feet just means not selling as many books.
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What authors are you talking about? Aside from a few bestselling writers who are doing quite well in paper and can afford to be opinionated, I don't know any authors who are opposed to their books being in ebook form. Your exasperation is misdirected.
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Originally Posted by moz
Which brings me to one strong argument for cheaper pricing: currently it's not legal to sell an ebook second hand. Or pass it on to a friend once I've read it. I have a few friends that I regularly exchange books with, and with certain authors we will split the cost of the latest hardback as soon as it hits the shelves, then a few weeks later donate it to a library (once we've all read it). So we pay about $US7 each for a hot off the press hardback. Or, if we each buy the ebook (assuming it's released at the same time), we pay $US25 or more... because we are idiots, I mean, "law-abiding citizens".
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I'm all for lower pricing in ebooks. No argument from me. But it does no good to ascribe malice or greed to authors or publishers who are just not yet as up to speed on ebooks as are the folks here. They're getting there. Be patient and offer encouragement and support to those who are doing it right.