Quote:
Originally Posted by Fbone
Who's left to go home? Not Apple and Google since ebooks fit into their ecosystem and they have the cash. Kobo probably not as they seem to do well internationally and Rakuten bought Overdrive so there's some synergy. That leaves B&N ...
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Google is the one that most needs to step up or shut down; they have the money but their ebook operation is producing nothing but trouble and their recent acquihire of oyster staff is proof they know it. I figure they'll hang around at least another year or two but they have shut down other high profile operations so they won't be around forever if all they have to show for it is low single digits and lawsuits.
As for Kobo, I wouldn't count on Overdrive synergy; rather I see the Overdrive buy as a vote of no-confidence because Kobo is a b2c operation and both Rakuten and Overdrive are b2b. Any synergistic deal with Overdrive could've been sealed years ago. (Amazon did it without buying Overdrive.) They definitely need to step up or pull out: their US operation is so shoestring it can't be costing them much of anything (which is why it produces so little) but I could see them pulling out of the US if they drop any further.
Apple won't quit out of sheer cussedness no matter their marketshare. They can keep it running as a face-saving hobby no matter the financial outcome.
Which leaves Nook and I'm not even going to try to guess what they'll do. An outfit that couldn't turn a profit even when they controlled a quarter of the market isn't playing with a full deck.
As for things to try, I can think of at least a half dozen moves that can be tried ranging from subscriptions to micropay rebates to book clubs to bundles and more; all things that can be done without BPH support. (Indeed, they would be more effective if the excluded the BPHs.)
Remember, Amazon exclusivity is gossamer; it is on a per title basis and can be ended at the drop of a hat evefy 90 days. For example, if Google or kobo were to merely copy KU (no innovative thinking required) plenty of authors would happily rotate a few titles between the systems every 90 days just go keep Amazon honest.
Authors *want* viable options to Amazon but they aren't about to sacrifice their business supporting incompetents or crooks.