Quote:
Originally Posted by pwalker8
Once again, I really don't think the evidence supports your "price to preserve paper sales" theory given that they are priced less than the paper books. You seem to have the assumption that ebooks should be priced at the price _you_ want then to be, rather than the price the market will support. As I pointed out eariler, indie prices seem to be approaching the price point of mid-tier major publisher books. Economics says that is the price that the market will support.
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The correct market price for an ebook is not what I want it to be. It is what is determined by the free market. The correct market price for ebooks is the Indie price, which is set by market forces without regard to the effect of such price on print books. The Big 5 are trying to force ebooks into their previously existing tiered price model for print books. If they priced from publication so as to maximise revenue from ebook sales they would have few print sales. If Amazon was correct and the optimal price for an ebook of a new release expected best seller is $9.99, they are going to sell far fewer Hard Covers and far fewer paper backs. Surely you can see that the ebook must be priced at least initially at a higher level to preserve these print book sales. If only ebooks were produced, or they didn't care about print book sales, the initial ebook price would be $9.99. Mind you, I think the optimal price for an ebook has decreased over the years since Amazon proclaimed it was $9.99. The Big 5 are competing with Indies who essentially prefer to sell ebooks or at least care little about print. Do you really believe that their desire to sell paper books is not a factor taken into account when the Big 5 set thier agency price for a new release ebook?