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@gmw. I think the major publishers are finally experimenting with pricing, and I think we may well see a few different practices being tried. I hadn't noticed this particular experiment but it is certainly worth trying.
As I have posted previously, my view is that the Big 5 tried but failed to differentiate their books sufficiently from Indies. In the aftermath of agency and their newfound control of e-book pricing for a time they simply weren't interested in competing with Indies at all nor in setting prices to optimise their overall return across both e-books and print books. This has now changed and it seems to me that they are experimenting with prices. If they can in fact price their new release e-books at a premium to pick up those prepared to pay it and then later reduce the price and pick up those who want the book but only at a lower price then they certainly win. The only way they lose is if they lose substantial sales to piracy of they lose customers who are no longer interested in the book when the price is reduced. Personally I doubt either is a significant risk. Like you, I frequently suffer pain in my hip pocket when I see a book I want at a reasonable price. When I see it at $5.99 or $6.99 if I want it I doubt the fact that I would not pay $13.99 or $14.99 12 months ago is going to stop me purchasing it now.
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