Quote:
Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward
Quite correct. What the large publishers fail to realize is that they could "cut out the middleman" themselves if they choose to. But that requires a total marketing shift, with the possibility of a revenue drop in the changeover, which is unacceptable to them. To do it, they'd have to direct market themselves, through their p-books and other internet avenues. It could be done for the cost of one of their ridiculous advances to a no-brain celebrity. Shucks, Baen could market better than they do, but they don't need to because all their competitors are so clueless....
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Publishers have most of their eggs in the "retailing" basket. If they sold direct, they'd risk tremendous backlash from distributors and brick-and-mortar retailers, perhaps even to the point where the retailers return EVERYTHING by a given publisher and perhaps even demand refunds.
They're not willing to risk poisoning the well for the business they have left in order to sell direct to customers.
Not yet, anyway.
Smaller publishing houses are more prone to taking risks and so are willing to experiment with this model. I suspect we will see some "e and direct sale only" houses emerge to become significant players (akin to small, independent movie studios as compared to the majors in Hollywood).
Their books won't be found in every bookstore...they'll merely have to content themselves with being instant available to the entire English speaking world via the internet.