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Originally Posted by Moejoe
Apparently it's a Firefox 3.5 issue (at least I think it is). It opens immediately in Chrome, go figure. *shrugs*
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I've no problems with Firefox or Exploiter, but then I am registered with them (I like the daily emails and find NYT a good foil to the UK media). Strange.
I don't know what the right answer, so lets see were an argument will take me. [EDIT: I'm not a publisher, so I'd really appreciate the publishers inputs and comments on my speculation of their thought processes. Also, I didn't expect to get were I got. Profound apologies to any publishers who feel upset by my take on them. If you are upset, you must be one of what I think of as the enlightened independents.]
I suspect people buy hardbacks for lots of reasons. For me:
- It's a special book and I want that wonderful feel of a hardback, that will last many readings
- It's very unlikely that the book will be available in any other format (less a case these days -- that role seems to have been replaced by the expensive Trade Paperback)
- I'm buying it as a gift
- It's the first edition of the first book every by an author that I've just enjoyed at a festival... (which is sometimes the same as 2, sadly).
None of these are really impulse purchases. For all of the above, I'm happy to pay more for the hardcover, and the ebook wouldn't attact me. I'd happily wait for the cheaper ebook, as I would for the paper back. For instance, I don't have Pratchett's Nation as I consider it too expensive, and will wait for the cheaper ebook. I'll do the same for Unseen Academicals.
So, are the publishers loosing anything by not releasing ebooks at lower prices? No, in my case not, and I suspect that is true in almost all other cases. All they are doing is spreading the time over which they can get income.
So what do the publishers loose by releasing ebooks at the same time as hardbacks, at the same price? Not much, though I'd guess very limited uptake. Most people would plump for the physical hardback, rather than the e-book. Most likely they'd loose sleep for fears over piracy (but then, that happens with p-books, so ....).
So what do the publishers loose by releasing low-priced ebooks at the same time as hardbacks. Probably some income (I suspect I'm atypical in having patience yet being able to afford the higher prices if I wanted). There will be people who buy cheapest. And it would probably damage the marketing pipeline.
And what about publishers that own printing works, or have shares in them, or contracts to print certain volumes? To them, ebooks represent a threat to the value of their investments, or to the bottom line with costs they have to pay. So at least some publishers (at least today) don't want to replace pbooks with ebooks.
So what to publishers think of the owners of liseuses? Generally we are people that have spent a several hundred dollars on something that needs their product(s). Or put another way, we must have disposable income, and are willing to pay more than a paperback price -- we gave the up-front cost of the liseuse after all. And if they make ebooks available quickly and cheaply, the real winners the the liseuse manufacturers.
So where does this leave the e-book release schedule and pricing? For the near term, I'm guessing the most sensible (i.e. lowest risk) answer from a publishers point of view is to delay e-books until slightly after the paperbacks, and charge more for them.
Caveat: it's the small, independents that will change the playing field by shaking the market up, capturing talent and forcing the big boys to take note. Kinda like in the movie industry.