|
Of course you are right, Fuzzy: For many years here in France, I could only afford English church jumble sales books (I always felt cheap ... also hypocritical because I am not at all religious). When it launched, Amazon was great for treebooks, but -- whichever Amazon site you used -- shipping was a huge item and very, very often cost more than the books themselves if you're outside the blessed US. Ebooks are the answer to a dream -- but I do not appreciate the obvious ripoffs. As someone who's supported himself as a pro writer for almost forty-five years and a freelance fiction editor/indie publisher for the last decade, I can see no excuse. It's extortion. Do remember, though, that Amazon is primarily a grubby-fingered shopkeeper ... not a publisher. If, as it claims, 48% of Amazon book sales are now ebook downloads, it wants to keep its butt well greased. In a way, the success of the Kindle may well spell the downfall of the original Amazonian idea. Neil
PS: At least outside the USA, the Kindle is utter bollox. N
|