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rvdparis · 10-08-2009, 10:45 AM

Just a quick revival of this thread:

Can anyone explain the pricing structure of eBooks or regular hardcover or softcover books? Is it market based? Is it to recoup fees? Is it marketing costs?

I've been in contact with a small e-publishing and distributing house AND a large, national (French) retail boutique on the subject of why certain of their eBooks are advertised, for example, on Amazon.com, for two-, sometimes three-times CHEAPER than their own advertised prices. The large company never got back to me, but the small one has been writing me back, concerned about such mysteries. He—actually, his distributor—can't explain why a book on a publisher site is 42.95 USD, as well as on Amazon, and on HIS site it's 110 USD. AS AN EBOOK!

So can anyone explain

1. Why ebooks are expensive at all?

2. and why ebooks could possibly be more expensive than their hard/softcover counterparts, or why ebooks on certain sites can be 2 or 3x more expensive than on their publisher sites, or Amazon.com?

At first, I thought it might be anti-piracy, that Amazon DRMs their books with topaz which 99% guarantees they can't be pirated, so publishers give them a discount, so they can sell cheaply? But making things so expensive on other sites may encourage piracy, as the small distributor told me.

Who can explain how this all works? It's so fascinating how a technology that promises to stop cutting down trees, and therefore cut overhead costs, can remain so expensive.

Thanks for your time, R

10-08-2009, 10:45 AM	#90
rvdparis Connoisseur Posts: 53 Karma: 140 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: Kindle Touch + iPad 1 + iPhone 4	Just a quick revival of this thread: Can anyone explain the pricing structure of eBooks or regular hardcover or softcover books? Is it market based? Is it to recoup fees? Is it marketing costs? I've been in contact with a small e-publishing and distributing house AND a large, national (French) retail boutique on the subject of why certain of their eBooks are advertised, for example, on Amazon.com, for two-, sometimes three-times CHEAPER than their own advertised prices. The large company never got back to me, but the small one has been writing me back, concerned about such mysteries. He—actually, his distributor—can't explain why a book on a publisher site is 42.95 USD, as well as on Amazon, and on HIS site it's 110 USD. AS AN EBOOK! So can anyone explain 1. Why ebooks are expensive at all? 2. and why ebooks could possibly be more expensive than their hard/softcover counterparts, or why ebooks on certain sites can be 2 or 3x more expensive than on their publisher sites, or Amazon.com? At first, I thought it might be anti-piracy, that Amazon DRMs their books with topaz which 99% guarantees they can't be pirated, so publishers give them a discount, so they can sell cheaply? But making things so expensive on other sites may encourage piracy, as the small distributor told me. Who can explain how this all works? It's so fascinating how a technology that promises to stop cutting down trees, and therefore cut overhead costs, can remain so expensive. Thanks for your time, R