Quote:
Originally Posted by Lemurion
Note that I consider the agency model a separate issue from price, because Macmillan could have chosen to go with $9.99 best seller pricing with the agency model if they had wanted to. They would never want to, but they could have done so.
|
Personally, this is the issue I get worked up the most about, because it means that the publisher is setting the price, not the retailer. Since the online and bricks and mortar retailers are willing to have loss-leaders with hardcover books, we will undoubtedly see ebook prices for these books be higher than the HB because the publishers won't make any attempt to price match. MacMillan's CEO has been railing against the bestseller price wars, and the low price ebooks, so we know that his policy is not to price match. Also, MacMillan and the other publishers going to the agent model already have a history of not lowering ebook prices when lower priced paper editions are released. I personally don't think MacMillan would have ever promised to lower ebook prices to as low at $6.99 if Amazon had signed the new contract without a fight.
If a retailer believes they are able to make the profits they want by discounting their merchandise, the consumer benefits. As far as I can tell, the agent model prevents the retailer from doing any discounting at all. I don't see how that benefits the consumer at all. Perhaps if all the publishers switch to agent model (and I really hope they don't), the only way you'll get to buy ebooks at a discount is through something like the Fictionwise and Books on Board rebate systems.