Quote:
Originally Posted by Kali Yuga
I see no particular reason to link an ebook's price to its paper equivalent. It's only even mentioned because we are used to paying X for paper books, and hold the illusion that you are ultimately paying for paper rather than the intellectual property and the financial resources invested in the book.
|
They can be a bit cheaper as I noted. As long as the author gets the same $$ per copy, as they are doing the same amount of work regardless of what format the book is sold in. For me it's not the illusion of paying for paper, as I know it doesn't cost much to print a book. I'm paying the author for writing the book is how I view it, so I have no problem paying the same for an e-book as print as I get the same enjoyment out of either format.
As long as authors get the same $$ per copy, sure, e-book prices can drop below the print books and I'll be fine with it. And that's more on publishers to not rape authors on e-book slaes and take all the savings from not printing and shipping books (which isn't much, probably $1-2 a copy I'd think) for themselves while paying the author's less per copy by giving them the same %, but of a lower cover price.
Yeah, yeah, it happens in all kinds of industries, but I'm a firm believer that no one should ever get paid less for the same work. Authors should make less per copy of a book because a cheaper format comes out (they can make less total if their sales drop, that's the business). People shouldn't be asked to make less per hour for the same work etc.
I'd rather be fired/laid off than get salary reductions. At least then people can draw unemployment while looking for a new job. With reductions you're stuck with the job until you find another unless you want to quit and have no income in between.
As for window pricing, yep that's paying a premium to have the book early. Just like you can pay $12 to see movie at release, or wait for it to hit the dollar theater, or wait to rent it on Netflix, or wait for it to be on a cable channel etc. I see nothing wrong with paying more to enjoy something sooner. Some stuff I do, most stuff I wait on.