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I think most people are looking at the headline "$9.99 ebook on best sellers will be stopped by Agency model" and miss the big picture.
I see a few things happening as Publishers start taking responsibility for pricing:
1) E-books overall will be more available and less expensive. This is because trade paperbacks will be priced in the ebook world based on demand and price of physical book. The publishers want to make money, and the best way to make money on eBooks is to sell more of them (30 eBooks at $5.99 or better than selling 20 at $9.99).
2) Bestsellers will be a few dollars more.
3) eBooks will only rarely be more expensive than physical books, at least based on MSRP.
4) Amazon will lose out. No more selling best sellers at a loss. Other retailers will breath a sigh of relief and compete on service and reward plans. Non-Kindle devices will finally be able to compete, and the eBook device industry will move forward faster.
5) More reward plans and bundles. As pricing can't compete, giving rewards will be a way for bookstores to distinguish themselves.
This will be a good thing overall. My bet is that if I total the cost on my wish list at Fictionwise now, and compare it to next month (assuming I add no books...), it will be less, possibly significantly less, next month.
-Edward
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