[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by starrigger

Jon, I'm not sure what godawful format you're referring to. Trade paperback? If so, then it's just another option for publishers trying to make books profitable. I personally prefer mass market paperback to trade paperback, and yeah, I wish they all fit my shelves--but I can tell you that one reason you're seeing so many trade paperbacks is that they sell--in some cases, making books profitable that would otherwise lose money in MMPB.

Yes, Trade paperback is what I was spacing on. I don't like the fit to my hand. It feels unnatural. Plus, I don't like the increased price. And a lot of the time, the text size/line spacing is too big for my liking. The problem is the trade is not liked by all and we have to wait even longer to get MMPB. Why not publish both at the same time and see what really sells?

As for the publishers being morons--no, I don't think they are. (Though I sometimes say otherwise under my breath.) While I think they were all sipping from the same Apple-flavored kool-aid when they devised the agency model, they're all trying to come up with a way to take an industry that's been in trouble for years and steer it to sustained profitability. While it's a popular refrain here on MR to talk about greedy publishers, the fact is that most publishing operates on a very thin profit margin. What seems like an obvious pricing model to ebook aficionados may not be so obvious from the other side of the counter, where profits from ebooks are still small.

It's like a lot of things these days. What kind of business model is It's selling pretty well so we'll raise the price?. We've got CD, movies, and now eBooks. All selling pretty well so the prices go up. I've spent less on eBooks since April 1, then I have in a long time. Would they rather get some money from me or none?

At present, it's spitting into the wind to try to insist that ebooks should be priced less than a MMPB. But I do agree on the question of sales and coupons, etc. I don't know what's going to happen with Fictionwise, but I hope when the time comes to reevaluate the agency model, they'll see the blunder of eliminating that kind of healthy retail competition. Maybe they'll be ready to take Apple down a peg or two by then.

The Agency model might not be so bad if they allowed sales/discounts. I get discounts on paper books, why not eBooks? What makes eBooks so different that the publishers won't allow discounts/sales? As for Fictionwise, I see them folding after most use their micropay rebates & club memberships expire.

I do hope they see the agency model for the mess it really is and do away with it. Are they really lowering prices the same day the book goes from hardcover to MMPB?

Oh--and even though I'm currently published by a major publisher, I'm happy to see at least one current in the industry shift to favor the indies and smaller presses. They're our most important counterbalance to the increasing conglomeration of the pub industry.

I agree 100%.