Quote:
Originally Posted by Kali Yuga
However, I find it rather amusing that an "ebook is just a book" whenever classifying it that way means a lower cost for the punters.  Of course, if a publisher says it's going to charge the same for an ebook as a paper book, mass hysteria ensues because "ebooks are not the same as books...." |
When I say that an ebook or an audiobook is just a book in this context, I assume that the government has made books exempt from VAT because of their educational value, making them more accessible to all. In that respect, where only the content counts, paper books (paperbacks or hardcovers), audiobooks and ebooks should be one and the same.
As for the actual price issue, I'm assuming that the cost to produce and distribute a material object (other than what the writer's and editor's work is worth) would be more than creating and distributing a digital object, so I expect the extra cost to be carried in the price of the material object but not the digital one.