Cutting Prices is the only way to stop piracy - Page 4

Serena · 03-16-2011, 04:21 PM

I think the whole argument is absolutely ridiculous. Here's where I bought my books before I got an ebook reader: Half-price books, bargain bin at Barnes & Noble, Wal-mart, Target, etc. I rarely paid more than $5 for a book. And I rarely had to wait more than a few months for a book to be available at a bargain price.

Now, just for one example, I have been reading the Kim Harrison series. My husband decided he wanted to read them, so he was going to buy book #1. The ebook is still $8! Probably 5 years or more after original publishing. So he got on the waiting list at the library. LOST SALE. Because in this case, and in many others, the publishers are too greedy. And if you don't call it price-fixing, I don't know what you call it, because before the agency-5 (6), those books were $5 or less, I know, because I bought books 2-5 of the series back before agency pricing (I read #1 as a library book originally!).

Horemheb · 03-16-2011, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by queentess

Someone somewhere (publisher? someone really good at estimating things?) that the physical medium makes up only about 10% of a book's cost

It sounds believable. Last year I read a detailed calculation (with all tasks listed and priced) from someone from publishing industry about the costs of a print issue. The cost of printing was about 15% of the customer price in that case (small EU publisher).

SleepyBob · 03-16-2011, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

It certainly sounds like something a publisher would say. But they are basing those figures on the total cost of bringing a story to market. Most of that cost will be spent on editing, design and marketing, plus business lunches and bribes for distributors/chain-stores. All of those are costs associated with the original print edition.

The ebook edition comes later, when (hopefully) all of those costs have been recouped. At that point, the differences in production and distributor costs become more apparent. Amazon takes a 30% cut for distribution, compared with the 50% a traditional distributor would take. And, obviously, there are no print/transportation/warehousing costs associated with ebooks.

But to be fair, now that ebooks are marketed concurrently with hardcover books, and are a significant and growing percent of sales, shouldn't they share the burden of editing, design, and marketing costs? Even placement in B&M stores can be viewed as an advertisement for the ebook, which it benefits from.

AdamV · 03-16-2011, 04:39 PM

Ok, then I honestly admit - I am a book pirate!

50% of my piracy comes from that I pay for the ebooks from US webshops while not being US resident, if I only can and are attract by the book, I do want to support the author!

the other 50% of the piracy of mine is b/c (shame on me!) I remove DRM from the ebooks - since I find most (if not every) retail epub edition providing too big font size for me, I need to change it and the only way to do that I know is to use Calibre, and the only way to accomplish that is to remove ebook's DRM

Anyway, even when I pay and support the authors and the publishers - I am still considered a 100% (50% + 50%) pirate in current market! You say some prices are crazy - I'd say that THIS is madness!

queentess · 03-16-2011, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamV

the other 50% of the piracy of mine is b/c (shame on me!) I remove DRM from the ebooks - since I find most (if not every) retail epub edition providing too big font size for me, I need to change it and the only way to do that I know is to use Calibre, and the only way to accomplish that is to remove ebook's DRM

Uh.... does your device not have a "font size" button or option? I thought this was a standard feature (and one of the major selling points of ereaders).

Belfaborac · 03-16-2011, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elcreative

Same for uni books... spend ten years producing a study book that's going to sell a few hundred copies and I'm supposed to sell for $30... say I sell 300 copies... wow that's $9000 for a work I've taken ten years to complete... you're all so generous...

300 books? What course would this be, I wonder? And ten years to produce it? Maybe you'd spend a few years on a a textbook if it's the first one ever produced, but the vast majority of textbooks are cobbled together much, much faster than the average novel - because 95% of the content of the current 39th edition hasn't changed since the 3rd edition was released. You just need some new and shinier pictures, a few updated facts and figures and hey presto, a brand new book is born.

Sadly I had yet to fully realise this when I went to university myself and spent several hundred £££ more than I needed to.

AdamV · 03-16-2011, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by queentess

Uh.... does your device not have a "font size" button or option? I thought this was a standard feature (and one of the major selling points of ereaders).

it does, still the smallest size set in the reader gives me too big font for my taste... I am kinda weirdo in the matter since I prefer pretty small fonts to enjoy reading... :s

kennyc · 03-16-2011, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamV

it does, still the smallest size set in the reader gives me too big font for my taste... I am kinda weirdo in the matter since I prefer pretty small fonts to enjoy reading... :s

That's a preference then, not a problem.

BrentKnowles · 03-16-2011, 05:16 PM

For me convenience beats free.

I want to be able to have access to the music/books/video I want on any device easily and cleanly without set up hassle. I'm willing to pay for that.

Downloading a video or book and having to convert it into this or that format and worry about viruses and all the rest of that... no thanks.

On the other hand I get really angry when I buy a book in a particular format and then can't read it a couple years down the road because my new device doesn't have a reader for that format...

AdamV · 03-16-2011, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

That's a preference then, not a problem.

well the same preference made me buying e-reader with e-paper display instead of LCD based one...

our preferences drive certain markets...

kennyc · 03-16-2011, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamV

well the same preference made me buying e-reader with e-paper display instead of LCD based one...

our preferences drive certain markets...

And so do criminal's preferences drive their activities. What was it Mick said?

You cain't always get what you want.

All I'm saying is that you are claiming you HAVE to break the law ... but the fact is you don't it's just that you choose to.

Piper_ · 03-16-2011, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamV

Ok, then I honestly admit - I am a book pirate!

50% of my piracy comes from that I pay for the ebooks from US webshops while not being US resident, if I only can and are attract by the book, I do want to support the author!

the other 50% of the piracy of mine is b/c (shame on me!) I remove DRM from the ebooks - since I find most (if not every) retail epub edition providing too big font size for me, I need to change it and the only way to do that I know is to use Calibre, and the only way to accomplish that is to remove ebook's DRM

Anyway, even when I pay and support the authors and the publishers - I am still considered a 100% (50% + 50%) pirate in current market! You say some prices are crazy - I'd say that THIS is madness!

I might be missing something, but afaik, neither buying books outside one's geographic area nor stripping DRM off books one has purchased are considered "Piracy" anywhere I've seen...

If they have, then I do agree that it sounds like madness!

AdamV · 03-16-2011, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

All I'm saying is that you are claiming you HAVE to break the law ... but the fact is you don't it's just that you choose to.

i do not think i used the term "have to" nor meant it...

kennyc · 03-16-2011, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamV

i do not think i used the term "have to" nor meant it...

No but you offered the size of the font as the reason you pirate.

And for the record, I don't consider removing DRM from books you purchase piracy.

mr ploppy · 03-16-2011, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SleepyBob

But to be fair, now that ebooks are marketed concurrently with hardcover books, and are a significant and growing percent of sales, shouldn't they share the burden of editing, design, and marketing costs? Even placement in B&M stores can be viewed as an advertisement for the ebook, which it benefits from.

Okay, fair enough assuming they are both released at the same time. But that still leaves ebooks with the 20% saving in distributor fee and the 10% saving in paper costs, plus (say) another 5% for warehousing and transportation.

So why are ebooks priced at or above the price of the hardback?

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03-16-2011, 04:21 PM	#46
Serena Zealot Posts: 109 Karma: 554408 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Kansas City, KS USA Device: Kobo Aura One	I think the whole argument is absolutely ridiculous. Here's where I bought my books before I got an ebook reader: Half-price books, bargain bin at Barnes & Noble, Wal-mart, Target, etc. I rarely paid more than $5 for a book. And I rarely had to wait more than a few months for a book to be available at a bargain price. Now, just for one example, I have been reading the Kim Harrison series. My husband decided he wanted to read them, so he was going to buy book #1. The ebook is still $8! Probably 5 years or more after original publishing. So he got on the waiting list at the library. LOST SALE. Because in this case, and in many others, the publishers are too greedy. And if you don't call it price-fixing, I don't know what you call it, because before the agency-5 (6), those books were $5 or less, I know, because I bought books 2-5 of the series back before agency pricing (I read #1 as a library book originally!).

03-16-2011, 04:39 PM	#49
AdamV Censored Posts: 105 Karma: 20724 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Warsaw, Poland Device: Kobo Aura HD (brown), Asus DR 900	Ok, then I honestly admit - I am a book pirate! 50% of my piracy comes from that I pay for the ebooks from US webshops while not being US resident, if I only can and are attract by the book, I do want to support the author! the other 50% of the piracy of mine is b/c (shame on me!) I remove DRM from the ebooks - since I find most (if not every) retail epub edition providing too big font size for me, I need to change it and the only way to do that I know is to use Calibre, and the only way to accomplish that is to remove ebook's DRM Anyway, even when I pay and support the authors and the publishers - I am still considered a 100% (50% + 50%) pirate in current market! You say some prices are crazy - I'd say that THIS is madness!

03-16-2011, 05:16 PM	#54
BrentKnowles Author Posts: 38 Karma: 540064 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Edmonton Canada Device: iPad	For me convenience beats free. I want to be able to have access to the music/books/video I want on any device easily and cleanly without set up hassle. I'm willing to pay for that. Downloading a video or book and having to convert it into this or that format and worry about viruses and all the rest of that... no thanks. On the other hand I get really angry when I buy a book in a particular format and then can't read it a couple years down the road because my new device doesn't have a reader for that format...