Irate kindlers 1star carpet bomb Michael Connelly's new book

[J. Strnad]

Authors, prior to signing away the contract, have all the rights the law allows, others can only gain those rights with the authors consent. So, some, if not most, authors go into it and will do and agree to whatever to get published, but I believe the consumers have the right to punish them if they so desire.

On a very academic level, you're right. But to think that an author who has put months or years into his work, months or years into finding an agent, and months or years into finding a publisher...to expect him to get within spitting distance of being published and suddenly say, "No...I want to control the ebook price or there's no deal"...well, that's just unrealistic.

That's like working your butt off to get into the college of your dreams and saying, "The hamburgers you sell on campus cost too much...never mind!"

To put it bluntly, you really need to write a book, get an agent, attract a publisher, and get neck-deep into negotiations to comprehend how improbable it is that any author would go to the mat over the ebook price.

[bhartman36]

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

That's like working your butt off to get into the college of your dreams and saying, "The hamburgers you sell on campus cost too much...never mind!"

Love that analogy.

[RockdaMan]

For people who say that the carpet bombing doesn't matter because people 1. Are going to buy it anyway or 2. Don't read reviews...

...why the complaints about the Kindlers doing it then?

Me? I have to think some people have wondered over, seen the reviews, and decided no. Not many, but it has to have happened to some. Thats real money out of his pocket.

And I'm sure that no author out there wants to pull up his author page and see a cumulative 2 star review - no matter how well it actually did in sales. Artists are a touchy bunch...

[pricecw]

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

On a very academic level, you're right. But to think that an author who has put months or years into his work, months or years into finding an agent, and months or years into finding a publisher...to expect him to get within spitting distance of being published and suddenly say, "No...I want to control the ebook price or there's no deal"...well, that's just unrealistic.

That's like working your butt off to get into the college of your dreams and saying, "The hamburgers you sell on campus cost too much...never mind!"

To put it bluntly, you really need to write a book, get an agent, attract a publisher, and get neck-deep into negotiations to comprehend how improbable it is that any author would go to the mat over the ebook price.

I think you just agreed with what I said "So, some, if not most, authors go into it and will do and agree to whatever to get published".

My point, they have that power, they have guilds that are supposed to guide and help them. However, do to a desire and wish to get published, they will agree to horrible terms from current publishers. I feel for them wrt to this, but I still feel that the consumer has a voice and a right to use it.

Maybe, if this happens to enough authors, others and the writing guilds pay attention, and start fighting for what is good for authors, and not publishers.

Now, I also think there are authors that firmly believe that this is the right way to run their business, and I hope that if individuals and groups target authors, those are first, but I also won't tell them how or who to target.

--Carl

[OtterBooks]

I don't like the price of some ebooks. However, nobody owes me consumer products per my demands. I don't like the price, I don't pay. I'm not gonna do an Amazon search for shoes and give a one star rating to every pair I think costs too much. The star rating presumes to reflect average customer satisfaction with their experience with the product, and giving a rating for a product you haven't experienced is dishonest imo. If you could write a commentary sans star-rating, that would be one thing.

[rogue_librarian]

Originally Posted by OtterBooks

I don't like the price of some ebooks. However, nobody owes me consumer products per my demands.

Did anybody actually say as much? I don't think so.

I don't like the price, I don't pay.

That, but I'm also going to complain in a way that lets those responsible know why they didn't make a sale.

I'm not gonna do an Amazon search for shoes and give a one star rating to every pair I think costs too much.

Wow, talk about a failed analogy...

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Barcey

If you send an email to the publisher and bookseller they will just be ignored because they don't care. They don't care or they wouldn't have entered into the anti competitive arrangement to begin with. The one star reviews couldn't be ignored and there was articles written about it and it drew attention to the problem. The negative publicity had more impact then any number of (ignored) emails. It still won't make a difference though because they don't care.

If you don't like it stop feeding.

Exactly

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by bhartman36

I actually considered doing this, but I think it would be hypocritical, and I don't want to add to the problem. It's not really my genre, either, so I don't think I'm going to read it, even when it drops to $10.

Do it anyway. You give it a 5-star and I'll give it a 1-star

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Catlady

So what? Anyone reading the review will immediately see that the reviewer was protesting a high price. What is so problematic about that?

Because the average is important also. For readers and for the author.

[Wasgo]

Originally Posted by tompe

Because the average is important also. For readers and for the author.

So is the free publicity this stunt is getting for the book.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Wasgo

So is the free publicity this stunt is getting for the book.

So what? What about all other books were people destroy the rating with irrelevant criteria for setting the stars?

[Fbone]

Recent comments still complain of the ebook's "high price" of $12.99.

[OtterBooks]

Originally Posted by rogue_librarian

Did anybody actually say as much? I don't think so.

I was suggesting that the one star brigade acted out of a sense of entitlement, and I was correct.

That, but I'm also going to complain in a way that lets those responsible know why they didn't make a sale.

No you aren't, because a letter accomplishes that; you're going to engage in punitive behavior against someone who doesn't meet your demands, since your opinion isn't held by enough people to affect the price legitimately. Everyone knows what the rating system is for. Using it to bully the seller is sleazy.

Wow, talk about a failed analogy...

No analogy is really needed, because this is nothing more than some malcontents throwing a fit over the price of an airport novel for their luxury electronic toy. If you don't like the price, don't buy it. That's how rational people behave.

[bhartman36]

Originally Posted by OtterBooks

No analogy is really needed, because this is nothing more than some malcontents throwing a fit over the price of an airport novel for their luxury electronic toy. If you don't like the price, don't buy it. That's how rational people behave.

[bhartman36]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Recent comments still complain of the ebook's "high price" of $12.99.

Sure, because you also have the group who believes that no e-book should be over $9.99. Part of the problem is that anyone with an ax to grind can post a "review" without actually owning the book.

Amazon could easily solve this problem, if they wanted to. They obviously know who purchased a book and who didn't. But Amazon benefits from people pressuring the publishers to lower prices., so they have no problem with people doing this kind of thing.