Survey says: Publishers may sell eBooks direct

[jbcohen]

It has been my experience that several publishers are already doing this with an eye to bypassing the bookstores. Personally I like to bypass the book store as they are simply a middleman in the process and therefore not really relevant.

[RainingLemur]

I wouldn't be opposed to seeing the publishers selling the eBooks directly. Maybe see some better prices.

[TheJohnNewton]

Originally Posted by RainingLemur

I wouldn't be opposed to seeing the publishers selling the eBooks directly. Maybe see some better prices.

Isn't the idea of the agency model that publishers are selling ebooks directly. They are just paying Amazon or whoever to operate the storefront for them.

[GA Russell]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

I wish you had posted the link to the survey for the rest of us to chime in.

Originally Posted by tponzo

ditto. Could you post the link? I'd like a chance to weigh in if possible.

Guys, I think that I can refer you to the survey taker, but no guarantees that they will ask you to take this survey.

PM me if interested.

[GA Russell]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

Guys, I think that I can refer you to the survey taker, but no guarantees that they will ask you to take this survey.

PM me if interested.

Unfortunately, that survey taker is not taking referrals, so there is no way I can recommend those interested to the eBook survey.

However, you may be interested in this survey taker which pays cash in five dollar increments promptly (in my experience). Surveys pay $1.00-$2.00 each.

http://mindfieldonline.com/referral/0766b39f

[Lemurion]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

Interesting, I think a subscription model could work though although not for some ludicrous thing such as 9.95 for ten books. What we need is access to the publisher's back catalog, these out of print books you mention.

$1/book is ludicrous? I think it sounds pretty reasonable so long as there's nothing stupid like a time limit.

[SlowRain]

Originally Posted by RainingLemur

I wouldn't be opposed to seeing the publishers selling the eBooks directly. Maybe see some better prices.

I wouldn't mind getting rid of the middle-man, but I have a sneaky suspicion there would be price-fixing and that prices would only go up.

[Kiteology]

Originally Posted by TheJohnNewton

Isn't the idea of the agency model that publishers are selling ebooks directly. They are just paying Amazon or whoever to operate the storefront for them.

Yes, isn't the agency model exactly as you state. It really surprises me that I don't see a lot of questioning both in this forum and beyond about the so called 'big six' publishers now being in the direct sales business of e-books, but it is business-as-usual with the rest of their product line.

[jbcohen]

Doesn't the agency model also limit the competition for the electronic book market and raise consumer costs for electronic books?

[DMB]

Back in the 18th century many books were issued by subscription. I think the publisher advertised them first and they got printed and bound when enough people had signed up to subscribe.

I remember being thrilled when I read a first edition of one of Fanny Burney's novels. It was beautifully bound and had the subscription list at the beginning. Most of the subscribers were notables, but among them was an obscure "Miss J. Austen".

[Kiteology]

Originally Posted by jbcohen

Doesn't the agency model also limit the competition for the electronic book market and raise consumer costs for electronic books?

BINGO! That is exactly what I'm thinking. In fact, if you look around on the websites of Amazon, Borders, and B&N you will see this phenomenon in practice: backlist titles selling for more than their trade paperback price and frequently twice the price of the title's mass-market paperback offering.

[Forster]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

They asked what I would do if the release of the eBook of my favorite author was delayed - buy the hardback or wait for the eBook. I said, buy the hardback.

What? No option saying "the heck with it I'll just download it from the darknet if you're going to be that way".

[JSWolf]

If Simon & Shuster are any example, Amazon could be in trouble. S&S only sell directly in ePub and if other publishers pull out of the shops and go directly with ePub...

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

if other publishers pull out of the shops and go directly with ePub...

...then the Kindle will magically get ePub support.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

...then the Kindle will magically get ePub support.

But then there goes the Kindle experience. I know a lot of people like the Kindle for being able to get eBooks sent to them. That would mostly go away.