Publishers still missing the point on e-book prices - Page 21

Fbone · 12-23-2011, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhadin

If you are a member of B&N, you get a 20% discount on every adult hardcover, fiction or nonfiction, when bought in the store. If the hardcover is already on 20% or 30% discount, you get an additional 10%. And if you use a B&N credit card to pay for the books, you get a 5% rebate on the credit card. I don't consider 20% to be a slight discount, although I would love a higher one.

You can get a lower price by buying at B&N.com rather than at the store.

When I shop at the local mom & pop bookstore, I find that many books have at least a 10% discount and some as much as 50%. I think they are somewhat competitive pricewise; the biggest failing is one they cannot easily overcome -- small selection.

You're fortunate to have an independent bookshop locally. I have only one within 50 miles and they don't discount.

Yes, no matter how you slice it prices will usually be less expensive online. I do think B&N should offer higher in-store discounts. And paperbacks only get 10% off w/membership.

BWinmill · 12-23-2011, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stonetools

You're comparing apples and oranges if you are going to insist that the Kindle price should always be lower ACROSS COUNTRIES AND EXCHANGE RATES.

You may have missed this, but the US dollar has been fairly weak for the past 6 or 7 years. The US, Canadian, and Australian dollar have been flirting with parity for a good number of years. Comparisons that account for exchange rates show that Canadians are frequently paying 20% more for identical products. Yes, there are other factors to consider. Yet even blaming things like taxes can be misleading since there is so much regional variation in the US.

So yes, we should probably be taking more care when making these comparisons. But no, it doesn't blow the entire argument out of the water.

Greg Anos · 12-23-2011, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gweeks

I know of at least one author that has his will set up that way. I'd prefer him to stay alive a good while longer.

Greg Weeks

I bow in respect to her/him, and also hope he/she lives a long, long, life.

Thanks for the example, Greg.

Tom Swift · 12-23-2011, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stonetools

WEll, what's the Canadian hardcover price- list price or discounted? You're comparing apples and oranges if you are going to insist that the Kindle price should always be lower ACROSS COUNTRIES AND EXCHANGE RATES. At that point, you're stacking the deck al absurdum, TBH.

For the Kindle version, $12.99 US is $13.26 CDN.

Canadian hardcover price discounted is $19.44. So what? What does that have to do with the increased Kindle price? You (maybe) can justify the higher price in Canada for the hardcopy but how do you justify the increase in Kindle price?

When I go back to the Amazon.com store, now that i am logged in, it shows the Kindle price as $18.04 US, when it showed the price as $12.99 when I was not logged in. The price for Americans has mysteriously vanished. I guess it is very difficult to move this book across the border. Rough country and dirt road internet. Bah.

Tom Swift · 12-23-2011, 07:35 PM

Just to add that i live in China so I order books from Amazon US since the shipping price is cheaper, as well as the book price. Yet they force me to pay the Canadian price for Kindle books.

Blue Tyson · 12-23-2011, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stonetools

WEll, what's the Canadian hardcover price- list price or discounted? You're comparing apples and oranges if you are going to insist that the Kindle price should always be lower ACROSS COUNTRIES AND EXCHANGE RATES. At that point, you're stacking the deck al absurdum, TBH.

That is not relevant when you are buying it from the USA, though.

JD Gumby · 12-23-2011, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Swift

For the Kindle version, $12.99 US is $13.26 CDN.

Canadian hardcover price discounted is $19.44. So what? What does that have to do with the increased Kindle price? You (maybe) can justify the higher price in Canada for the hardcopy but how do you justify the increase in Kindle price?

It's not an increase in that case, just a matter of exchange rate. The Canadian Dollar has been floating around the 0.95-0.98 USD mark for a fair while (0.9796 USD at the point where the price was set in that example)

Elfwreck · 12-24-2011, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

From my own publishing efforts, I can say that any ebook on Amazon.com that has a "Paid in Kindle Store" rank of 7,000 or better is selling at least nine copies a day. if something's in the top 100, it's selling LOTS.

Amazon also counts sample downloads into its popularity rankings somehow. So getting a few hundred blog readers to go get the sample can cause a spike in popularity, which can often kick off a spike in actual sales.

Tom Swift · 12-24-2011, 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JD Gumby

It's not an increase in that case, just a matter of exchange rate. The Canadian Dollar has been floating around the 0.95-0.98 USD mark for a fair while (0.9796 USD at the point where the price was set in that example)

Huh? They went from charging me $12.99 US to $18.04 US for the same digital book and you say it is not an increase but an exchange rate issue? How do you figure?

sabredog · 12-24-2011, 03:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Swift

Huh? They went from charging me $12.99 US to $18.04 US for the same digital book and you say it is not an increase but an exchange rate issue? How do you figure?

Prices charged in Australia for ebooks purchased in locally based estores never seem to even consider the exchange rate. The AUD is above parity with the USD and we still pay higher prices.

JD Gumby · 12-24-2011, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Swift

Huh? They went from charging me $12.99 US to $18.04 US for the same digital book and you say it is not an increase but an exchange rate issue? How do you figure?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Swift

For the Kindle version, $12.99 US is $13.26 CDN.

Guess I misread that, then.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 12-25-2011, 10:01 PM

Publishers aren't the only ones still missing the point.

Blue Tyson · 12-25-2011, 10:43 PM

No, their shareholders aren't too swift, either, possibly.

BWinmill · 12-26-2011, 02:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

Publishers aren't the only ones still missing the point.

Yeap, a lot of people are missing the point. Admittedly, some consumers are to blame here since discussions of "impulse buying" of "$1" books isn't really in anyone's interests. On the other hand, there are consumers with very different perspectives and it is crazy to suggest that none of those perspectives matter.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 12-26-2011, 08:59 AM

No, I wouldn't suggest that. But just as publishers need to reach out to find a happy medium for both sides, it does no good for consumers to repeatedly slap that hand back. This is an effort that both sides must make, and I'm seeing very little willingness to do that in this thread.

Put it this way: If you were a major publisher, and you read through this thread... would you be willing to take any steps at all to appease this group?

12-25-2011, 10:01 PM	#312
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	This just in: Publishers aren't the only ones still missing the point.

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12-23-2011, 07:35 PM	#305
Tom Swift Addict Posts: 252 Karma: 1232346 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Macau Device: Kindle Oasis (plus lots of older devices)	Just to add that i live in China so I order books from Amazon US since the shipping price is cheaper, as well as the book price. Yet they force me to pay the Canadian price for Kindle books.

12-25-2011, 10:43 PM	#313
Blue Tyson Blue Captain Posts: 1,595 Karma: 5000236 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Australia Device: Kindle Keyboard 3G,Huawei Ideos X3,Kobo Mini	No, their shareholders aren't too swift, either, possibly.

12-26-2011, 08:59 AM	#315
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	No, I wouldn't suggest that. But just as publishers need to reach out to find a happy medium for both sides, it does no good for consumers to repeatedly slap that hand back. This is an effort that both sides must make, and I'm seeing very little willingness to do that in this thread. Put it this way: If you were a major publisher, and you read through this thread... would you be willing to take any steps at all to appease this group?