Mobi ebooks more expensive than average

[Over]

I'm really mad a this. Why is it increasingly more common to see, for the same ebook, the mobipocket version is more expensive?! Why diferent prices at all?

Look a this example:
http://www.booksonboard.com/index.ph...06331&v=buynow

The mobipocket version is almost double the price of the other formats!

Could someone enlighten me why is that? Please?!

[HarryT]

Different distributors to the other formats? The distributor sets the price, not the store.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Over

I'm really mad a this. Why is it increasingly more common to see, for the same ebook, the mobipocket version is more expensive?! Why diferent prices at all?

Look a this example:
http://www.booksonboard.com/index.ph...06331&v=buynow

The mobipocket version is almost double the price of the other formats!

Could someone enlighten me why is that? Please?!

http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/cgi-bin...God-eBook.html

It is cheaper at Diesal eBooks for the Mobipocket edition.

[Anggun]

Sometimes, BooksonBoard offers two different version of the same format of the same book at different price.. I've seen that before.

http://www.booksonboard.com/index.ph...83479&v=buynow

[Over]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Different distributors to the other formats? The distributor sets the price, not the store.

That would make sense, but JWolf already shown the same book in the same format in another store at half the price.

And funny enough, slightly cheaper than the other formats!

And in the ebook world, what is exactly a "distributor"? The one that hosts the files?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Over

And in the ebook world, what is exactly a "distributor"? The one that hosts the files?

That's right, yes; the company who makes the books actually "available" to the store, and from whose server (whether they know it or not) the book is downloaded by the customer.

[Over]

Interesting. Excuse me my ignorance, but... Can't a store host those files, not depending on distributors? It's seems an unnecessary third party to make things more expansive.

Except small stores that can't affordt server space and traffic bandwidth.

Anyway, I'm still curious about these different prices between different formats.

[HarryT]

It's the distributor's server which "applies" the DRM, for one thing. I guess it simplifies the "accounting" procedures to do it this way; the distributor doesn't have to take the store's word for how many copies of a book have been sold, for example; they know themselves.

[ProfJulie]

I often buy the .lit version of books just because it is cheaper than the .mobi version. Then I use Convertlit and Mobipocket Creator to get it into mobi format.

It is really stupid how the prices for eBooks are so different from format to format and from store to store.

[phenomshel]

Originally Posted by ProfJulie

I often buy the .lit version of books just because it is cheaper than the .mobi version. Then I use Convertlit and Mobipocket Creator to get it into mobi format.

It is really stupid how the prices for eBooks are so different from format to format and from store to store.

Now that sounds like a good idea! I prefer .lit format myself and was dreading having to learn the scripts for MobideDRM when I get my Blackberry and get the mobipocket reader installed on that. With this route, I could continue buying books in .lit and convert them to mobi. That's most helpful!

[basschick]

if only it were that simple - you wouldn't believe how cheap bandwidth can be!

Originally Posted by Over

Interesting. Excuse me my ignorance, but... Can't a store host those files, not depending on distributors? It's seems an unnecessary third party to make things more expansive.

Except small stores that can't affordt server space and traffic bandwidth.

Anyway, I'm still curious about these different prices between different formats.

[tibiafry]

Originally Posted by Over

I'm really mad a this. Why is it increasingly more common to see, for the same ebook, the mobipocket version is more expensive?! Why diferent prices at all?

Look a this example:
http://www.booksonboard.com/index.ph...06331&v=buynow

The mobipocket version is almost double the price of the other formats!

Could someone enlighten me why is that? Please?!

From a publisher point of view I can tell you this:

I make an ebook. I want to offer several formats. Perfect. Mobipocket charges me with 10% of the selling price, while other formats (Adobe for epub and PDF) costs 0 without DRM and only 0.15 € with DRM. That means, a ridiculous % for sure below the 10% mobipocket gets. So, I , as a publisher, want to stimulate my client to get another version (so I get more money).

I think it's easy to understand.

*EDIT* OH and no. In mobipocket they have to store the files, it's mandatory by contract. So they know how many files they've sold (you could cheat them otherwise).

[tompe]

Originally Posted by tibiafry

From a publisher point of view I can tell you this:

I make an ebook. I want to offer several formats. Perfect. Mobipocket charges me with 10% of the selling price,

Is this only with DRM? DRM-free MobiPocket ought to be free to use.

[CleverClothe]

Originally Posted by tompe

Is this only with DRM? DRM-free MobiPocket ought to be free to use.

If you have a way to convince all the publishers to give up DRM tomorrow, we would love to hear it.

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by CleverClothe

If you have a way to convince all the publishers to give up DRM tomorrow, we would love to hear it.

Lock them all up in a big warehouse with gags in their mouths and force them, Clockwork Orange style, to watch a movie with a flashcard that says: DRM = USELESS?