Simon & Schuster is delaying ebooks by four months - Page 17

leebase · 03-20-2010, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

I waited for paperbacks, i'll wait for e-ebooks.
I can always find stuff to read while waiting anyway.

Exactly. I don't see what that's such a hard concept. Either "don't wait" and accept the higher prices -- or wait and get it cheaper.

Lee

DawnFalcon · 03-20-2010, 02:28 PM

It's a naive concept. A high percentage of people are going to turn to the darknets, especially if they've got what they consider an investment in an ereader.

Ben Thornton · 03-20-2010, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DawnFalcon

It's a naive concept. A high percentage of people are going to turn to the darknets, especially if they've got what they consider an investment in an ereader.

Do you think so? You may be right, but I think that if publishers reliably published decent quality ebooks at paper prices (i.e. in synch with hardback/paperback etc.), without format shifting issues (i.e., largely DRM), people wouldn't revert to the darknets very much. My experience is that versions from the darknet are often even worse than those from the major publishers - all I want is to be able to buy their ebooks without geographic or format restrictions.

BearMountainBooks · 03-20-2010, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben Thornton

Do you think so? You may be right, but I think that if publishers reliably published decent quality ebooks at paper prices (i.e. in synch with hardback/paperback etc.), without format shifting issues (i.e., largely DRM), people wouldn't revert to the darknets very much. My experience is that versions from the darknet are often even worse than those from the major publishers - all I want is to be able to buy their ebooks without geographic or format restrictions.

Darknets or no, I think they miss out on the impulse buyer. Or the buyer who thinks they are waiting and then forgets about the book entirely (that would be me quite often.)

There are opportunities with ebooks that didn't exist with hard copy books, but many publishers aren't taking advantage of them. It's their ballgame, but I would think attracting the impulse buyer at a good price would more than make up for bothering with a delay.

Ben Thornton · 03-20-2010, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

Darknets or no, I think they miss out on the impulse buyer. Or the buyer who thinks they are waiting and then forgets about the book entirely (that would be me quite often.)

There are opportunities with ebooks that didn't exist with hard copy books, but many publishers aren't taking advantage of them. It's their ballgame, but I would think attracting the impulse buyer at a good price would more than make up for bothering with a delay.

I thought that they were going after the people who couldn't wait. Like me, for example, who read "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo", then bought the next one, then looked at the third one and, in the end, paid the hardback price because I didn't want to wait (and I wasn't persuaded that they'd drop the price on April 1 when the £3.99 paperback comes out). So I paid ~£10.

Skydog · 03-20-2010, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

Darknets or no, I think they miss out on the impulse buyer. Or the buyer who thinks they are waiting and then forgets about the book entirely (that would be me quite often.)

There are opportunities with ebooks that didn't exist with hard copy books, but many publishers aren't taking advantage of them. It's their ballgame, but I would think attracting the impulse buyer at a good price would more than make up for bothering with a delay.

I couldn't agree more. There have been many occasions where I would have clicked the "buy now" button on impulse for current non-fiction titles and instant gratification. Many sales lost just from me. By the time the ebook did become available, I had either lost interest (became "old" news), had forgotten about it completely, or was so irritated by publishers' actions that I protested with my wallet and kept my money.

When high price and/or delayed release apply, I have resorted to obtaining the newly-released title at my library resulting in zero revenue from me. I am convinced the dinosaurs in publishing do not understand that those with e-readers are, for the most part, serious readers who do not purchase hard copy books.

pilotbob · 03-20-2010, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben Thornton

(and I wasn't persuaded that they'd drop the price on April 1 when the £3.99 paperback comes out). So I paid ~£10.

Of course, when you buy a hard back book for £10 you can give it away, or sell it to get some of that money back. You can't do that with ebooks... which lowers their value which is another reason they should be less expensive than pbooks...

BOb

Ben Thornton · 03-20-2010, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Of course, when you buy a hard back book for £10 you can give it away, or sell it to get some of that money back. You can't do that with ebooks... which lowers their value which is another reason they should be less expensive than pbooks...

BOb

True, but I never do sell books. I either keep them or give them away. And I can still give the ebook away (in my world anyway).

The fact was that I was presented with the choice of either (1) paying the current price to read it now, (2) waiting to see whether it dropped when the paperback came out, or (3) getting an illegal freebie. As it happened, I picked (1). In the scheme of things, it's only the price of a train ticket (for my typical journey), or a (small) round of drinks - so not really a biggie. And I've read them all now, so I have closure, as they say.

I'm not sure how many other people will put up with the nonsense required for format shifting etc. - perhaps people will lose patience with the publishers.

Elfwreck · 03-20-2010, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leebase

Exactly. I don't see what that's such a hard concept. Either "don't wait" and accept the higher prices -- or wait and get it cheaper.

Lee

Are any of the publishers guaranteeing paperback prices--or even $10--for books that have been released in mmpb? I see a lot of chatter about how "some" books or even "most" books will be discounted, but wafflling on the details.

The issue I saw wasn't, "buy high price now or low price later;" it was "buy at our choice of price--and if someone tries to undercut our choice of price, we'll make you all wait."

DoctorOhh · 03-20-2010, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

Darknets or no, I think they miss out on the impulse buyer. Or the buyer who thinks they are waiting and then forgets about the book entirely (that would be me quite often.)

High or low price when a ebook I want comes out I often go to buy it. If the ebook is on a delayed release I will either forget about or come across it long before it has been released. Either way they've lost a sale.

BearMountainBooks · 03-20-2010, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben Thornton

I thought that they were going after the people who couldn't wait. Like me, for example, who read "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo", then bought the next one, then looked at the third one and, in the end, paid the hardback price because I didn't want to wait (and I wasn't persuaded that they'd drop the price on April 1 when the £3.99 paperback comes out). So I paid ~£10.

Hah! Yes, I suppose they are going after people like you. But if the ebook had been available, you'd probably have bought that one (assuming you are satisfied with your reader and all that). I have a few friends that didn't want to wait either--but they got on the library waiting list so only waited a few weeks. Would they have been tempted by an impulse, immediate gratification download? Hmm. Methinks the answer is yes, in at least one case. But if you're already waiting until you go to the bookstore or put in a "mail" order...you can go online and get on the library waiting list...or just wait...

We're not all one shoe-size, it's true. I think the point I was trying to make is that in the old model--you would have bought the book. In the new model, you still bought the book, but some of us didn't.

BearMountainBooks · 03-20-2010, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

Are any of the publishers guaranteeing paperback prices--or even $10--for books that have been released in mmpb? I see a lot of chatter about how "some" books or even "most" books will be discounted, but wafflling on the details.

The issue I saw wasn't, "buy high price now or low price later;" it was "buy at our choice of price--and if someone tries to undercut our choice of price, we'll make you all wait."

That's pretty much what I have seen--no commitment to a model or timeframe--and err on the side of NOT selling the book to people eager to get it (ie force them into a different buying model).

Anytime a retailer does things to curtail enthusiasm (price changes, not producing in a desired format/color/timeframe) I can't help but think it is a bad thing overall.

There's ways to jump on the market and feed the frenzy--and there's ways to try and control the market into suffocation.

luvshihtzu · 03-20-2010, 07:38 PM

Thanks for mentioning the new Lisa Lutz book. (The Spellmans Strike Again) If you aren't a current member of Audible, you can sign up for a three month $7.49@ month. (You can cancel at the end of the three month trial)
Amazon allowed me to link through their site to Audible for a $17 price for the unabridged audio. Being that I still had a $5.00 credit in my Audible account, I got the audiobook for $12. Not too bad and I don't have to wait for the ebook to come out. My only complaint is that there is a new narrator. Hope she is as good as the original.

DawnFalcon · 03-20-2010, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

You can't do that with ebooks...

Yes you can. There is no legal restriction on you selling on an ebook, and any restrictions on you doing so can be challenged in court should you wish. This will come to trial sooner or later...

Ben - And I'd of bought the entire series second hand.

pilotbob · 03-20-2010, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DawnFalcon

Yes you can. There is no legal restriction on you selling on an ebook, and any restrictions on you doing so can be challenged in court should you wish. This will come to trial sooner or later...

Ben - And I'd of bought the entire series second hand.

The only way to sell an eBook with DRm on it, is to break the DRM. So, if I was legally able to sell it... and I legally didn't break it, the buyer would not be able to use it (unless he broke the DRM)... so, one of us is doing something wrong thanks to the DMCA.

BOb

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03-20-2010, 02:28 PM	#242
DawnFalcon Banned Posts: 2,094 Karma: 2682 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: N/A	It's a naive concept. A high percentage of people are going to turn to the darknets, especially if they've got what they consider an investment in an ereader.

03-20-2010, 07:38 PM	#253
luvshihtzu Groupie Posts: 194 Karma: 39390 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Tucson, Arizona Device: Kindle DX Graphite, Sony 950 and iPad	Thanks for mentioning the new Lisa Lutz book. (The Spellmans Strike Again) If you aren't a current member of Audible, you can sign up for a three month $7.49@ month. (You can cancel at the end of the three month trial) Amazon allowed me to link through their site to Audible for a $17 price for the unabridged audio. Being that I still had a $5.00 credit in my Audible account, I got the audiobook for $12. Not too bad and I don't have to wait for the ebook to come out. My only complaint is that there is a new narrator. Hope she is as good as the original.