Amazon says 'will have to capitulate and accept Macmillan's terms' - Page 2

rcuadro · 01-31-2010, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bremen Cole

Hate to see them cave, but I can understand why. I think it is unrealistic to thing the other publishers will not try the same thing. We shall see.......

I think that the cave in was inevitable. Time will tell how the higher prices will affect the sale of eBooks though I will say one thing...
If it took me paying a little more for an eBook to get it the same time that the hardcover is released then so be it. If not then I can wait until the price goes down when the paperback is released. I hope this is what they mean about dynamic pricing.

fjtorres · 01-31-2010, 06:55 PM

Actually, Amazon has laid out a perfect defense against federal price-fixing charges.
And set up MacMillan and any other publishers that follow them for a nice antitrust investigation.
This could get interesting...

DawnFalcon · 01-31-2010, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bremen Cole

Hate to see them cave, but I can understand why. I think it is unrealistic to thing the other publishers will not try the same thing. We shall see.......

That's step #1. In step #2, Macmillan books get pushed down in priority in the search lists, appear more rarely on "other books you may like"... paranoia? Well maybe, but if I was Amazon...

fjtorres - Yep. This is absolutely groundwork for a charge of a pricing cartel.

poohbear_nc · 01-31-2010, 07:00 PM

My response - I will not be blackmailed/coerced/whatever by publishers or by Steve Jobs.

I will NEVER buy an Apple product now. Ever.
And, if I want to read a book published by Macmillan, I will buy a "Used Like New" copy from an Amazon marketplace seller - paying only pennies on the dollar - NOT to the publisher, but to an individual and to Amazon (which gets a cut from each sale).
I also know where to get digital copies independent of Macmillan.

This is voting with my wallet: NO MORE CASH to greedy publishers. NO MORE CASH to Steve Jobs. I will not subsidize greed with my cash.

lilac_jive · 01-31-2010, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcuadro

I think that the cave in was inevitable. Time will tell how the higher prices will affect the sale of eBooks though I will say one thing...
If it took me paying a little more for an eBook to get it the same time that the hardcover is released then so be it. If not then I can wait until the price goes down when the paperback is released. I hope this is what they mean about dynamic pricing.

I don't think they caved, I think they did this to draw attention to the public to the matter.

wallcraft · 01-31-2010, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasonkchapman

My guess is that, if they're pushed to an agency model (assuming they aren't already operating that way), they will accelerate incorporating buyers club discounts on e-books.

So far as I know, only MobiPocket.com currently acts as an agent for the publishers. Which is why they always have the highest prices with no discounts.

I hope you are right about buyers clubs being a loophole for discounts. However, at best the retailers will only have a 30% markup to play with.

jasonkchapman · 01-31-2010, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Actually, Amazon has laid out a perfect defense against federal price-fixing charges.
And set up MacMillan and any other publishers that follow them for a nice antitrust investigation.
This could get interesting...

Not really. The agency model completely eliminates any question of price fixing in a legal sense. In an agency model, Amazon is not buying a product and then reselling it. It is acting as the seller's agent, thus the seller is not restraining the agent's right of trade in any way by setting a price. The publisher is, in essence, selling to the customer with Amazon providing a service in return for a commission.

rmclachlan · 01-31-2010, 07:05 PM

Surely the Publisher and the Authors have a right to make a decent living. I have no sympathy at all for Amazon - about time someone stood up to them.

DawnFalcon · 01-31-2010, 07:07 PM

Jason - And I can saw now, UK law for one doesn't care. The book companies would still be guilty, and there's still a LOT of bad feeling here over the Net Book Agreement. As far as I'm concerned, they're playing with fire and I will shed no tears if they burn themselves.

Liviu_5 · 01-31-2010, 07:09 PM

My personal take is that Macmillan is digging its own grave faster than the "old print" attrition that has been going so far, while Amazon is getting back all the kudos it lost with 1984 and similar missteps.

bwaldron · 01-31-2010, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmclachlan

Surely the Publisher and the Authors have a right to make a decent living.

Surely they do (especially the authors). So?

wallcraft · 01-31-2010, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmclachlan

Surely the Publisher and the Authors have a right to make a decent living. I have no sympathy at all for Amazon - about time someone stood up to them.

The strange part about this entire episode is that publishers are going to be making less money from ebooks and authors are going to be making much less money from ebooks under the new setup. It is authors that the publishers are screwing the most. Amazon is most likely going to make significantly more profit from ebooks than before. Almost all the extra money that Kindle customers will be paying for ebooks will be going to directly to Amazon's bottom line.

jasonkchapman · 01-31-2010, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

I don't think they caved, I think they did this to draw attention to the public to the matter.

I do, too. Let's face it. Amazon needs the publishers. They built their business model on having everything. I think they always planned to "cave." They were just trying to generate some buzz about it.

kjk · 01-31-2010, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasonkchapman

I do, too. Let's face it. Amazon needs the publishers. They built their business model on having everything. I think they always planned to "cave." They were just trying to generate some buzz about it.

I'm very curious if it is just MacMillan, or if they've heard from the other big publishers as well. (It could be that MacMillan's current contract was the only one up for negotiation at this point).

Acreo Aeneas · 01-31-2010, 07:23 PM

Wow an open invitation from Amazon (albeit to Kindle owners) to decide with their wallets. I'm rather surprised.

Doesn't look like I'll be reading much Tor/Macmillan books for a while. $15 is way too much to pay for a ebook when I can get a paperback from one their authors for around $6.

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01-31-2010, 06:55 PM	#17
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	Actually, Amazon has laid out a perfect defense against federal price-fixing charges. And set up MacMillan and any other publishers that follow them for a nice antitrust investigation. This could get interesting...

01-31-2010, 07:00 PM	#19
poohbear_nc Bah! Humbug! Posts: 63,216 Karma: 135239851 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Durham, NC Device: Every Kindle Ever Made & To Be Made!	My response - I will not be blackmailed/coerced/whatever by publishers or by Steve Jobs. I will NEVER buy an Apple product now. Ever. And, if I want to read a book published by Macmillan, I will buy a "Used Like New" copy from an Amazon marketplace seller - paying only pennies on the dollar - NOT to the publisher, but to an individual and to Amazon (which gets a cut from each sale). I also know where to get digital copies independent of Macmillan. This is voting with my wallet: NO MORE CASH to greedy publishers. NO MORE CASH to Steve Jobs. I will not subsidize greed with my cash.

01-31-2010, 07:05 PM	#23
rmclachlan Member Posts: 13 Karma: 30 Join Date: May 2008 Device: Sony 505	Surely the Publisher and the Authors have a right to make a decent living. I have no sympathy at all for Amazon - about time someone stood up to them.

01-31-2010, 07:07 PM	#24
DawnFalcon Banned Posts: 2,094 Karma: 2682 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: N/A	Jason - And I can saw now, UK law for one doesn't care. The book companies would still be guilty, and there's still a LOT of bad feeling here over the Net Book Agreement. As far as I'm concerned, they're playing with fire and I will shed no tears if they burn themselves.

01-31-2010, 07:09 PM	#25
Liviu_5 Books and more books Posts: 917 Karma: 69499 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: White Plains, NY, USA Device: Nook Color, Itouch, Nokia770, Sony 650, Sony 700(dead), Ebk(given)	My personal take is that Macmillan is digging its own grave faster than the "old print" attrition that has been going so far, while Amazon is getting back all the kudos it lost with 1984 and similar missteps.

01-31-2010, 07:23 PM	#30
Acreo Aeneas Kobo Aura Posts: 252 Karma: 500520 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Chicago, Illinois Device: Kobo Aura	Wow an open invitation from Amazon (albeit to Kindle owners) to decide with their wallets. I'm rather surprised. Doesn't look like I'll be reading much Tor/Macmillan books for a while. $15 is way too much to pay for a ebook when I can get a paperback from one their authors for around $6.

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