Why should authors not have some control over the price their books are sold for?

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

I see absolutely no reason why an author or publisher should be allowed to set the price of their goods.

From the rest of your post, I think you meant shouldn't?

[Kali Yuga]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

From the rest of your post, I think you meant shouldn't?

That's what I get for posting before I've had my morning decaf....

[Rhynedahll]

From my perspective, there seems to be a lot of misconceptions, misunderstandings, conjectures, and downright misinformation in this thread.

I am a indie, self-published author. I have a novel on Amazon, B & N, iBookstore, and Smashwords (recently.) I have a short story collection on Amazon as well. Because of this, I have a basic, but complete, understanding of the pricing schemes and royalties rates of these bookstores.

I would like to comment on some of the attitudes and ideas in this thread accordingly.

#1: A lot of you mention that you believe ebooks to be priced too high. This is certainly not true of indies. Most of the authors I know and connect with on message boards sell their books for under $5. Most are $2.99 or $.99. The vast majority of these are well written and well edited. If anyone can't afford these prices for a novel, then I suggest they stick to the public library.

People whose outrage stems from the fact that they want something for nothing should just admit they are thieves and go on about their business.

Now, if the prices of mainstream, big six publishers' ebooks is the focus of the ire then please don't include us indies in your anger. There are articles on the net where they try to explain their costs. Read them. The big six can't sell a book for .99 and stay in business, pure and simple.

#2 Indies are not wholesalers. We don't sell our books in bulk to Amazon or anyone else. Indie ebooks are direct from producer to consumer. THERE IS NO WHOLESALE PRICE TO SET.

Amazon, B & N, Lulu, Smashwords all allow the author to set the retail price, subject to restrictions and provisos. The author is the retailer. All we get from the bookstores is virtual shelf space.

Indies don't collude on prices. There is no model, agency or otherwise, for indie ebook prices.

Depending on the price we determine, the bookstore often gets the lion's share.

A .99 ebook on amazon nets the author .35. All books under $2.99, pay the author 35%. ebooks sold in the US and UK priced $2.99 to $9.99 pay 70%.

A .99 ebook on Smashwords pays .56.

The others rates and policies are similar.

#3 Most indie novels take a minimum of 3-6 months of daily work. An indie has to write, edit, proofread, promote, advertise, and often create the cover art for their work. Many pay copy editors and cover artists. Indie writing is not an easy or low cost business. Regardless of how it may appear, writing takes time, a alot of it.

Indie authors price their books cheaper than a Happy Meal because they are trying to break into the market, gain an audience, are new, or realize, like me, that indies are like the old pulps. Our niche is low priced fiction.

Thanks for your time.

[John Carroll]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I honestly don't see why, I'm afraid. All that should concern an author is being able to fix a WHOLESALE price. What the retailer subsequently chooses to sell the product for is absolutely no concern of the author. The author has been paid his fixed wholesale price, and that's all that should concern him.

I agree with the author setting a wholesale price. At the moment that isn't how it works. The author gets a royalty - a percentage, usually 60-85% - the transaction fee and any affiliate fee.

Say a book is on sale for 4.99, 60% or $3.00 of that is pretty good. However, if the retailer discounts it to 3.99, the author doesn't still get the 3.00 as a wholesaler would. The author only gets $2.40.

A retailer should be able to change the price only if it doesn't affect how much the person originally making the sale gets. If the author still gets $3.00, then the retailer can sell it for whatever they please.