Ebook prices all over the place

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

...if you can't trust a Pastor who can you trust?

A loaded question if I ever heard one, but... moving discreetly on ...

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Best solution for who? DRM is a fact of life and unless someone can find a better way to satisfy publishers we are stuck with it so get over it.

It really doesn't sound like STEP was a good solution, any more than the presently-used DRM systems... so why should we expect that DRM is "a fact of life" when no one's set up DRM that results in a profitable system?

In the same way that publishers figured out a way to deal with loss, used book sales, library borrowing, etc, with printed books, they can work out methods to deal with/roll with e-books without DRM. If they can't, they will adopt the system created by someone else (like the independents) that does work. Big industries (like IBM, GM) seem to be on this track now, anyway--allowing someone else to spend the money on R&D and trial-and-error, then stepping in and licensing their product at less overhead cost.

My impression is that this is exactly what publishers are waiting on, and when somebody demonstrates a DRM-free and profitable system, they'll adopt it. It will take more time without their cooperation, unfortunately, but it will still happen.

[JSWolf]

Baen is successful without DRM. And we can demonstrate it now. So why hav not the big guys given in yet?

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Baen is successful without DRM. And we can demonstrate it now. So why hav not the big guys given in yet?

I can only guess that Big Pub sees Baen as a niche publisher, and is not convinced their success will be paralleled by mainstream book sales (the meat of their market). They'll want a direct comparison model, one they can license lock, stock and barrel, and use as-is without having to futz with it (because that would still be R&D for them).

[cherdman]

Ebook prices are all over the place within each format as well. If you go hunting for an eReader, LIT, or PDF book you will see a wide price discrepancy from store to store. This isn't just limited to Mobipocket books and Mobipocket is not turning people off to reading ebooks due to their pricing. This is an industry level pricing issue.

[Xenophon]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

I can only guess that Big Pub sees Baen as a niche publisher, and is not convinced their success will be paralleled by mainstream book sales (the meat of their market). They'll want a direct comparison model, one they can license lock, stock and barrel, and use as-is without having to futz with it (because that would still be R&D for them).

I s'pose that Baen is a niche publisher. Pretty big as niches go, with multiple books hitting the best-seller lists each year... but they only publish SF & Fantasy, and only 4-8 new books per month.

On the other hand, negotiations for e-Publishing rights with Tor (and their parent company) have been back on for a while, so we may yet see motion from one of the larger publishers.

[MaggieScratch]

I personally have no problem with DRM as such; I just want, no, DEMAND portability between devices. I don't know if that is an unusual stance, or if there is an argument against DRM that I'm missing besides lack of portability.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by MaggieScratch

I personally have no problem with DRM as such; I just want, no, DEMAND portability between devices. I don't know if that is an unusual stance, or if there is an argument against DRM that I'm missing besides lack of portability.

Well, it was mainly a fear of too much portability that drove the publishers to use DRM in the first place.

[NatCh]

Originally Posted by MaggieScratch

I don't know if that is an unusual stance, or if there is an argument against DRM that I'm missing besides lack of portability.

The other biggie is expiration, either built into the DRM, or incidental because the company folds and no one support their DRM anymore.

Of course, a "standard" format and DRM would address both of those issues.

Then you're just left with the annoyance many feel because they regard the DRM as having to have specific, express permission every time they access the content they paid for.

Personally, if it stays out of my way when I'm doing normal, legal, moral and ethical stuff, most of my objections to DRM go away too.

[JSWolf]

I have purchased a Mobipocket format book not too long ago. When I did so, I have to put in my PID. I can have up to 2 PIDs from books downloaded at PaperBackDigital. But I can edit the PIDs and redownload it looks like. So I'm not totally screwed. But it could be possible I'd need to maintain two copies. Like it I had a Gen3 or iLiad and say a PDA and a laptop plus desktop. Is this silliness really necessary

[cherdman]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I have purchased a Mobipocket format book not too long ago. When I did so, I have to put in my PID. I can have up to 2 PIDs from books downloaded at PaperBackDigital. But I can edit the PIDs and redownload it looks like. So I'm not totally screwed. But it could be possible I'd need to maintain two copies. Like it I had a Gen3 or iLiad and say a PDA and a laptop plus desktop. Is this silliness really necessary

Mobipocket is doing nothing different than any of the other DRM-laden formats. Each form of DRM comes with it's own set of shackles.

[JSWolf]

We shall remove the shackles and read freely.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

The industry has come to understand and accept print loss, through theft, borrowing, used sales, "pulping" unsold stock, etc. They have adjusted their operations and profit models accordingly, to make the realities of the market work for them.

There is a clear need to similarly understand and finally accept the economics of e-book loss, and adjust their operations and profit models again. It may not be fun, but it's not impossible. And I think the publishers know that.

Their main concern for publishers, I'm sure, is more immediate: That sea-change in their operations will cost them revenue and profit short-term, something owners and investors are loathe to see in this "instant gratification" world of ours. When everyone involved knows that change means their bank accounts are going to be smaller, they tend to avoid change as long as they can. Many of them won't move to change until the present market finally slips through their fingers. Then they'll either decide to change, or they'll retire from the publishing industry.