Paper book vs ebook price

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by RDaneel54

Of course, there's that whole supply and demand thing, too. Book prices are partially based on "what the market will bear" with a production/distribution/royalties/fixed costs floor beneath.

The author's sustained effort is before the book is printed, distributed, etc. While the payment for her/his effort is dispersed over the years of purchases, it is nevertheless payment for the effort sustained previous to publication.

That's my point exactly. Doctors and Lawyers don't get paid merely for effort sustained before licensing, they have to keep reproducing their knowledge and expertise and get paid for each such reproduction for each client or patient. The authors don't have to keep reproducing their efforts in order to continue to get paid. Its human nature to value the former more than the latter.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

That's my point exactly. Doctors and Lawyers don't get paid merely for effort sustained before licensing, they have to keep reproducing their knowledge and expertise and get paid for each such reproduction for each client or patient. The authors don't have to keep reproducing their efforts in order to continue to get paid. Its human nature to value the former more than the latter.

Well, there is a difference in the product too though. When a doctor provides services it is generally for a single individual/incident. Not something that can continue to be accessed and used many, many times.

[elcreative]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

That's my point exactly. Doctors and Lawyers don't get paid merely for effort sustained before licensing, they have to keep reproducing their knowledge and expertise and get paid for each such reproduction for each client or patient. The authors don't have to keep reproducing their efforts in order to continue to get paid. Its human nature to value the former more than the latter.

So a Doctor is entitled to reimbursement for each patient seen but an author isn't entitled to be reimbursed for each person who reads his/her work... Eminently fair...

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by elcreative

So a Doctor is entitled to reimbursement for each patient seen but an author isn't entitled to be reimbursed for each person who reads his/her work... Eminently fair...

That isn't my point at all.

A doctor still has to put in effort for each patient he sees.

The author doesn't.

This isn't meant as a slight on the authors. It's just the nature of their work.

Both deserve the fruit of their efforts. But based on the difference that only one of them has to put in efforts again and again for each patient, people will generally tend to value the former more than the latter, which generally gets reflected in the monetary compensation involved.

Both get reimbursed, one gets reimbursed more than the other for good reason. Its the same principle as people paying more for a live music performance than for a mass produced reproduction (mp3, cd etc) of the same performance.

[elcreative]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

That isn't my point at all.

A doctor still has to put in effort for each patient he sees.

The author doesn't.

This isn't meant as a slight on the authors. It's just the nature of their work.

Both deserve the fruit of their efforts. But based on the difference that only one of them has to put in efforts again and again for each patient, people will generally tend to value the former more than the latter, which generally gets reflected in the monetary compensation involved.

Both get reimbursed, one gets reimbursed more than the other for good reason. Its the same principle as people paying more for a live music performance than for a mass produced reproduction (mp3, cd etc) of the same performance.

And authors don't therefore deserve compensation for all the time they put in to produce their book... just for the book itself... sounds like a major diss of the work involved in writing and producing a book...

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by elcreative

And authors don't therefore deserve compensation for all the time they put in to produce their book... just for the book itself... sounds like a major diss of the work involved in writing and producing a book...

That's the point: an author does all the work up front, and doesn't get paid until it's all done.

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by elcreative

And authors don't therefore deserve compensation for all the time they put in to produce their book... just for the book itself... sounds like a major diss of the work involved in writing and producing a book...

*sigh*

At no point do I mean to say that. You're creating straw men arguments.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by elcreative

And authors don't therefore deserve compensation for all the time they put in to produce their book... just for the book itself... sounds like a major diss of the work involved in writing and producing a book...

At that is exactly why intellectual property laws came to be.

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by HarryT

That's the point: an author does all the work up front, and doesn't get paid until it's all done.

Doctors and lawyers also do not get paid until they put in the effort and work to get licensed. Then they only get paid only if they go out there and see multiple clients/patients. Its the nature of the job. And they get compensated for it.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

Doctors and lawyers also do not get paid until they put in the effort and work to get licensed. Then they only get paid only if they go out there and see multiple clients/patients. Its the nature of the job. And they get compensated for it.

I'm honestly not sure why you're raising the issue of doctors and lawyers - they do a completely different type of job. A job in which you create something for no pay, and then sell it, is fundamentally different from paid work in which you are being paid for your labour as you do it. Writing a book is an example of the former; doctors and lawyers, the latter.

[kennyc]

Service vs (intellectual) Product

[Pinecone]

Originally Posted by leebase

Well, it would be hard to stay in business selling below what it costs to make a product. However, pricing is about demand, not cost to manufacture.

Have a hard time believing that? How else can you explain the cost of Coke vs. generic Cola? The cost of bottled WATER. It's WATER folks.

Lee

Actually it is a combination. Anything sold needs to cover the cost of research, design, prototyping, manufacturing, distribution, marketing, overhead, and profit. In the case of a book, the research, design, and part of prototyping is done by the author. Later prototyping includes editing.

Profit is dependent on many factors, but there is a minimum profit level that a seller can continue to operate on. Above that is gravy, but that gravy is what pays the big shots and also provides good nubmers for investors to invest in your company.

And yes, some products will sell above the minimum level due to various factors. And those are the companies you want to own stock in.

[elcreative]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

*sigh*

At no point do I mean to say that. You're creating straw men arguments.

Double ***sigh***... ahh, it's the old "It's a straw man argument..." You brought 'em up by comparing apples and oranges... compare like to like and you have comparison, compare dis-similar and your starting the straw wars... personally I prefer the Lucas version...

[taustin]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm honestly not sure why you're raising the issue of doctors and lawyers - they do a completely different type of job. A job in which you create something for no pay, and then sell it, is fundamentally different from paid work in which you are being paid for your labour as you do it. Writing a book is an example of the former; doctors and lawyers, the latter.

Doctors and lawyers also make a heck of a lot less per client visit than an author does in a single advance. They're just not comprable jobs at all.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by taustin

Doctors and lawyers also make a heck of a lot less per client visit than an author does in a single advance. They're just not comprable jobs at all.

but how much is that advance on a "per read" basis?

Again, this comparison is just simply not valid when you are talking service vs. intellectual product.