Has B&N completely left the discount world?

[xendula]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

The thinking, as Nate pointed out, is that some of the free sites have been collecting affiliates fees for sales of products they didn't actually promote. In the comments to the linked report, some folks offered up alternative solutions to that problem. They actually make more sense.
We'll see how it plays out.

I read the explanation, but what I was saying is that, as long as those free books motivate additional purchases on amazon.com, I don't understand the thinking behind this move. Sure, ereaderiq may not have promoted the Clip Zip, my latest purchase there, but if I got to the site via one of their links, they should still get credit for it. However, I agree that limiting the time frame from 24 hours to only a few would make more sense.

[Bookworm_Girl]

B&N is now doing a Free Friday App promotion similar to their Friday ebook giveaways. Yes, I have a Kindle Fire and know that Amazon does a daily freebie... I also noticed that B&N has been sending me a weekly Nook-specific email on Saturdays. Not sure how long I've been receiving this email and just deleting it with the other ones I get from them without giving it much thought before this thread.

[xendula]

^Interesting! They never once sent me an email about free Friday ebooks (first time I am hearing about it) - you'd think, since I registered with them for a nook account, they'd let me know just to get me back to their site....

[KentE]

When I'm looking for a specific older release from a publisher, I'd guess that at least 50% of the time I find better pricing at B&N or Kobo than at Amazon (pre coupon use etc.). When a severely discounted title at Amazon is offered by a publisher (instead of an Amazon-originated promo), I find that it frequently, but unreliably, will show up at B&N, Kobo, and/or GooglePlay. (I don't use iTunes, so I never look there.) As mentioned above, if it's a KDP promo, you won't find it anywhere else, and I'd guess that the lion's share of Amazon freebies are KDP program books.

I don't know why the other stores seem to do a worse job of matching publisher-discount pricing, except to postulate that those stores have a different business model for how to benefit/attract customers. Kobo thinks it's smarter to offer the reader a discount from a wider variety of user-selected titles, via coupons. To a certain extent, I think Google has a build-it-and-they-will-come attitude about ebooks. I haven't been able to figure out what B&N's ebook business model is.....

As to why there are more Amazon deals on the Deals & Bargains forum here, there's one big reason (other than the obvious that the KDP program greatly increases the number of titles available for special pricing): It's easier to FIND information about Amazon temporary discounts, largely because of the Affiliate system mentioned above, and because Amazon has by far the best search engine of any of the ebook sellers. (The affiliate system is currently in turmoil, as mentioned above, with a thread in this forum, too.)
I do sometimes post finds in the Deals forum. It's easiest for me to learn about the Amazon discounted titles than anyone else's-- confirming whether they're also the same price at the other sellers probably more than triples the time it takes to prepare a post. I certainly appreciate it when other posters in the Deals forum take the time to provide alternative-vendor price checks & links, and I try to when I have the time.
KentE

[fjtorres]

Kobo's discounts are about promoting Kobo itself, building their brand's visibility and customer loyalty, whereas most kindle discounts are about promoting the specific book and/or author. What promotes the kindle brand is the sheer volume and frequency of the discounts.

[Fbone]

Amazon's affiliate program encourages people and websites to exclusively highlight their deals. If Amazon should ever end their affiliate most of these sites would disappear.

I also have found lower prices at Kobo and BoB

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Fbone

I also have found lower prices at Kobo and BoB

Contrary to what the anti-Amazon axis likes to pretend, Amazon doesn't discount *every* ebook.
Before the price fix conspiracy you would find some ebooks cheaper at Amazon, others cheaper at Fictionwise or Nook or BoB or Diesel.
Now that the price fix is winding down we are seeing a reurn to the status quo ante; some books are cheaper at Amazon, some are cheaper elsewhere.

Which is what a healthy competitive environment is supposed to be like.