John Grisham speaks out on the future of pbooks and ebooks

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by CallOfCth'reader

Many years ago, when home computer software was mostly supplied on cassette tape, there was an automated system that appeared in many software chains in the UK (Game was one of them). You chose the game/software, paid the sales assistant, and the machine then produced a copy on cassette for you.

Something similar could easily be put in place in any retailer's store: choose the ebook, machine produces a CD with said ebook recorded on to it (and possibly a printed cover for the case), and off you go. That way people are still coming into the bricks and morter store, there are more stores that can use the machine to sell ebooks, and ebook readers have less need to shop online (well, except for pricing and Kindle readers).

Someone in another thread suggested distributing books on SD cards. Could work, but the production expense is way higher than internet distribution I'd think.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

Or bypass the CD (and a related fee) by bringing in your own USB flash drive. No physical costs at all.

Printed covers with CD cases often cost more than the CDs themselves.

great point...

[CallOfCth'reader]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

Or bypass the CD (and a related fee) by bringing in your own USB flash drive. No physical costs at all.

Printed covers with CD cases often cost more than the CDs themselves.

Very true. Of course, with a USB slot it runs the risk of being jammed up by either a random git or someone protesting against ebooks.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by CallOfCth'reader

Very true. Of course, with a USB slot it runs the risk of being jammed up by either a random git or someone protesting against ebooks.

That was the problem with the photo printer they had at my local supermarket for a while, the damn SD/CF/USB card slots (or pins) were always broken...

[eGeezer]

I guess I'm just too old or my head is too thick. Perhaps its old age calcification of my head. I dunno. But it seems pretty straight-forward to me -- whatever the product, we all know there is room built in for a discount if the retailer so chooses.

First, let's get the concept of used books mentioned several times in this thread out of the way. Zero profit to anyone but the used book vendor, and pretty darned popular book source for those who don't care about getting the first published copy of that Harry Potter book.

Second, let's see a show of hands of all those folks who paid full retail for that hardbound Harry Potter book, instead of $16.50 at Walmart. Is Johnny G telling us that Ms Rowlings is destitute and living out of a shopping cart because so many people paid half price for the over-inflated-priced hardbound?

Now. The hardbound editions cost more to bring to market, so it is right that the prices are higher. But while I haven't done any in-depth research (or any at all), it appears to me that hardbound editions of ANYTHING can be found at discount, even on the shelves of B&N. (Heck, a member gets 20% off for just being a member.) I might be wrong, but I find it difficult to believe that, no matter how deep the discount, the retailer isn't still making a profit.

Now, along comes the time to publish the paperback edition because they have pretty much squeezed as much blood out of the first-buyers as they possibly can, and need to get it out there before the movie comes out -- both to make more money and to remind people that the movie is coming out.

First of all, the book has been put into some electronic format in order to feed the book-printing machine. Other than a little formating at the touch of a button, there probably isn't any real human involvement in prepping for the paperback edition other than loading the paper into the book-printer. That's probably done by a machine, too.

So the prevalent $9.99 (US) pback retail price which is routinely discounted to between $4 and $7 still represents an acceptable income for the ubiquitous author/editor/publisher/distributor/retailer family.

So. Now let's remove the cost of converting a tree to a book, whatever gallons of ink might cost, the shipping costs to get the tree books to the stores, and the cost of actual people to unpack and shelve the books. All we now have left is the electronic file that was originally created to send to the printing device.

At the cost of maintaining a server and a hard drive to store the file, the book can be sold to anyone who wants to download it (for a fee).

So lets acknowledge that the author still has a right to the same income per book -- no argument from me on that. And the editor/publisher guys/gals should make about the same amount of income as they do from the pback just because it wouldn't have finally appeared as an ebook without their efforts.

Now we get to the head-scratching part. The distributor and retailer don't need to pay for anything except a few pennies for maintaining the servers/harddrive. Actually, I guess the distributor might have a complaint because by now he should be completely out of the loop.

If pbacks can be routinely discounted 20-50% with everyone happy with their profit, how come ebooks can't be permanently sold at that 20-50% reduction from pbacks? I don't see where the author, let alone every other link in the distribution chain has a complaint.

Like I said. I'm old, and perhaps my brain just isn't working. But it seems pretty simple to me.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by CallOfCth'reader

Many years ago, when home computer software was mostly supplied on cassette tape, there was an automated system that appeared in many software chains in the UK (Game was one of them). You chose the game/software, paid the sales assistant, and the machine then produced a copy on cassette for you.

Something similar could easily be put in place in any retailer's store: choose the ebook, machine produces a CD with said ebook recorded on to it (and possibly a printed cover for the case), and off you go. That way people are still coming into the bricks and morter store, there are more stores that can use the machine to sell ebooks, and ebook readers have less need to shop online (well, except for pricing and Kindle readers).

Yes, I suggest that to Astak some time ago. I even outlined how it would work. They build Kiosks that could easily be adapted to the the job. However, the manager didn't think it would sell.

Perhaps if a few more would jump on the bandwagon they might be convinced.

Dale

[eGeezer]

Originally Posted by CallOfCth'reader

...choose the ebook, machine produces a CD with said ebook recorded on to it (and possibly a printed cover for the case), and off you go...

This wouldn't fly for the same reason the publishing industry fears ebook loaning (even tho nook's lending feature is just a nice sales gimmick at this time).

Since the typical pbook has a limited life but they apparently still mistakenly view second hand book stores as a loss of income, how enthusiastic would they be with a CD that could be copied, or at least passed around, indefinitely?

Just a thought.

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by eGeezer

Second, let's see a show of hands of all those folks who paid full retail for that hardbound Harry Potter book, instead of $16.50 at Walmart. Is Johnny G telling us that Ms Rowlings is destitute and living out of a shopping cart because so many people paid half price for the over-inflated-priced hardbound?

Rowling isn't, but my friend who's a mid-list mystery author has stopped making sales, because her books on Amazon are offered right next to used ones for $2.00 + shipping.

The mega-selling authors aren't who to look at; the real issues we should pay attention to center on how the new e-trade and used industries change things for the authors who aren't going to become millionaires.

[CallOfCth'reader]

Originally Posted by eGeezer

This wouldn't fly for the same reason the publishing industry fears ebook loaning (even tho nook's lending feature is just a nice sales gimmick at this time).

Since the typical pbook has a limited life but they apparently still mistakenly view second hand book stores as a loss of income, how enthusiastic would they be with a CD that could be copied, or at least passed around, indefinitely?

Just a thought.

You mean in the same way that music CDs and DVDs are copied, or passed around?

I do see your point about publishers being against it though, whether their concerns were unfounded or otherwise.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by eGeezer

This wouldn't fly for the same reason the publishing industry fears ebook loaning (even tho nook's lending feature is just a nice sales gimmick at this time).

Since the typical pbook has a limited life but they apparently still mistakenly view second hand book stores as a loss of income, how enthusiastic would they be with a CD that could be copied, or at least passed around, indefinitely?

Just a thought.

I don't think anyone said DRM free.

[devilsadvocate]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

Rowling isn't, but my friend who's a mid-list mystery author has stopped making sales, because her books on Amazon are offered right next to used ones for $2.00 + shipping.

The mega-selling authors aren't who to look at; the real issues we should pay attention to center on how the new e-trade and used industries change things for the authors who aren't going to become millionaires.

So many parallels to the music industry...

The big publishing houses crying about how we're "ripping off the artist", while many smaller (read: "not rich") independent artists are happy to charge less just to get their work out there. I know at least one semi-published author who is looking to go straight ebook and embracing the DIY method. This of course doesn't necessarily make things easier for those who write for a living, but it does force the work to stand on its own merits; in addition, the independent author now has to take on the role of marketing...just as the big publishing houses have to adapt to a new reality, so too do the authors.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by CallOfCth'reader

Many years ago, when home computer software was mostly supplied on cassette tape, there was an automated system that appeared in many software chains in the UK (Game was one of them). You chose the game/software, paid the sales assistant, and the machine then produced a copy on cassette for you.

Something similar could easily be put in place in any retailer's store: choose the ebook, machine produces a CD with said ebook recorded on to it (and possibly a printed cover for the case), and off you go. That way people are still coming into the bricks and morter store, there are more stores that can use the machine to sell ebooks, and ebook readers have less need to shop online (well, except for pricing and Kindle readers).

They could display an actual copy of the book for you to 'browse' and then you could choose either an e-copy or a POD p-copy (something similar was speculated in the book FlashForward that we read for the book club).

[Ankh]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

And finally, I don't see a problem with treating ebooks like any other market. The price is what the market will bear. If Grisham has to learn to live with that reality, perhaps others do as well.

It is hard to speak of a market when there is an officially sponsored obstacle to sales. Which is, here, the institution of public library. Every book borrowed is a sale lost, isn't it?

We, as a society, do not treat books as any other goods offered for sale.

[joblack]

I have nothing against it. There will be new market places for book seller for instance selling for ebook reader or e-book support

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Ankh

It is hard to speak of a market when there is an officially sponsored obstacle to sales. Which is, here, the institution of public library. Every book borrowed is a sale lost, isn't it?

We, as a society, do not treat books as any other goods offered for sale.

True, but keep in mind that a book a curious phenomenon. It is not a physical thing in the same was as shovel or hammer. It is a physical embodiment of intellectual property. What you are getting when you read a book is information -- either learning or entertainment etc. When you put the book away you still have that (or much of it) that has now become part of you.

You can borrow the neighbors hammer and build a house or you can buy a hammer and build a house. You can't really build a house with a virtual hammer, but you can get the same experience from a virtual book.