We need to stand up to ebook pricing NOW.

[calvin-c]

Originally Posted by ficbot

I am wondering if people would be so upset about the higher initial price if they honestly believed it would go down later. I think part of the ire comes from examples people have posted of books which have been in mass market paperback for a decade or more and the ebook is still listing at $12. Let us say the system was formalized the way the arc of hardback/trade paper/mass market was as follows:

- At hardcover or slightly below on day 1 for the obsessed fans who can't wait
- Reduced to trade paper price or slightly below 3 months later
- At mass market paperback price 3 months after that
- Settles to final price point of $4.99 or so after a year

If you could *reliably* count on every book really being released this way, with publishers reliably and systematically following through with the price reductions at set intervals, would you care? I wouldn't. I'd say fine, let the die-hard fans get it on day 1 and the publishers maximize the profit while the iron is hot, as long as the more patient can get it later at a more realistic price point. There is even one author I read where I would probably even find it worth it to pay the premium to get it on day 1.

But we are angry because we don't trust them to play fair and we are baffled that they can't even provide the simplest, most basic levels of service to loyal customers without silly games like not letting them buy if they live in the UK or locking down the books so they can only read it on this smart phone and not that one.

If they played fair and said look, let us collect from the Crazy Fans first and then we'll get back to you later and you can get it when you're ready, just like you used to wait for the paperback back in the day, I bet we'd all say fine...

Absolutely true-except for the part of the price arc being formalized for pbooks. There are several that came out at least 2 years ago, in HB, that I'm still waiting to be released in PB (or at PB prices-regardless of format) so I'll buy them. I'm definitely interested in buying them, but not at HB prices.

I don't see how you'll get the price arc formalized and agree that most of the anger is because, based on past performance with ebooks, we don't believe they'll 'play fair'. Solve that dilemma & you'll probably have a winning strategy.

[calvin-c]

Originally Posted by Joebill

The paper print publishers wont think outside the box. They doom themselves.

I believe websites of ebooks for download are coming. Oh, they are already here.

The paper print companies can join the move, or fade away, like the buggy accessory makers.

Correct-unless you're assuming that a publisher who issues both pbook & ebook versions "won't think outside the box"? If that's true, where did their ebook versions come from?

In most cases, the problem isn't the refusal to issue ebooks, but the refusal to price them appropriately-and 'appropriately itself covers a wide range of opinions. (I'm definitely in the camp that says the only reason a pbook version should be cheaper than the ebook is because the retailer is selling it as a 'loss leader'. Not usually the case IMO-more often it's the publisher not reducing the ebook price when they release a cheaper pbook version. And that's wrong.)

[dedo]

Originally Posted by stustaff

This seems very similiar to the conversatoion already well under way in the 'Book prices, Ebook prices - value' thread.

for what its worth I think ebook value is what people will pay for them.

to me and others they are of more value than a hard copy.

If a hard copy were $6 and the ebook $6.50 I would prefer the convenience and openess of an Ebook.

I can back it up, lend it to my family to read at the same time as im reading etc

Your evaluation matter, but the producer evaluation too. If your evaluation is superior to his perceived opportunity cost of production, there are margins that will be eaten by competition in a free market.

I don't get the ATM point though.

[Mr. Dalliard]

I would pay $15 if I knew that the author was getting all the money.

[Joebill]

Originally Posted by calvin-c

Correct-unless you're assuming that a publisher who issues both pbook & ebook versions "won't think outside the box"? If that's true, where did their ebook versions come from?

In most cases, the problem isn't the refusal to issue ebooks, but the refusal to price them appropriately-and 'appropriately itself covers a wide range of opinions. (I'm definitely in the camp that says the only reason a pbook version should be cheaper than the ebook is because the retailer is selling it as a 'loss leader'. Not usually the case IMO-more often it's the publisher not reducing the ebook price when they release a cheaper pbook version. And that's wrong.)

Not thnking outside the box for me on this subject means they fail to realize the printers/typesetters/brick and morter stores are no longer in the sequence for ebooks. Therefore ebooks should be less in cost to the consumer than a paperback and hard cover book.

The ebook version should be cheaper than the paperback version. And I don't mean a few pennies or a dollar less. That 'drop' is the publisher making fun of the consumer.

[DawnFalcon]

Originally Posted by calvin-c

Correct-unless you're assuming that a publisher who issues both pbook & ebook versions "won't think outside the box"? If that's true, where did their ebook versions come from?

The lowest bidder conversion service.

Baen's "unproofed" eARC's are usually better quality than some other publisher's final ebooks.

[MyDigitalParadis]

True the Unproofed are often the way the author wants the story to run, not the politically corrected or adjusted to the view of someone else versions. Too often even the best publishers put their own stamp to any book they sell.

[DD1509]

Originally Posted by guyanonymous

Perhaps the biggest fear of the publishing world (music or books) is that the artists will realize that they don't need publishers anymore. They can do it all themselves in the manner they feel is most effective.

I'll agree with that. That industry is ripe for significant changes.