Agency pricing (almost) 1 year on...how many e-books have you NOT bought? - Page 5

Lemurion · 02-27-2011, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wallcraft

Yes, but the problem is that the publishers are not good a retail - even if by "good" you mean maximizing overall profit for the publisher. Publishers obviously are about maximizing profit, but they have a short term view and want to maximize profit over all media (I think they are failing at this goal, but we will never know unless one or more Agency publisher get so bad at this that they go bankrupt). Amazon has a long term view and wants to promote ebooks.

I don't boycott Agency publishers, but I don't buy when they play their stupid games of pricing ebooks more than an available paperback, or pricing ebook bundles at exactly the same total price as the individual ebooks it contains, or pricing a brand new author's first ebook at $14.99.

I would actually argue that the publishers are taking a longer view than Amazon. I don't think they're always making the right decisions, but I don't think they're as short-sighted as some think.

The problem is that their margins are very tight and they can't afford to experiment with things that might cut into hardcover bestseller sales - as they're the engine that keeps everything running.

The eBook of a paperback should not cost any more than that paperback - and really should be cheaper. However, the eBook of a brand-new hardcover, while indistinguishable from the eBook of a paperback, needs to be priced higher than the eventual paperback edition because otherwise it will cannibalize the sales of the hardcover to an extent that may be unsustainable.

They can't cut their own throats to support eBooks - so they're being very cautious.

Crowl · 02-27-2011, 04:58 PM

The way I look at pricing of ebooks is that they should slightly beat the price of the cheapest current edition and as such I will not complain about them charging more when only the hardback is out providing the price drops as soon as the paperback becomes available, I then have the choice of whether or not to pay a premium to get the book earlier rather than simply being forced to wait if they only released it at the same time as the paperback version.

Beyond the actual pricing though some of the things they do to actively dissuade people from purchasing ebook editions really annoy like randomly deciding to delay an ebook and then still charging a hardback premium in the hopes that they can con people into buying it twice perhaps, but in my case it will be buying it no times instead.

spellbanisher · 02-27-2011, 07:19 PM

Because of agency pricing I have refrained from buying one billion books. DRM has caused me to not buy another billion books. So think about that publishers.

Blue Tyson · 02-27-2011, 09:09 PM

Heh. From ones I have noted, books not bought would be well into triple figures.

grumbles · 02-27-2011, 11:44 PM

It's simple. I won't spend more than $9.99 on an ebook--period! And generally I will not buy a book unless I can get an additional discount (like Kobo's current coupon) Baen's books are always a good deal and I will spend there as my budget will allow. My budget is blown for now. I just bought a whole bunch of Ian Rankin books with the discount at Kobo. No discount -- no sale!

timfrost · 02-28-2011, 11:41 AM

In the UK the Office of Fair Trading has begun an enquiry into the ebook agency model, to determine if it is anti-competitive and unlawful.

In them meantime, here is an excerpt from an interesting article
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/new...n-ebook-prices

'Many ebooks currently cost the same or more than their paper counterpart. Best seller The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes costs £5 for the paperback version and £5.99 for the Kindle on Amazon.

However, publishers claim there is a substantial cost associated with the production of ebooks.

A spokeswoman from the Publishers Association, a trade body for publishers, says: "Overall costs of producing ebooks are very similar to the cost of producing paper books, there's just an assumption ebooks are cheap.

"This would include costs for encoding, formatting, rights management, software management and secure archiving." '

Encoding .... software management ... Believe all that and you'll believe anything ...

seagull · 02-28-2011, 11:53 AM

Agency pricing doesn't bother me. I'd like the prices to be lower but there's no guarantee the prices would be any lower sans agency pricing. I certainly don't agree with it but I don't boycott on principle. I decide what I'll pay for that title. I chose not to pay $12.99 for Catch-22 because I can get the paperback for $9.60 from amazon or $5.40 from a marketplace seller. Pricing e-books more expensive than a paperback is just abhorrent. You'd think they'd at least say to Amazon to price match it to the paperbook.

tompe · 02-28-2011, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timfrost

Encoding .... software management ... Believe all that and you'll believe anything ...

Software management and secure archiving is expensive. So why do you doubt that?

Tattncat · 02-28-2011, 12:19 PM

A ton! This agency pricing has really put a kink in my buying. I am reading more of the non agency stuff.

catsittingstill · 02-28-2011, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tompe

Software management and secure archiving is expensive. So why do you doubt that?

Because manybooks.net does it for free. And Baen does it so inexpensively that e-books of their HARDBACKS sell for a couple of dollars cheaper than PAPERBACK prices.

catsittingstill · 02-28-2011, 07:04 PM

Regarding the OP, my e-book buying is very price sensitive. I am not wild about paying 9.99 for an e-book of a hardback, but I will do it sometimes. Higher than that, and it's an agency book and I become very reluctant to buy at all. Sometimes, if it's something I really, really want.

And if the paperback is out I won't buy unless the e-book is at least 1$ cheaper than the paperback. I didn't pay for my expensive electronics to increase the PUBLISHER's profits, and being taken for a dupe annoys me. And then, being annoyed at having been taken for a dupe, I lose enthusiasm for buying the book in any form at all.

Fortunately there are plenty of good options. When I get bored with my current selection I go over to Baen (wish they had a bit more mainstream SF and F, but they've got some good stuff, their prices are reasonable, and they're DRM free) or manybooks.net, or check out the Mobileread library.

Darqref · 03-01-2011, 01:11 AM

I haven't purchased any Agency ebook in the last year. I've gotten a couple (4, I think) from my library. But since the Agency books vanished from Fictionwise, I haven't purchased any.

Mostly, this is laziness about setting up a new purchasing arrangement with Amazon or B&N, plus an absolute firm refusal to install ADE on any machine I own or use. A large part of it is the prices, which don't inspire me to go to that extra trouble, when I can spend lots at Baen. Fictionwise's old sales and discounts frequently attracted me, at least once I got the dedrm procedure worked out, but Kobo only sells in ADE, which I ain't buying, and others don't have any discounts anyway.

btw, I find it really annoying to constantly get B&N emails with the fine print saying "does not apply to nookbooks".

So, overall, the agency deals have meant the prices stayed high enough that I don't find a way to buy them. Wish I liked more of what I see go past on Smashwords.

OtterBooks · 03-01-2011, 02:46 AM

Prices have not yet exceeded the value I put in choosing exactly what literature to put into my brain. I'll pick a specific format due to price, but a title? Not a chance. My mind is not a bargain bin.

kennyc · 03-01-2011, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catlady

I didn't get my e-reader and start buying books until after Agency pricing was in effect. Though I initially balked at paying $12-$15 for some favorite backlist books, I eventually caved. But when I'm just trolling for something interesting, I've been much more likely to buy Random House-published books instead of Agency books. I also always check my library on the Agency titles, whereas I'll just purchase the RH books on impulse.

And Now Random House has caved:

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/finan.../D9LM35301.htm

TaniaLT · 03-01-2011, 08:16 AM

I skipped Patricia Cornwell's latest that was more expensive than the paper version. It had some bad reviews too which influenced my decision as well

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Agency pricing	jbcohen	General Discussions	71	03-04-2011 08:56 PM
UK Agency Pricing?	suecsi	News	22	11-03-2010 05:16 AM
Agency pricing coming to the UK	Ben Thornton	News	1	10-15-2010 06:59 AM
Is Agency Pricing Coming to UK?	Fbone	News	50	09-26-2010 10:47 PM
Agency pricing in Canada	ficbot	General Discussions	1	04-09-2010 01:32 PM

02-27-2011, 04:58 PM	#62
Crowl Wizard Posts: 1,340 Karma: 1160346 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Southport, GB Device: Kindle Voyage, PW Signature edition	The way I look at pricing of ebooks is that they should slightly beat the price of the cheapest current edition and as such I will not complain about them charging more when only the hardback is out providing the price drops as soon as the paperback becomes available, I then have the choice of whether or not to pay a premium to get the book earlier rather than simply being forced to wait if they only released it at the same time as the paperback version. Beyond the actual pricing though some of the things they do to actively dissuade people from purchasing ebook editions really annoy like randomly deciding to delay an ebook and then still charging a hardback premium in the hopes that they can con people into buying it twice perhaps, but in my case it will be buying it no times instead.

02-27-2011, 07:19 PM	#63
spellbanisher Guru Posts: 826 Karma: 6566849 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Bay Area Device: kindle keyboard, kindle fire hd, S4, Nook hd+	Because of agency pricing I have refrained from buying one billion books. DRM has caused me to not buy another billion books. So think about that publishers.

02-27-2011, 09:09 PM	#64
Blue Tyson Blue Captain Posts: 1,595 Karma: 5000236 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Australia Device: Kindle Keyboard 3G,Huawei Ideos X3,Kobo Mini	Heh. From ones I have noted, books not bought would be well into triple figures.

02-27-2011, 11:44 PM	#65
grumbles Addict Posts: 238 Karma: 1500000 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Toronto Device: Pandigital Novel (Black), T-2 and 3, Nexus 7	It's simple. I won't spend more than $9.99 on an ebook--period! And generally I will not buy a book unless I can get an additional discount (like Kobo's current coupon) Baen's books are always a good deal and I will spend there as my budget will allow. My budget is blown for now. I just bought a whole bunch of Ian Rankin books with the discount at Kobo. No discount -- no sale!

02-28-2011, 11:41 AM	#66
timfrost Tim Frost Posts: 37 Karma: 40000 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Norfolk, England and Grenada, West Indies Device: Kindle 3	In the UK the Office of Fair Trading has begun an enquiry into the ebook agency model, to determine if it is anti-competitive and unlawful. In them meantime, here is an excerpt from an interesting article http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/new...n-ebook-prices 'Many ebooks currently cost the same or more than their paper counterpart. Best seller The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes costs £5 for the paperback version and £5.99 for the Kindle on Amazon. However, publishers claim there is a substantial cost associated with the production of ebooks. A spokeswoman from the Publishers Association, a trade body for publishers, says: "Overall costs of producing ebooks are very similar to the cost of producing paper books, there's just an assumption ebooks are cheap. "This would include costs for encoding, formatting, rights management, software management and secure archiving." ' Encoding .... software management ... Believe all that and you'll believe anything ...

02-28-2011, 11:53 AM	#67
seagull Addict Posts: 247 Karma: 89950 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 2	Agency pricing doesn't bother me. I'd like the prices to be lower but there's no guarantee the prices would be any lower sans agency pricing. I certainly don't agree with it but I don't boycott on principle. I decide what I'll pay for that title. I chose not to pay $12.99 for Catch-22 because I can get the paperback for $9.60 from amazon or $5.40 from a marketplace seller. Pricing e-books more expensive than a paperback is just abhorrent. You'd think they'd at least say to Amazon to price match it to the paperbook.

02-28-2011, 12:19 PM	#69
Tattncat Bookworm Posts: 673 Karma: 1029391 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Device: Nook Tablet, Samsung Galaxy Tab3, Sony PRS700, Sony PRS505	A ton! This agency pricing has really put a kink in my buying. I am reading more of the non agency stuff.

02-28-2011, 07:04 PM	#71
catsittingstill Guru Posts: 643 Karma: 551634 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle 1.0.8, iPod Touch, Kindle Keyboard	Regarding the OP, my e-book buying is very price sensitive. I am not wild about paying 9.99 for an e-book of a hardback, but I will do it sometimes. Higher than that, and it's an agency book and I become very reluctant to buy at all. Sometimes, if it's something I really, really want. And if the paperback is out I won't buy unless the e-book is at least 1$ cheaper than the paperback. I didn't pay for my expensive electronics to increase the PUBLISHER's profits, and being taken for a dupe annoys me. And then, being annoyed at having been taken for a dupe, I lose enthusiasm for buying the book in any form at all. Fortunately there are plenty of good options. When I get bored with my current selection I go over to Baen (wish they had a bit more mainstream SF and F, but they've got some good stuff, their prices are reasonable, and they're DRM free) or manybooks.net, or check out the Mobileread library.

03-01-2011, 01:11 AM	#72
Darqref space cadet Posts: 334 Karma: 2999999 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Seattle area Device: Rocket PRO, gen3, Pocketbook360	I haven't purchased any Agency ebook in the last year. I've gotten a couple (4, I think) from my library. But since the Agency books vanished from Fictionwise, I haven't purchased any. Mostly, this is laziness about setting up a new purchasing arrangement with Amazon or B&N, plus an absolute firm refusal to install ADE on any machine I own or use. A large part of it is the prices, which don't inspire me to go to that extra trouble, when I can spend lots at Baen. Fictionwise's old sales and discounts frequently attracted me, at least once I got the dedrm procedure worked out, but Kobo only sells in ADE, which I ain't buying, and others don't have any discounts anyway. btw, I find it really annoying to constantly get B&N emails with the fine print saying "does not apply to nookbooks". So, overall, the agency deals have meant the prices stayed high enough that I don't find a way to buy them. Wish I liked more of what I see go past on Smashwords.

03-01-2011, 02:46 AM	#73
OtterBooks Wizard Posts: 1,262 Karma: 2979086 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kindle 4, iPad Mini/Retina	Prices have not yet exceeded the value I put in choosing exactly what literature to put into my brain. I'll pick a specific format due to price, but a title? Not a chance. My mind is not a bargain bin.

Advert

Advert

03-01-2011, 08:16 AM	#75
TaniaLT Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 38 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Surrey UK Device: Kindle	I skipped Patricia Cornwell's latest that was more expensive than the paper version. It had some bad reviews too which influenced my decision as well