Kindle, We Have a Problem: Amazon's Pricing Policies Affect Publishers

[DMcCunney]

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...blishers-.html
______
Dennis

[RockdaMan]

I'm calling for government intervention.

[MrPLD]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

I'm calling for government intervention.

What ever for?

[wvcherrybomb]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

I'm calling for government intervention.

But seriously, I don't blame them. Why should publishers always walk away with the most profit?

I would think most people who want comics would buy a color ereader anyway.

[wyndslash]

I wouldn't want to have comics on my kindle anyway

[snipenekkid]

Did I read it correctly this really is for a specific type of book, comics, graphic novels and manga?

If so these are usually significantly larger in size than a novel. I agree the bandwidth fee seems odd but, wtf do I can about publishers cut, as long as the author gets a fair deal, the consumer gets a fair deal and the retailer makes a profit. The publishers have been boning authors and the consumer for a while now so time for them to step out of the 18th century.

BTW, I would not dismiss the Kindle format as it can be read on all platforms, for now until Apple pushes them out of the iOS platform. And before the resident "apple moro...errr...genius crawls out from under that rock, there is a HUGE difference between 30% and about $0.80/copy delivered.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by snipenekkid

BTW, I would not dismiss the Kindle format as it can be read on all platforms, for now until Apple pushes them out of the iOS platform. And before the resident "apple moro...errr...genius crawls out from under that rock, there is a HUGE difference between 30% and about $0.80/copy delivered.

The delivery fee is quoted as $0.15/MB.
For the example comic from the article, this works out at 95% of list price. Yes, there is a big difference between that and 30%.

The varying prices levels mean graphic novel publishers must make many choices. For instance, IDW’s Star Trek: Mirror Images #5 is available at a digital list price of $1.99 for the Kindle. This is just a single issue, but even after compression is 12,884K ($1.89 delivery fee).

[karunaji]

The absurdity of closed delivery system where delivery costs are hidden from customers are again raising its ugly head.

In most cases the actual data costs are 10 times less. For phone users 13 MB of data would cost about $0.20 for in-country delivery, except for roaming abroad where it could easily be $20 or even more. Does it make sense to subsidize foreign travelers at the cost of domestic users? Maybe for smaller publications (not more than 1 MB) but in this case it is absurd. Not to mention Wi-Fi only devices or Kindle reader on your own computer.

There could be a simple solution to this problems: charge customers not publishers for extra delivery costs. And for those Kindle 3G users who are unhappy with $2 surcharge, make it possible to use their own SIM card.

[rogue_librarian]

Originally Posted by karunaji

Does it make sense to subsidize foreign travelers at the cost of domestic users?

Not just travelers, all foreign users. So far Amazon has not negotiated contracts with local telcos, all content to non-US kindles is delivered via T-Mobile paying hefty roaming surcharges. Which, I presume, is one of the reasons that (promotional oder PD) "free" books still often cost a dollar or so outside of the US.

There could be a simple solution to this problems: charge customers not publishers for extra delivery costs.

Hey, why not charge twice if you can?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by rogue_librarian

Not just travelers, all foreign users. So far Amazon has not negotiated contracts with local telcos, all content to non-US kindles is delivered via T-Mobile paying hefty roaming surcharges.

This is incorrect. Amazon certainly have deals with local telecoms operators in a number of countries; in the UK, for example, they work with Vodafone - my UK Kindle has a Vodafone SIM in it.

[rogue_librarian]

Well, that might have changed at some point. I know they don't (or didn't, until recently) in Germany, e.g. They do officially ship the Kindle there, though. (Not that I am following the doings of Amazon too closely. And don't have a Kindle and don't see myself getting one.)

[Kali Yuga]

Originally Posted by snipenekkid

Did I read it correctly this really is for a specific type of book, comics, graphic novels and manga?

It's for everything, including books, magazines, and graphic works.

If a book is just text, the delivery fees are utterly negligible. If you have a 12mb graphic novel, though, the costs add up.

[jbcohen]

You forget Rockda man that government is the problem not the soultion and acording to modern politics should not exist at all. There will be no government intervention becuase modern politics hates government no matter what it does.

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by snipenekkid

BTW, I would not dismiss the Kindle format as it can be read on all platforms,

CBR is the only logical format for image intensive content. Why reinvent something that is already perfect? Until colour Kindles with 10" screens come out I don't see any point trying to sell digital comics through Amazon.

[Kali Yuga]

Originally Posted by karunaji

The absurdity of closed delivery system where delivery costs are hidden from customers are again raising its ugly head.

Oh, it's you again. What a shock.

Originally Posted by karunaji

In most cases the actual data costs are 10 times less....

Not in the US. AT&T charges $10/mb for ad hoc data use. One of the few cheap plans is Boost, which will charge you $10/month for unlimited data. That's $120/year, which is almost the same cost as the Kindle itself.

Data-only SIMs are not common in the US, especially in suburban and rural areas. I don't even know where I'd find one without doing research.

So, as I've mentioned previously, for some of us paying for data is a losing proposition and an unwanted complication.

And, as I keep telling you, no one is going to pass the proposed cost savings on to consumers. No one, nobody, personne, it's not happening. It didn't happen when Amazon boosted the royalty rate on magazines from 30% to 70%, and it won't happen if you put your own SIM into your Kindle.


By the way, I suggest you read Daniel Ariely's Predictably Irrational to figure out another reason why Amazon and B&N will resist dropping the free (to the consumer) downloads. Believe it or not, most people would actually rather have "free" over paying $0.02 per mb....