Publisher tries to justify ebook price increase

daffy4u · 09-17-2008, 12:31 PM

From the Amazon forums:

Quote:

A. Valentine says:
I wrote and asked them why they chose to raise their price. This is the response (and contact info) I received"

"Dear Alexis,
The ebook industry as a whole is still experimenting with various pricing models; here at Harper we're working to figure out what works best for us and for our consumers. We recently up-priced EDGAR SAWTELLE to the print book price. Our suggested retail price for that ebook is now $25.95.

As an aside, ebooks actually go through a different production process than print books and do cost a significant amount of money to produce.

Thank you very much for your feedback on the price change. We're always interested in knowing what our customers think about our ebooks and our ebook policies."

Best,
Hillary Veith

Hillary Veith

Managing Editor

HarperMedia/HarperCollins e-Books

10 E. 53rd Street

3rd floor

New York, NY 10022

Hillary.Veith@harpercollins.com

212-207-7283

Dave Berk · 09-17-2008, 01:06 PM

Quote:

As an aside, ebooks actually go through a different production process than print books and do cost a significant amount of money to produce.

I don't think that's true. Certainly not compared to dead trees books.

zelda_pinwheel · 09-17-2008, 01:09 PM

yes i really have a hard time believing that as well. perhaps there is an initial cost to set up the workflow / infrastructure (which is maybe non-negligeable but certainly not prohibitive either). but there are also an entire set of costs which are not applicable to ebooks which have been listed here so many times already, like the printing, shipping, warehousing, re-shipping to final destination (bookshops), overhead costs of stocking them, return shipping for unsold copies, pulping... none of that is free, and none of it is needed for ebooks. now how could that not create a savings for the publisher ?

zelda_pinwheel · 09-17-2008, 01:10 PM

perhaps we should use the contact info they've provided to tell them that we're not dupes and we don't want to be racketted, but that if they offer REASONABLE prices we are willing customers.

Shaggy · 09-17-2008, 01:56 PM

Quote:

The ebook industry as a whole is still experimenting with various pricing models; here at Harper we're working to figure out what works best for us and for our consumers.

In other words... "we want to find out how much we can rip you off and have you still come back for more".

daffy4u · 09-17-2008, 02:03 PM

I'm submitting the original post on Amazon to Digg.com but can't figure out which category to put it in (there isn't one for books). Any suggestions?

Falbe Publishing · 09-17-2008, 02:06 PM

As someone who has produced both print and digital products, I assure you that producing a physical product costs significantly more than producing an ebook. You have to pay for materials, pay the printer, pay the shipper. None of this is necessary with an ebook. Yes, both products need to be created through various software applications, but one requires material resources, which means it costs more to make.

Some publishers are just trying to see if the market will bear high ebook prices. Also they are trying to train people to accept the higher price on an ebook. Good luck with that.

bwaldron · 09-17-2008, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Falbe Publishing

Good luck with that.

Indeed!

daffy4u · 09-17-2008, 02:14 PM

If you would like to Digg the story, please click here. BTW, I went with technology news.

DDHarriman · 09-17-2008, 02:32 PM

Ho man!!!! I really need some minutes to clean all the tears of so much laughing!!! What a post… what a post…

“here at Harper we're working to figure out what works best for us and for our consumers”… how can they have the nerve to say such a thing in the meddle of such a post…

Sorry but...

... I just can not stop...

tlrowley · 09-17-2008, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daffy4u

If you would like to Digg the story, please click here. BTW, I went with technology news.

dugg.

Edited to remove comments that weren't helpful, and just reflected my lousy mood....

Steven Lyle Jordan · 09-17-2008, 04:34 PM

I imagine their problem is, they're not selling nearly enough of the e-books to cover their production costs. They need better advertisement, and encouraging the e-book market, to recoup costs... and they're doing almost exactly the opposite. Oh, well... no Harper books for me, I guess...

daffy4u · 09-17-2008, 04:36 PM

Seems the price has now been dropped to $11.99.

RWood · 09-17-2008, 05:03 PM

It is also $11.99 at the Sony Store.

Perhaps we forgot to include the high cost to the publisher of DRM.

carld · 09-17-2008, 05:43 PM

$11.99 is the reduced price? How much were they to start with?

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09-17-2008, 01:09 PM	#3
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	yes i really have a hard time believing that as well. perhaps there is an initial cost to set up the workflow / infrastructure (which is maybe non-negligeable but certainly not prohibitive either). but there are also an entire set of costs which are not applicable to ebooks which have been listed here so many times already, like the printing, shipping, warehousing, re-shipping to final destination (bookshops), overhead costs of stocking them, return shipping for unsold copies, pulping... none of that is free, and none of it is needed for ebooks. now how could that not create a savings for the publisher ?

09-17-2008, 01:10 PM	#4
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	perhaps we should use the contact info they've provided to tell them that we're not dupes and we don't want to be racketted, but that if they offer REASONABLE prices we are willing customers.

09-17-2008, 02:03 PM	#6
daffy4u I'm Super Kindle-icious Posts: 6,734 Karma: 2434103 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Long Drive, Calinadia Candafornia Device: KDXG, KT, Oasis	I'm submitting the original post on Amazon to Digg.com but can't figure out which category to put it in (there isn't one for books). Any suggestions?

09-17-2008, 02:06 PM	#7
Falbe Publishing Gadget Slave Posts: 264 Karma: 600001 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Battle Creek, Michigan Device: Sony PRS505SC	As someone who has produced both print and digital products, I assure you that producing a physical product costs significantly more than producing an ebook. You have to pay for materials, pay the printer, pay the shipper. None of this is necessary with an ebook. Yes, both products need to be created through various software applications, but one requires material resources, which means it costs more to make. Some publishers are just trying to see if the market will bear high ebook prices. Also they are trying to train people to accept the higher price on an ebook. Good luck with that.

09-17-2008, 02:14 PM	#9
daffy4u I'm Super Kindle-icious Posts: 6,734 Karma: 2434103 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Long Drive, Calinadia Candafornia Device: KDXG, KT, Oasis	If you would like to Digg the story, please click here. BTW, I went with technology news.

09-17-2008, 02:32 PM	#10
DDHarriman Guru Posts: 860 Karma: 4380 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Almada, Portugal Device: Cybook Gen3, Sony PRS 505, Kindle DXG and Samsung Galaxy Note	Ho man!!!! I really need some minutes to clean all the tears of so much laughing!!! What a post… what a post… “here at Harper we're working to figure out what works best for us and for our consumers”… how can they have the nerve to say such a thing in the meddle of such a post… Sorry but... ... I just can not stop...

09-17-2008, 04:34 PM	#12
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	I imagine their problem is, they're not selling nearly enough of the e-books to cover their production costs. They need better advertisement, and encouraging the e-book market, to recoup costs... and they're doing almost exactly the opposite. Oh, well... no Harper books for me, I guess...

09-17-2008, 04:36 PM	#13
daffy4u I'm Super Kindle-icious Posts: 6,734 Karma: 2434103 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Long Drive, Calinadia Candafornia Device: KDXG, KT, Oasis	Seems the price has now been dropped to $11.99.

09-17-2008, 05:03 PM	#14
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	It is also $11.99 at the Sony Store. Perhaps we forgot to include the high cost to the publisher of DRM.

09-17-2008, 05:43 PM	#15
carld Wizard Posts: 2,698 Karma: 4748723 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	$11.99 is the reduced price? How much were they to start with?

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