E-Books Are To Hardcovers As DVDs Are To Theatrical Releases

pilotbob · 07-13-2009, 01:09 PM

http://www.businessinsider.com/publi...-e-book-2009-7

Just more proof that Publishers don't care about protecting authors or getting there books read. They only care about their bottom line.

Then again, they are in business to gouge... er make money right.

BOb

Moejoe · 07-13-2009, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

http://www.businessinsider.com/publi...-e-book-2009-7

Just more proof that Publishers don't care about protecting authors or getting there books read. They only care about their bottom line.

Then again, they are in business to gouge... er make money right.

BOb

Publishers

Look at them there, being all quaint and old fashioned. Awwww. So cute

Thanks for the link.

Abecedary · 07-13-2009, 01:42 PM

This sounds like business as usual for the book industry. The hardcover version has always come out a year or so before the paperback version specifically to maximize profit by selling to those who "need" to have it right away. Sounds like they're just lumping in ebooks with paperbacks on the priority scale.

poohbear_nc · 07-13-2009, 01:43 PM

"The argument is that the cheaper the book is, the more people will buy it. But hardcover books have an audience, and we shouldn't cannibalize it."

Well - currently on Amazon - you can buy many hardcover editions of best-sellers and new releases for pennies - from the folk who immediately buy and read the latest title by popular authors, and then dump them. So publishers miss out totally on those sales. But they could be getting their share of $9.99 per ebook from day one that the book is available.
You do the math.

pilotbob · 07-13-2009, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abecedary

This sounds like business as usual for the book industry. The hardcover version has always come out a year or so before the paperback version specifically to maximize profit by selling to those who "need" to have it right away. Sounds like they're just lumping in ebooks with paperbacks on the priority scale.

I have said this many times (and probably sound like a broken record) I would be HAPPY to pay the SAME price for an eBook as the paper version.

RELEASE it as the SAME TIME as the hardcover and charge the SAME price for it.

How hard is that?

When the paperback comes out, reduce the price of the ebook to match the paperback price.

Once paperback sales fall off, release the price of the ebook once again to encourage more sales.

Once the paperback goes out of print, reduce the ebook price again since it will now be back catalog.

BOb

ilovejedd · 07-13-2009, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I have said this many times (and probably sound like a broken record) I would be HAPPY to pay the SAME price for an eBook as the paper version.

RELEASE it as the SAME TIME as the hardcover and charge the SAME price for it.

How hard is that?

When the paperback comes out, reduce the price of the ebook to match the paperback price.

Once paperback sales fall off, release the price of the ebook once again to encourage more sales.

Once the paperback goes out of print, reduce the ebook price again since it will now be back catalog.

I totally agree. I'm fine waiting for paperback releases (and the subsequent reduction in cost of the ebook), but it really irks me when you can buy the paperback cheaper than the ebook.

narbeauchamp · 07-13-2009, 11:49 PM

It also irks me when I can get the paperback version cheaper than the ebook...and often in many cases,I can get the hardcover for cheaper-and there's still the added benefit of not being "stuck" ...there are books I want to buy and keep..and books I want to buy and give away-or sometimes just want to lend to someone else...I always compare the ebook price to the hardcover/paperback prices...and determine how much do I really want to "keep" the book....

tomsem · 07-14-2009, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

I totally agree. I'm fine waiting for paperback releases (and the subsequent reduction in cost of the ebook), but it really irks me when you can buy the paperback cheaper than the ebook.

I second that nomination. There oughta be a law...

HansTWN · 07-14-2009, 12:34 AM

well, those publishers are like Polaroid. Let us just wait until the big wave washes them out to sea...

Ea · 07-14-2009, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I have said this many times (and probably sound like a broken record) I would be HAPPY to pay the SAME price for an eBook as the paper version.

RELEASE it as the SAME TIME as the hardcover and charge the SAME price for it.

How hard is that?

When the paperback comes out, reduce the price of the ebook to match the paperback price.

Once paperback sales fall off, release the price of the ebook once again to encourage more sales.

Once the paperback goes out of print, reduce the ebook price again since it will now be back catalog.

BOb

One should think it was easy, but apparently not. What could they lose if they sold it at the same price?

I could always turn back to the method I used before the Reader: the library

Elfwreck · 07-14-2009, 04:11 AM

"Publishers make a hefty margin of $2.15 per e-book -- 8X the 26 cents they get for a digital copy."

Did I miss something that would allow this sentence to make sense?

"releasing the digital copy of a book along with the print version is like releasing the DVD version of a movie the same day its out in theatres"

Anyone want a pile of links to downloads of the new Star Trek movie? (I don't actually have any; I just know it'd take me all of about twelve minutes to get one, or several, ifi I cared to.)

Anyone think that those unauthorized digital versions are cutting into theater viewings?

I can understand delaying the low-cost variant until the "premium" version has had a good shot at the market. However, DVDs no longer trail cinema releases by six months; sometimes it's as little as six weeks. Or less. And ebooks are different from pbooks in ways that theatres are not different from large-screen HD televisions; while many people prefer theatres, almost nobody disdains movies-on-tv-screens entirely.

Publishers need to start figuring out how much of the ebook market won't buy hardcovers at all, regardless of whether an ebook is available, and possibly won't buy paperbacks. Many of those customers are going to buy a handful of books every month, from whatever's available right now. Publishers need to pay attention to how many ebook sales they're losing to less-paranoid competitors.

Ea · 07-14-2009, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

...
Publishers need to start figuring out how much of the ebook market won't buy hardcovers at all, regardless of whether an ebook is available, and possibly won't buy paperbacks. Many of those customers are going to buy a handful of books every month, from whatever's available right now. ...

That's me. Before I started reading digital books, the library was my primary source of books. Hardly ever bought anything. Of course, buying English books online is like 10-20% of the p-book price for me.

Ea · 07-14-2009, 04:48 AM

Apparently it's based on the idea that a new release must be released for 9.99:

From the article:'"It doesn't make sense for a new book to be valued at $9.99," Dominique Raccah, CEO of Sourcebooks, told the WSJ."'

I guess it's because Amazon - AFAIK - sells them for that price.

Musicman · 07-14-2009, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I have said this many times (and probably sound like a broken record) I would be HAPPY to pay the SAME price for an eBook as the paper version.

RELEASE it as the SAME TIME as the hardcover and charge the SAME price for it.

How hard is that?

When the paperback comes out, reduce the price of the ebook to match the paperback price.

Once paperback sales fall off, release the price of the ebook once again to encourage more sales.

Once the paperback goes out of print, reduce the ebook price again since it will now be back catalog.

BOb

You fogot one (maybe two) important items:

1) NO DRM like p books
2) NO ADVERTISEMENTS - this is for you kindle owners

Kali Yuga · 07-14-2009, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Musicman

2) NO ADVERTISEMENTS - this is for you kindle owners

Paper books do often have advertisements, usually discreet ads for other books.

Also, there's zero evidence that Amazon plans to actually place ads in books. There's a big difference between a patent application and actual practice.

So please, spare us the hysteria until the ads actually show up.

07-13-2009, 01:09 PM	#1
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,832 Karma: 11844413 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	E-Books Are To Hardcovers As DVDs Are To Theatrical Releases http://www.businessinsider.com/publi...-e-book-2009-7 Just more proof that Publishers don't care about protecting authors or getting there books read. They only care about their bottom line. Then again, they are in business to gouge... er make money right. BOb

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07-13-2009, 01:42 PM	#3
Abecedary Exwyzeeologist Posts: 535 Karma: 3261 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: :PRS-505::iPod touch:	This sounds like business as usual for the book industry. The hardcover version has always come out a year or so before the paperback version specifically to maximize profit by selling to those who "need" to have it right away. Sounds like they're just lumping in ebooks with paperbacks on the priority scale.

07-13-2009, 01:43 PM	#4
poohbear_nc Now what? Posts: 58,865 Karma: 135181808 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Durham, NC Device: Every Kindle Ever Made & To Be Made!	"The argument is that the cheaper the book is, the more people will buy it. But hardcover books have an audience, and we shouldn't cannibalize it." Well - currently on Amazon - you can buy many hardcover editions of best-sellers and new releases for pennies - from the folk who immediately buy and read the latest title by popular authors, and then dump them. So publishers miss out totally on those sales. But they could be getting their share of $9.99 per ebook from day one that the book is available. You do the math.

07-13-2009, 11:49 PM	#7
narbeauchamp Groupie Posts: 170 Karma: 98 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New York,NY Device: PRS700BC/PRS505/TZ350N/MacBook/Aspire One/iPad/iPhone/BB 9630	It also irks me when I can get the paperback version cheaper than the ebook...and often in many cases,I can get the hardcover for cheaper-and there's still the added benefit of not being "stuck" ...there are books I want to buy and keep..and books I want to buy and give away-or sometimes just want to lend to someone else...I always compare the ebook price to the hardcover/paperback prices...and determine how much do I really want to "keep" the book....

07-14-2009, 12:34 AM	#9
HansTWN Wizard Posts: 4,538 Karma: 264065402 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Taiwan Device: HP Touchpad, Sony Duo 13, Lumia 920, Kobo Aura HD	well, those publishers are like Polaroid. Let us just wait until the big wave washes them out to sea...

07-14-2009, 04:11 AM	#11
Elfwreck Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,185 Karma: 25133758 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: SF Bay Area, California, USA Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3 (Past: Kobo Mini, PEZ, PRS-505, Clié)	"Publishers make a hefty margin of $2.15 per e-book -- 8X the 26 cents they get for a digital copy." Did I miss something that would allow this sentence to make sense? "releasing the digital copy of a book along with the print version is like releasing the DVD version of a movie the same day its out in theatres" Anyone want a pile of links to downloads of the new Star Trek movie? (I don't actually have any; I just know it'd take me all of about twelve minutes to get one, or several, ifi I cared to.) Anyone think that those unauthorized digital versions are cutting into theater viewings? I can understand delaying the low-cost variant until the "premium" version has had a good shot at the market. However, DVDs no longer trail cinema releases by six months; sometimes it's as little as six weeks. Or less. And ebooks are different from pbooks in ways that theatres are not different from large-screen HD televisions; while many people prefer theatres, almost nobody disdains movies-on-tv-screens entirely. Publishers need to start figuring out how much of the ebook market won't buy hardcovers at all, regardless of whether an ebook is available, and possibly won't buy paperbacks. Many of those customers are going to buy a handful of books every month, from whatever's available right now. Publishers need to pay attention to how many ebook sales they're losing to less-paranoid competitors.

07-14-2009, 04:48 AM	#13
Ea Wizard Posts: 3,490 Karma: 5239563 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Denmark Device: Kindle 3\|iPad air\|iPhone 4S	Apparently it's based on the idea that a new release must be released for 9.99: From the article:'"It doesn't make sense for a new book to be valued at $9.99," Dominique Raccah, CEO of Sourcebooks, told the WSJ."' I guess it's because Amazon - AFAIK - sells them for that price.

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