|
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
06-17-2013, 12:31 PM | #31 |
eBook Enthusiast
Posts: 85,544
Karma: 93383043
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6
|
|
06-17-2013, 01:04 PM | #32 |
Wizard
Posts: 4,465
Karma: 6900052
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: The Heart of Texas
Device: Boox Note2, AuraHD, PDA,
|
I don't think you can view an entire industry as having a single mindset, that there would be some that have adopted the "Every e-book sale is a lost p-book sale" belief, in the corporate boardrooms of the BPHs, would be inevitable. The slower than would be expected adoption of e-books by some publishing houses (of course we who frequent MR, are more familiar with those that are providing e-books) might be one indication. Their handling of the "Backlist Issue", seems, to me at least, to indicate a reluctance to embrace the potential of e-book publishing.
Luck; Ken P.S.; There is also the title of this thread. Last edited by Ken Maltby; 06-17-2013 at 01:07 PM. |
06-17-2013, 02:29 PM | #33 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 7,345
Karma: 52398889
Join Date: Oct 2010
Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip
|
Quote:
Now I buy these same titles as e-books, for around $10-$12 apiece. Each one is a lost hardcover sale. It has nothing to do with competitors, because books aren't interchangeable. If I want this book by this author, I'm not going to go off and buy that book by that author instead. |
|
06-17-2013, 02:32 PM | #34 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 7,345
Karma: 52398889
Join Date: Oct 2010
Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip
|
|
06-17-2013, 02:40 PM | #35 | |
Fanatic
Posts: 500
Karma: 2661351
Join Date: Mar 2012
Device: None
|
Quote:
On the other hand, ebooks expand books to a larger market and enable more books to be sold. So it's a tradeoff and market shift, but I think still a net gain for the industry. Publisher's real problem is that changing a business model is hard. |
|
06-17-2013, 03:46 PM | #36 |
eBook Enthusiast
Posts: 85,544
Karma: 93383043
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6
|
|
06-17-2013, 04:03 PM | #37 |
Addict
Posts: 304
Karma: 2454436
Join Date: Sep 2008
Device: PRS-505, PRS-650, iPad, Samsung Galaxy SII (JB), Google Nexus 7 (2013)
|
They may have a bug in their brain about ebook piracy.
|
06-17-2013, 04:16 PM | #38 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 7,345
Karma: 52398889
Join Date: Oct 2010
Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip
|
|
06-17-2013, 10:28 PM | #39 | |
Guru
Posts: 891
Karma: 8893661
Join Date: Feb 2012
Device: Kindle
|
Quote:
Whatever the reason, they seem to be lagging behind. Due to the snail's pace of my internet connection, ebooks are one of the few areas where online distribution makes sense for me. |
|
06-20-2013, 08:57 AM | #40 |
Zealot
Posts: 136
Karma: 614774
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: China, Yunnan, Kunming
Device: Sony PRS-505, Kobo Aura HD, Cybook Odyssey HD
|
Honestly, I don't see what is keeping publishers from supporting e-books, except for the "fear of piracy". P-books are formated on computers. It shouldn't be that hard to make a .pdf out of it. Of course that ties them with Adobe and they probably have to pay for it (or at least for teh accompanying drm), but whatever they choose is fine (it was the easiest way I could think of) as long as they all choose the same. E-reader will then update their software to read it or go down.
They could even make more profit as they could simply skip the retailer part (they would have to build a selling platform so some cost there). Seriously, what do you need a retailer for? If you don't need a place for people to physically buy the books... The retailers though should be wary. Even if they start selling e-books through their websites, they would still have to deal with their task force if labor law doesn't allow them to lay people off unless they go bankrupt... |
06-20-2013, 09:22 AM | #41 | |
Media Junkie
Posts: 278
Karma: 2039392
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Pennsylvania, USA
Device: Kobo Libra H20, Kindle PW
|
Quote:
For brand new books that have been released in hardcover, I don't have a huge problem with the ebook being in the $12.99 to $15.99 range since that is less than or equal to a discounted hardback. I wouldn't necessarily pay those prices with regularity myself (just as I rarely purchased hardbacks pre-ebook), but I don't have a problem with it. Backlist titles are largely way overpriced though, in my opinion. I snagged some Stuart Macbride mysteries for a dollar or two apiece, but that is the exception (for traditionally published works). I wish more backlist titles were discounted ($5 or less), it would be a boon for avid readers as well as generating interest in an author's newer (and of course, pricier) titles. Would seem to be a win/win scenario. But I guess that goes back to the title of this thread... Last edited by usuallee; 06-20-2013 at 09:24 AM. |
|
06-20-2013, 06:17 PM | #42 |
Wizard
Posts: 1,096
Karma: 4695691
Join Date: May 2008
Device: Kindle Paperwhite
|
maybe, but besides the materials involved in a hardback - ink, paper, cardboard, binding stuff - there's also cleaning materials to work with the printing, storage and shipping, some damaged units as losses. i suspect hardbacks include a higher number of returns, but that's speculation on my part.
|
06-21-2013, 03:04 AM | #43 |
Zealot
Posts: 136
Karma: 614774
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: China, Yunnan, Kunming
Device: Sony PRS-505, Kobo Aura HD, Cybook Odyssey HD
|
I don't know how it is in other countries but there are several difficulties to selling e-books in France (not all of these are justified though). We have many small publisher and small libraries here... I discussed this with friends who worked in libraries and at publishing houses (and who are dead set against e-books ^^)
-> The publisher might not want to because: - He bought a new printer and need a return on investment -> The retailer might not want to because:- He doesn't understand the economic model of selling e-books - He doesn't know the technology to make good e-books - There is no standard format - Employees need to be trained - Their books are not readable on e-readers so far (think arts, color textbooks, comics, children books...) - They fear piracy - They love paper books - They fear the lack of visibility - They fear that the book won't be promoted - They fear libraries will refuse to sell the paper book if there is an e-book - He may lose paper book sales Both retailers and publishers have powerful unions here. Not to mention buyers/readers who still find many reasons to prefer paper books to e-books here. We do so love paper here...
- His task force could become useless - He could lose his business entirely - and again, they love paper books and fear piracy |
06-21-2013, 09:52 AM | #44 |
occasional author
Posts: 2,314
Karma: 2064403292
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Wandering God's glorious hills, valleys and plains.
Device: A Franklin BI (before Internet) was the first. I still have it.
|
I think we have to look at the sad history of Britannica Encyclopedia.
Their sales force which was the heart of the company (or at least they thought so) didn't want to try and sell CDs or DVDs with the Encyclopedia for many reasons, a big one being they couldn't promote that "book shelf" full of "handsomely bound books." So eventually the company crashed. Now there is no sales force, that I know of anyway. I still remember the story about the sales person coming to the apartment we lived in and going into her spiel and refusing to give the price until my parents had sat there and heard, and heard, and heard. She actually had the thought (and probably technique) that she wouldn't give the price until a commitment had been made to buy. Finally a compromise was made, probably because she was tired. Yes we really really were interested in buying. But we still had to see if it was affordable no matter the finance plan offered. But yes, yes, we would buy if we could manage to afford it. She gave the price. ... a moment's hesitation. "No, thanks." She was outraged. Never had she been through the entire (her) program and not had responsive interested customers of a decent sort at least, say yes. She might or might not have been spouting a load of crap, but she would have saved some time for both parties giving out a price. |
06-21-2013, 09:55 AM | #45 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 8,560
Karma: 8033155
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: TN, USA
Device: kindle(all), nook, nookcolor, Sony, Kobo, epic, iphone, iPad, pc
|
Quote:
|
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
All Big Six Publishers Now Selling E-Books To Libraries | SteveEisenberg | General Discussions | 13 | 05-08-2013 09:47 PM |
Book dragging | khromosone | Amazon Kindle | 9 | 02-22-2013 11:10 PM |
5 High Heels Mysteries by Gemma Halliday for $2.99 (Nook/Kindle) | sufue | Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links) | 2 | 01-25-2012 12:20 PM |
Amazon Now Selling More Kindle Books Than All Print Books | =X= | News | 27 | 05-24-2011 08:05 AM |
Almost Free (on Kindle) - On the Heels of Evil | koland | Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links) | 0 | 10-07-2009 02:20 PM |