Zoe's Tale ebook, Kindle Sony etc makes me VERY angry.

[stustaff]

Great author and great book from the reviews i have read but why the massive price differences? are amazon making a loss on each sale? or are Sony making over 100% mark up? and Mobipocket!!! why are Sony and mobipocket more expensive than the Hardback

Im really trying to buy Ebooks but f***ing heck they make it hard!

So anyone know why its so different? or if there is any way to talk sony down to a lower price?

Hard cover from Amazon = $16.47

Sony site = $17.46

Kindle site = $9.99

Mobipocket = $24.95

[rhadin]

Books on Board is selling it for $19.09 and Fictionwise doesn't show it so I would guess that it would be difficult to get Sony to lower its price. You might write and ask Sony customer service if they would match the Kindle price or come closer to it, but I doubt it.

[hidari]

Originally Posted by stustaff

Great author and great book from the reviews i have read but why the massive price differences? are amazon making a loss on each sale? or are Sony making over 100% mark up? and Mobipocket!!! why are Sony and mobipocket more expensive than the Hardback

Im really trying to buy Ebooks but f***ing heck they make it hard!

So anyone know why its so different? or if there is any way to talk sony down to a lower price?

Hard cover from Amazon = $16.47

Sony site = $17.46

Kindle site = $9.99

Mobipocket = $24.95

or
maybe part of the problem.. They don't want it to be too easy....or reasonably priced...

[Taylor514ce]

I've emailed Sony's support department. Their stock answer is what I expect, which is, "the publisher sets the price". Nor will they match Amazon's price. Amazon gets better pricing because they "license more copies" than other vendors (according to a previous reply from Sony).

So, yes, e-book pricing is a big mess, because of the way publishers "license" "copies" to retailers, who discount, or not, from there.

But keep up the pressure. Email Sony and other vendors every single time, because I believe the issue will work its way back upstream to publishers, who will one day understand that

1) It's silly to price and sell digital stuff the way we price physical stuff and
2) Letting Amazon rule the world is, in the long run, bad for business.

Also of note, down at comment #198.

[stustaff]

Good stuff taylor i hope you get a reply to post #200 would be interesting.

[Taylor514ce]

Hello,

Thank you for contacting The eBook Store from Sony!


Thank you for your inquiry. Your comments will be forwarded to the appropriate team to determine if a price change is warranted.

The List Price for eBook titles comes directly from the Publisher. Some other eBook retailers may have special programs or promotions where prices are much lower than suggested retail and normally discounted specials. We do our best to provide the best prices on the best selection possible and will continue to do so. If you are not already signed up for our weekly newsletter, please do so and be kept up to date on the newest releases, sales and bundle specials.

Please note that when publishers determine the pricing for print books (their "List Price"), they determine a separate List Price for the eBook version which is usually less expensive than the print counterpart (sometimes 40% less). The eBook Store from Sony then provides as much as an additional 20% discount to the customer.

Some publishers have decided to keep their eBook prices the same as print book prices, other book retailers may discount that print title more than 20%, which would result in a deeper discount. We continue to work with these publishers to urge them to discount their eBook List Prices to provide you with the best eBook experience possible.

Separately, please keep in mind that with eBooks, there are no shipping fees or sales tax, and you get the benefit of instant gratification.

If the information I have provided does not completely answer your question, please update this incident so I may be of further assistance to you.


Sincerely,

[edited out]

Customer Support Representative
The eBook Store from Sony
http://ebooks.connect.com

[slayda]

Since the only formats available are 1) Kindle (owned by Amazon), 2) Mobipocket (Owned by Amazon), and 3) Sony, one might logically assume that Amazon is trying to "force" all readers of ebooks to go with the Kindle, thus leading to an Amazon monopoly wherein they can sell ebooks at whatever "high" price they so desire.

[Taylor514ce]

That's why I have high hopes for EPUB. Sony is obviously doing what they can to combat the Amazonopoly [hereby mozzled, copyright 8/21/2008]. Go sign the Sony Mobipocket petition.

[Nate the great]

A point of order:

This title isn't in 3 formats. It's only in two: Mobipocket and Sony. The Kindle Store got it as a retailer of Mobipocket ebooks.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by stustaff

Great author and great book from the reviews i have read but why the massive price differences? are amazon making a loss on each sale? or are Sony making over 100% mark up? and Mobipocket!!! why are Sony and mobipocket more expensive than the Hardback

Im really trying to buy Ebooks but f***ing heck they make it hard!

So anyone know why its so different? or if there is any way to talk sony down to a lower price?

Hard cover from Amazon = $16.47

Sony site = $17.46

Kindle site = $9.99

Mobipocket = $24.95

Wait a week and the Amazon price will drop. Here's how it went when Blood Noir was released.

5/27/08 morning: Hard cover = $17.13, Kindle version = $20.76.
5/27/08 afternoon: Hard cover = $17.13, Kindle version = $15.42
5/28/08 afternoon: Hard cover = $15.57, Kindle version = $15.42
5/30/09 afternoon: Hard cover = $15.57, Kindle version = $14.01
6/4/08: The Kindle price FINALLY dropped to $9.99

Edit: Sorry, since you don't have a Kindle, my post isn't very helpful to you.

[Alisa]

Bear in mind that Mobipocket has a deal with other stores that sell mobi books not to undercut their price. Mobipocket.com will have the highest price. I think this is likely why Amazon made .azw. It's only nominally different but that may be enough to keep them out of court.

[stustaff]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

Wait a week and the Amazon price will drop. Here's how it went when Blood Noir was released.

5/27/08 morning: Hard cover = $17.13, Kindle version = $20.76.
5/27/08 afternoon: Hard cover = $17.13, Kindle version = $15.42
5/28/08 afternoon: Hard cover = $15.57, Kindle version = $15.42
5/30/09 afternoon: Hard cover = $15.57, Kindle version = $14.01
6/4/08: The Kindle price FINALLY dropped to $9.99

Edit: Sorry, since you don't have a Kindle, my post isn't very helpful to you.

And Zoe's tale is already $9.99 thanks anyway

[stustaff]

Maybe Scalzi reads mobile read

he has just posted this on his blog @scalzi.com/whatever interesting that he OK's buying the printed one and copying it!

* Fourth, online I see some folks griping about the variable pricing for the electronic versions of my books and particularly Zoe’s Tale, the eBook price of which ranges from $9.99 to $24.95, depending on where you buy it. My response: Eh. Considering that at the moment the cost of the printed book ranges from $12 to $42, according to Google Product Search, it seems that variable pricing of goods is the general order of the day, and folks should just (also: don’t pay $42 for the book. That’s just silly). I understand that it’s annoying for one eReader to have cheaper books than another, but it’s annoying that my iPod doesn’t work with my Rhapsody account, too, and yet I manage to make it through the day. Life is full of random technological annoyances. This is, incidentally, an argument for buying the actual printed copy and then scanning it in at your leisure for your own private use.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by stustaff

Maybe Scalzi reads mobile read

he has just posted this on his blog @scalzi.com/whatever interesting that he OK's buying the printed one and copying it!

* Fourth, online I see some folks griping about the variable pricing for the electronic versions of my books and particularly Zoe’s Tale, the eBook price of which ranges from $9.99 to $24.95, depending on where you buy it. My response: Eh. Considering that at the moment the cost of the printed book ranges from $12 to $42, according to Google Product Search, it seems that variable pricing of goods is the general order of the day, and folks should just (also: don’t pay $42 for the book. That’s just silly). I understand that it’s annoying for one eReader to have cheaper books than another, but it’s annoying that my iPod doesn’t work with my Rhapsody account, too, and yet I manage to make it through the day. Life is full of random technological annoyances. This is, incidentally, an argument for buying the actual printed copy and then scanning it in at your leisure for your own private use.

I like his attitude. Now I *will* have to read his books. Thanks for posting that.

[JSWolf]

Seems Tor doesn't really care about their readership.

Yes, I have eBooks available: Old Man’s War, Ghost Brigades, The Android’s Dream and Zoe’s Tale are available on Amazon Kindle, and Old Man’s War and Zoe’s Tale are available in other formats as well,

No, I don’t know when the other novels will be available/will be available in a format other than Kindle/will be available in the format you’ve determined that you love the most and have vowed never to cheat on with any other electronic format. This is because it’s not up to me, it’s up to Tor, and who knows when they will get around to doing any of this. They kind of do their own thing, you know? I’ve asked them if they might not consider getting the other books out in eBook format sooner rather than later, if only so I don’t have to keep answering e-mail on the subject. Sending me e-mail on the subject does nothing, I’m sorry to say. Sending me repeated e-mails on the subject will just annoy me. Send your e-mail to Tor. Tor loves to get e-mail.

Seems Tor is in bed with Amazon and is saying.. if you don't have a Kindle, tough luck.