Seems Amazon have caused an epub price war in the UK

ceebee_uk · 09-26-2010, 09:42 AM

I'm getting a fair number of emails from ebook stores ref pricing of ebooks. WH Smith have some major reductions on top 100 books and even Waterstones prices are getting reasonably cheap, the Kobo site also has reductions.
Is this a response to the Kindle, Amazon seem to be buying market share with their content and hardware pricing.
Do you think this will continue so that the distribution costs of ebooks are reflected in their price ?

GeoffC · 09-26-2010, 10:14 AM

one can hope !

me, I still prefer mobi books.

sunnysmiles · 09-26-2010, 10:31 AM

Yep Im really happy that amazon have opened their store in Uk they have a really good range of books and much cheaper than other stores.

geertm · 09-26-2010, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ceebee_uk

I'm getting a fair number of emails from ebook stores ref pricing of ebooks. WH Smith have some major reductions on top 100 books and even Waterstones prices are getting reasonably cheap, the Kobo site also has reductions.
Is this a response to the Kindle, Amazon seem to be buying market share with their content and hardware pricing.
Do you think this will continue so that the distribution costs of ebooks are reflected in their price ?

Unfortunately Hachette UK is forcing bookstores to accept the agency model at the moment.
Bookstores are presenting a united front against Hachette for now (hachette books are only available at Amazon at the moment, for non-agency prices), but as soon as one bookstore caves in to Hachette the rest will probably follow and than all big publishers will force all bookstores to accept the agency model.
So it all depends on who wins the current agency battle, Hachette or the bookstores.

KunoK · 09-26-2010, 11:27 AM

Maybe the other stores are forced to follow amazon, but it would be nice if it spread outside US and UK. From mainland Europe it is usually cheaper to buy a book from Waterstones than from amazon

kiwipippa · 09-26-2010, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geertm

Unfortunately Hachette UK is forcing bookstores to accept the agency model at the moment.
Bookstores are presenting a united front against Hachette for now (hachette books are only available at Amazon at the moment, for non-agency prices), but as soon as one bookstore caves in to Hachette the rest will probably follow and than all big publishers will force all bookstores to accept the agency model.
So it all depends on who wins the current agency battle, Hachette or the bookstores.

Any update on when the Hachette books might be back? I want to buy some Alexander McCall Smith as I'm half way through a series.

Very annoying - may force me to buy a kindle as they are available on Amazon. And as another thread says, you need a representative sample of ereaders!

geertm · 09-26-2010, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiwipippa

Any update on when the Hachette books might be back? I want to buy some Alexander McCall Smith as I'm half way through a series.

Very annoying - may force me to buy a kindle as they are available on Amazon. And as another thread says, you need a representative sample of ereaders!

These books are not available because the bookstores are resisting the agency model, and are not caving in to Hachette. So this is a good thing.
If the bookstores cave in to Hachette all other major publishers will follow, the result will be the same as in the US: a lot of e-books will become more expensive than the paper version. And this will be true for all bookstores, including Amazon. So we all should support the bookstores in this agency battle instead of complaining about the missing books.
The books will become available again as soon as there is a winner in the agency battle: The bookstores cave in to Hachette and let Hachette force them to use the agency model, or the bookstores keep up a united front against Hachette and Hachette gives up.
It should be clear who I hope wins this battle

Georgiegirl2012 · 09-26-2010, 05:14 PM

I have no idea whether the price war is anything to do with Amazon, but I would prefer to think that it's because nearly every bookshop has offers on their printed copies - Asda has 2 for £7.00 on the majority of books they carry. The Works has 3 for £5. And WH Smith usually has half price book of the week as well as Buy one get one half price, and Waterstones has 3 for 2 on the most popular books.

And if the printed copeis are on offer then why shouldn't the digital ones. If they aren't to lose their customers they have to think of ways to maintain their readership.

kiwipippa · 09-26-2010, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geertm

These books are not available because the bookstores are resisting the agency model, and are not caving in to Hachette. So this is a good thing.
If the bookstores cave in to Hachette all other major publishers will follow, the result will be the same as in the US: a lot of e-books will become more expensive than the paper version. And this will be true for all bookstores, including Amazon. So we all should support the bookstores in this agency battle instead of complaining about the missing books.
The books will become available again as soon as there is a winner in the agency battle: The bookstores cave in to Hachette and let Hachette force them to use the agency model, or the bookstores keep up a united front against Hachette and Hachette gives up.
It should be clear who I hope wins this battle

I know that this is why the books have gone. All I wanted to know was whether there is any resolution in sight. There is only so long consumers will wait before finding somewhere else to source the books they want.

Luke King · 09-27-2010, 03:25 AM

The thing I don't understand is when I price a book at 0.99c through Amazon DTP, this works out at $2.99 for Australian customers. If I price it at $2.99, it works out as $4.99. The Australian dollar is currently worth around 0.95 US, though Amazon seems to think 0.33 is closer to the mark. It seems like Australians are paying $2.00 more on every kindle book they sell.

Sweetpea · 09-27-2010, 03:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luke King

The thing I don't understand is when I price a book at 0.99c through Amazon DTP, this works out at $2.99 for Australian customers. If I price it at $2.99, it works out as $4.99. The Australian dollar is currently worth around 0.95 US, though Amazon seems to think 0.33 is closer to the mark. It seems like Australians are paying $2.00 more on every kindle book they sell.

Don't worry, it's not only Australians. It's the "whispernet fees" and vat you have to pay. But I don't download via via whispernet and I wonder how you can ask for VAT for a book that is free... (because even books that are $0.00 in the USA, will be $2.00 here...)

EowynCarter · 09-27-2010, 04:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiwipippa

I know that this is why the books have gone. All I wanted to know was whether there is any resolution in sight. There is only so long consumers will wait before finding somewhere else to source the books they want.

Yes, that what worrme. Buying from amazon is too much pain. And I don't want a lesser quality mobi.
US site, when they don't geo-restrict me, havn't revovered from the switch to agancy model.
I just want them to accept the Hachette's deal, and be done with it. I need books to be accessible again !

I resined to bypassing sony's geo restriction last time, but what happens when sony blocks that bypass ?

09-26-2010, 09:42 AM	#1
ceebee_uk Member Posts: 14 Karma: 12 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: UK West Midlands Device: sony prs300	Seems Amazon have caused an epub price war in the UK I'm getting a fair number of emails from ebook stores ref pricing of ebooks. WH Smith have some major reductions on top 100 books and even Waterstones prices are getting reasonably cheap, the Kobo site also has reductions. Is this a response to the Kindle, Amazon seem to be buying market share with their content and hardware pricing. Do you think this will continue so that the distribution costs of ebooks are reflected in their price ?

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09-26-2010, 10:14 AM	#2
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,599 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	one can hope ! me, I still prefer mobi books.

09-26-2010, 10:31 AM	#3
sunnysmiles Addict Posts: 279 Karma: 1188010 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: London Device: I pad air, kindle pw2 and kindle touch , kindle had fire Nook pad nook	Yep Im really happy that amazon have opened their store in Uk they have a really good range of books and much cheaper than other stores.

09-26-2010, 11:27 AM	#5
KunoK Connoisseur Posts: 63 Karma: 558 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Device: Gen3, Boox 60, K3, Sony T1, Sandra has a Sony505, 650, K3	Maybe the other stores are forced to follow amazon, but it would be nice if it spread outside US and UK. From mainland Europe it is usually cheaper to buy a book from Waterstones than from amazon

09-26-2010, 05:14 PM	#8
Georgiegirl2012 Connoisseur Posts: 84 Karma: 7038 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Cwmbran, Wales, UK Device: Sony touch prs600	I have no idea whether the price war is anything to do with Amazon, but I would prefer to think that it's because nearly every bookshop has offers on their printed copies - Asda has 2 for £7.00 on the majority of books they carry. The Works has 3 for £5. And WH Smith usually has half price book of the week as well as Buy one get one half price, and Waterstones has 3 for 2 on the most popular books. And if the printed copeis are on offer then why shouldn't the digital ones. If they aren't to lose their customers they have to think of ways to maintain their readership.

09-27-2010, 03:25 AM	#10
Luke King Member Retired Posts: 173 Karma: 200000 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kindle 2	The thing I don't understand is when I price a book at 0.99c through Amazon DTP, this works out at $2.99 for Australian customers. If I price it at $2.99, it works out as $4.99. The Australian dollar is currently worth around 0.95 US, though Amazon seems to think 0.33 is closer to the mark. It seems like Australians are paying $2.00 more on every kindle book they sell.

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