The Norwegian book industry is fighting e-books

thinkpad · 10-09-2010, 06:59 AM

It seems that the Norwegian book industry have no interest to take part in the e-book development. There's no commitment to release Norwegian authors in e-book formats.

Why?
The publishing industry has too many fingers in the cookie jar and stand to loose money when the same book is offered electronically.

The publishers in Norway have indicated that they wish to charge more or less the same price for the e-book as that of the paperback. Good luck with that. All that will happen is that people start to read more foreign authors, turning their backs on the domestic market.

The whole article on the subject from one of Norway's leading newspapers (Google translate does a decent job on the translation):
http://translate.google.com/translat...cle3848338.ece

neilmarr · 10-09-2010, 07:23 AM

I guess the industry there is up against it, Thinkpad. A book translator I know once told me that an author can get into the best-seller lists with sales over 500 in Skandanavian countries. But this resistance to new technology rather than the embracing of it will hit local publishers hard the longer they are so stubborn. What is likely to happen more immediately, I think, is that brick-and-mortar bookshops in Norway, relying heavily on the sale of expensive paper books in the English language, will lose out to the very much cheaper ebook alternative. Cheers. Neil

TotallyEpic · 10-09-2010, 07:30 AM

Isn't Paper a major industry in Norway?

I think that explains everything :P

Sweetpea · 10-09-2010, 08:02 AM

It's not only Norway, most larger Dutch publishers are not going to join the ebook crowd either. Because "they're afraid of piracy". While everybody is agreeing by now that lack of legal posibilities is pushing the crowd towards less-than-legal possibilities.

TotallyEpic · 10-09-2010, 08:32 AM

I don't think eBooks are as much as a target for piracy as other forms of Media. Most countries have public libraries with free access to most books people would want to read. Other forms of Media such as Film and Music don't have a free alternative, so they are more susceptible to piracy.

Have a look on any BitTorrent tracker and you'll see there isn't a whole lot of eBook piracy, except for a few of the top bestsellers. I think if you price the books appropriately, and don't use any intrusive methods of anti-piracy, you'll probably see a lower rate of piracy than a DRM'ed book.

SameOldStory · 10-09-2010, 11:47 AM

From this

to this >

What has become of Norway? Have you no Vikings left?

Is Norway to become an English speaking country due to the repression of Norwegian ebooks?

SlowRain · 10-09-2010, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

...lack of legal posibilities is pushing the crowd towards less-than-legal possibilities.

That's my guess as to what will happen in Norway.

SeaBookGuy · 10-09-2010, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thinkpadx

The publishers in Norway have indicated that they wish to charge more or less the same price for the e-book as that of the paperback.

I'm new to ebooks, but isn't that pretty much what Amazon does for Kindle books? Ebooks are excluded from the 25% - 40% discounts available at Borders, etc. on print books.

Terisa de morgan · 10-09-2010, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

I'm new to ebooks, but isn't that pretty much what Amazon does for Kindle books? Ebooks are excluded from the 25% - 40% discounts available at Borders, etc. on print books.

Amazon doesn't do it, publishers do (agency price).

Fbone · 10-09-2010, 02:57 PM

If I'm reading it correctly, there seems to be an abundance of booksellers in Norway. One chain has 170 stores? While the country is large and spread out a population of 5 million may be too few to support the industry unless prices are high.

J. Strnad · 10-09-2010, 03:03 PM

And that's the kind of forward thinking that has made the Norwegian publishing industry the powerhouse it is today.

SameOldStory · 10-09-2010, 03:52 PM

Followed thru with those thoughts and you could say that it would be better for any existing industry to have higher prices and less competition.

thinkpad · 10-10-2010, 03:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

From this

to this >

What has become of Norway? Have you no Vikings left?

Is Norway to become an English speaking country due to the repression of Norwegian ebooks?

You're actually right. We have gone from a country with fearsome warriors to people who doesn't dare to stand up to anything. The roads and public transportation are a joke compared to what it could have been but do you think we protest, no we just bottle it up and go on. I blame it on the oil. We're rich but lack foresight and innovation and have become lazy.

thinkpad · 10-10-2010, 03:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

And that's the kind of forward thinking that has made the Norwegian publishing industry the powerhouse it is today.

That's actually one of the problems, the powerhouses. We have a few very large publishing companies that run the whole chain all the way down to the physical book-store.

It is these giants that stands to loose the most and they're fighting back hard. They're not fighting for innovation and new development. They're fighting to keep things just as they are because this is easier for them than to think new.

I think this is something all big companies struggle with. The possibility to be flexible and make uncomfortable decisions. I also think that this is what will be there downfall if they're not willing to adapt.

hernep · 10-10-2010, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thinkpadx

The publishers in Norway have indicated that they wish to charge more or less the same price for the e-book as that of the paperback.

That's is exactly the situation we have in Finland. Finnish novels are more or less the same price regardless of format.

Example (Akateeminen Kirjakauppa: www.akateeminenkirjakauppa.fi)
Jarkko Sipilä, Katumurha (ePub DRM) 25.90 €
Jarkko Sipilä, Katumurha (hardcover) 25.00 € (but price cut down to 20.20 €)

E-Book industry has just landed here and they are very few competitors if none. So industry is still forming. If they get this working (they get money), pricing might be reasonable some day. Let's hope so.

At the moment reading E-Books might not be compelling unless you read them on existing gadget you have, laptops, pc and so on. If you also buy ereader gadget, price for one book is not 20 euros but 200 euros (depending on what ereader gadget you buy). Of course costs sort of "cuts down" if you buy more books

Luckily I can read free books from Feedbooks or from similar web services.

Note: I haven't tried these E-Books yet so I can't say how they work. I will, eventually

Thinkpadx, I truly hope that you have wiser booksellers/industry than we have.

10-09-2010, 06:59 AM	#1
thinkpad David Posts: 1,808 Karma: 8916183 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Norway Device: Kindle, E.Edge (sold), Irex Iliad (retired)	The Norwegian book industry is fighting e-books It seems that the Norwegian book industry have no interest to take part in the e-book development. There's no commitment to release Norwegian authors in e-book formats. Why? The publishing industry has too many fingers in the cookie jar and stand to loose money when the same book is offered electronically. The publishers in Norway have indicated that they wish to charge more or less the same price for the e-book as that of the paperback. Good luck with that. All that will happen is that people start to read more foreign authors, turning their backs on the domestic market. The whole article on the subject from one of Norway's leading newspapers (Google translate does a decent job on the translation): http://translate.google.com/translat...cle3848338.ece

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10-09-2010, 07:23 AM	#2
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,215 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	I guess the industry there is up against it, Thinkpad. A book translator I know once told me that an author can get into the best-seller lists with sales over 500 in Skandanavian countries. But this resistance to new technology rather than the embracing of it will hit local publishers hard the longer they are so stubborn. What is likely to happen more immediately, I think, is that brick-and-mortar bookshops in Norway, relying heavily on the sale of expensive paper books in the English language, will lose out to the very much cheaper ebook alternative. Cheers. Neil

10-09-2010, 07:30 AM	#3
TotallyEpic Enthusiast Posts: 31 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kindle 3 3G + Wifi	Isn't Paper a major industry in Norway? I think that explains everything :P

10-09-2010, 08:02 AM	#4
Sweetpea Grand Sorcerer Posts: 9,707 Karma: 32763414 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Krewerd Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	It's not only Norway, most larger Dutch publishers are not going to join the ebook crowd either. Because "they're afraid of piracy". While everybody is agreeing by now that lack of legal posibilities is pushing the crowd towards less-than-legal possibilities.

10-09-2010, 08:32 AM	#5
TotallyEpic Enthusiast Posts: 31 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kindle 3 3G + Wifi	I don't think eBooks are as much as a target for piracy as other forms of Media. Most countries have public libraries with free access to most books people would want to read. Other forms of Media such as Film and Music don't have a free alternative, so they are more susceptible to piracy. Have a look on any BitTorrent tracker and you'll see there isn't a whole lot of eBook piracy, except for a few of the top bestsellers. I think if you price the books appropriately, and don't use any intrusive methods of anti-piracy, you'll probably see a lower rate of piracy than a DRM'ed book.

10-09-2010, 11:47 AM	#6
SameOldStory My True Self Posts: 3,126 Karma: 66242098 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Trantor, Galactic Center Device: Galaxy Tab 2 7.0	From this to this > What has become of Norway? Have you no Vikings left? Is Norway to become an English speaking country due to the repression of Norwegian ebooks?

10-09-2010, 02:57 PM	#10
Fbone Is that a sandwich? Posts: 8,280 Karma: 101696762 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Nook Glowlight Plus	If I'm reading it correctly, there seems to be an abundance of booksellers in Norway. One chain has 170 stores? While the country is large and spread out a population of 5 million may be too few to support the industry unless prices are high.

10-09-2010, 03:03 PM	#11
J. Strnad Guru Posts: 915 Karma: 3537194 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo, Kindle 3, Paperwhite	And that's the kind of forward thinking that has made the Norwegian publishing industry the powerhouse it is today.

10-09-2010, 03:52 PM	#12
SameOldStory My True Self Posts: 3,126 Karma: 66242098 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Trantor, Galactic Center Device: Galaxy Tab 2 7.0	Followed thru with those thoughts and you could say that it would be better for any existing industry to have higher prices and less competition.

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