24 backlist US ebooks by Jack Higgins

wallcraft · 06-22-2010, 10:51 PM

It almost isn't news any more when a popular author's ebooks finally come out from some "unknown" publisher. Still, as reported by eBookNewser in Jack Higgins eBooks Now Available Through Open Road Integrated Media:

Quote:

The Higgins books, which were originally published between 1959 and 1985, include among others: A Prayer for the Dying; Bloody Passage; Confessional; The Valhalla Exchange; Dark Side of the Street; and Dillinger.

The eBooks are available today and Open Road will be releasing print-on-demand paperback editions of the books in the coming weeks.

These seem to be US-rights versions, but most may already be available in the UK from another publisher.

AnemicOak · 06-22-2010, 11:08 PM

Here's Open Road's author page...
http://openroadmedia.com/author_higgins.html

I like the kind of retro looking covers, but sure don't like the prices. $14.99 list price, which equates to $13.49 at Sony and $9.99 at Amazon and B&N. Looks like those are the only three places to get them. To be fair some of those old titles go for pretty good money for used print copies, but it'd be nice if these were a bit cheaper than they are. I wonder how the $14.99 list will compare to the cost of their POD copies when they do them.

Worldwalker · 06-23-2010, 01:07 AM

Fifteen bucks for DRM-locked ebooks.

At ABE, less than four bucks (with free shipping) for a physical book.

And there in a nutshell you have what's wrong with the ebook publishers. If they priced their books to compete with used MM paperbacks, not to avoid competing with new HCs, they'd be cleaning up. As it is, if I were going to buy one, I sure wouldn't pay 3x the price for 1/3 the rights. Higgins could be getting royalties on the ebook sales ... but instead, if I wanted one, I'd buy the used pbook. I don't read Jack Higgins anymore, though. He always kills off the characters I like.

wallcraft · 06-23-2010, 02:42 AM

Amazon is selling these for $9.99, but other Higgins ebooks from Penguin (under fixed Agency pricing) are typically $6.99. So the Open Road Media prices are high.

I am in two minds on this issue. Open Road Media seem to have done a good job with the ebooks (although I have not read one to see how good the proofreading is), and presumably the author is getting a good royalty. On the other hand, $7 (perhaps $9.99 list) seems about right for decades old thrillers.

AnemicOak · 06-23-2010, 09:22 AM

Funny how everything from a company called "Open Road" appears to use DRM.

BenLee · 06-23-2010, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Funny how everything from a company called "Open Road" appears to use DRM.

LOL...that's sneaky....yet somewhat smart.

BVLarson · 06-25-2010, 02:00 AM

Good books but too pricey for me!

cfrizz · 06-25-2010, 07:16 PM

Ya know I think the publishers are actually inflating the prices of ebooks JUST to kill of the format to force everyone to buy paper books!

What they are too stupid to realize is that it won't work, you can't stuff the genie back into the bottle morons!

Worldwalker · 06-25-2010, 10:42 PM

But we're not going back to paper books. We're finding sources for ebooks other than the big-name publishers: public domain, smaller publishers, indie authors ... all the competitors those big publishers were hoping we wouldn't notice.

RedRoverJ · 06-25-2010, 11:37 PM

Yup. Smashwords is my new bff.

cheerio6414 · 06-29-2010, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BVLarson

Good books but too pricey for me!

I agree. I dont like how electronic books cost as much as a physical books. You think manufacturing or processing would be cheaper.

Worldwalker · 06-29-2010, 02:59 PM

The prices of ebooks (like the prices of most goods) are not driven by production costs, but by what the market will bear.

In most markets, there exists a sufficient level of competition to lower the prices to a point of balance. That isn't happening in the ebook market because five of the biggest publishers (aka the "Agency 5") have formed a cartel to keep prices artificially high. Bad for the readers, great for the indie writers/publishers as they watch their mainstream competition doing its best to price itself out of the market.

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06-22-2010, 11:08 PM	#2
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	Here's Open Road's author page... http://openroadmedia.com/author_higgins.html I like the kind of retro looking covers, but sure don't like the prices. $14.99 list price, which equates to $13.49 at Sony and $9.99 at Amazon and B&N. Looks like those are the only three places to get them. To be fair some of those old titles go for pretty good money for used print copies, but it'd be nice if these were a bit cheaper than they are. I wonder how the $14.99 list will compare to the cost of their POD copies when they do them.

06-23-2010, 01:07 AM	#3
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	Fifteen bucks for DRM-locked ebooks. At ABE, less than four bucks (with free shipping) for a physical book. And there in a nutshell you have what's wrong with the ebook publishers. If they priced their books to compete with used MM paperbacks, not to avoid competing with new HCs, they'd be cleaning up. As it is, if I were going to buy one, I sure wouldn't pay 3x the price for 1/3 the rights. Higgins could be getting royalties on the ebook sales ... but instead, if I wanted one, I'd buy the used pbook. I don't read Jack Higgins anymore, though. He always kills off the characters I like.

06-23-2010, 02:42 AM	#4
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,977 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	Amazon is selling these for $9.99, but other Higgins ebooks from Penguin (under fixed Agency pricing) are typically $6.99. So the Open Road Media prices are high. I am in two minds on this issue. Open Road Media seem to have done a good job with the ebooks (although I have not read one to see how good the proofreading is), and presumably the author is getting a good royalty. On the other hand, $7 (perhaps $9.99 list) seems about right for decades old thrillers.

06-23-2010, 09:22 AM	#5
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	Funny how everything from a company called "Open Road" appears to use DRM.

06-25-2010, 02:00 AM	#7
BVLarson Author Posts: 123 Karma: 900 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: California Device: Kindle	Good books but too pricey for me!

06-25-2010, 07:16 PM	#8
cfrizz Wizard Posts: 1,566 Karma: 36389706 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Quincy, MA Device: Samsung 54A, Kobo Libra H2O, Samsung S6 Lite	Ya know I think the publishers are actually inflating the prices of ebooks JUST to kill of the format to force everyone to buy paper books! What they are too stupid to realize is that it won't work, you can't stuff the genie back into the bottle morons!

06-25-2010, 10:42 PM	#9
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	But we're not going back to paper books. We're finding sources for ebooks other than the big-name publishers: public domain, smaller publishers, indie authors ... all the competitors those big publishers were hoping we wouldn't notice.

06-25-2010, 11:37 PM	#10
RedRoverJ Zealot Posts: 125 Karma: 314 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Canada, Eh! Device: Kobo	Yup. Smashwords is my new bff.

06-29-2010, 02:59 PM	#12
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	The prices of ebooks (like the prices of most goods) are not driven by production costs, but by what the market will bear. In most markets, there exists a sufficient level of competition to lower the prices to a point of balance. That isn't happening in the ebook market because five of the biggest publishers (aka the "Agency 5") have formed a cartel to keep prices artificially high. Bad for the readers, great for the indie writers/publishers as they watch their mainstream competition doing its best to price itself out of the market.

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