Posted on 07/16/2009 6:07:04 PM PDT by re_tail20
If the publishers force Amazon to raise prices on e-books, that's what will happen.
The book publishers are in the process of picking a fight with Amazon and other sellers over the pricing of e-books. If the publishers are lucky, they'll lose. Here's why.
Publishers generally sell e-books to Amazon and its competitors for the same price they sell paper books to retailers—about half the list price of the paper version. Amazon and the others insist on selling most e-books for about $9.99, which pleases the publishers when the e-book retail price is close to that of the paper edition: Currently, Amazon is selling the $14 list paperback of The Big Sleep for $10.98 and the electronic Kindle version for $9.99.
The publishers dislike the rigidity of the e-book price, however, when the hardcover lists for $27.95 and Amazon sells it at a loss for $9.99. Why? For one thing, the publishers worry that the e-book vendors are robbing them of their ability to set prices by encouraging customers to think that every book should be priced at $9.99 and that further down the line this will take a bite out of their profit margins.
(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...
I’ll give you $9.99 for it.
re: “Amazon sells it at a loss for $9.99”
The article says Amazon is selling at a loss.
Amen! I used to spend hours perusing the offerings looking for things I recall from my days in AM radio during the early years of my life.
And from a purely technical standpoint it was truly amazing, especially for those days! Too bad it was used so widely to flaunt intellectual property rights. It's one thing to share a very rare, otherwise totally unavailable, recording and something else entirely to deprive the writers, producers and performers of their due.
I guess there's actually very little that can be used for good that can't also be used for bad. Call me Capt. Obvious.
I use the current Napster and happily pay for the access provided. I have several playlists, each designed for a different mood, occasion or task. I rarely look for a song I can't find. The latest being the original One Tin Soldier.
I missed that. Thanks.
Just shows you have a good grasp of the business! I only pointed it out to confirm your suspicions.
When Napster started offering downloads the music industry did not even offer downloadable music. Your choice was to get it from Napster or not at all.
Do they have the really old, good stuff????
:-)
(Did you know that our very own Freeper’s Canteen shares great stuff on Saturdays!)
Not really. They have only cuts that are currently available. They certainly have enough to keep me happy, but I've found nothing as great as the original Napster. Another thing I liked about Napster back then were the forums. You could get help remembering a song. Just describe it and almost certainly someone, somewhere would know and usually even give you hint as to where to find it.
Oh, Yes! I did forget to put in this part.
I can read FreeRepublic.com Anywhere, Anytime. (Where I am in range of a cell tower that is!) And I don’t pay extra fees for that ability.
So just for that capability the Kindle is worth it’s price to me. And the new ones are only $299. Quite frankly it’s that price that tends to make a person very responsible when using a Kindle. Who wants to break it or leave it laying around for someone to take. (Like the Kids!)
There is nothing like a real book, I agree. But I may do some traveling in the coming years. And I would like to have several translations of the bible with me all of the time.
Kindle sucks.
Agreed. I prefer real books and a library card, thank you very much. Just keep me away from the bargain tables.
A perfect storm: They're hard to find.
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