Insane eBook rip-offs — I tried to warn you

Back when the major book publishers joined with Apple to go to war against Amazon and ebook consumers, there was some serious p.r. spin coming from the publishers’ camp and their toadies. In this bizzaro world, Amazon was hurting consumers by “forcing” an inflexible maximum ebook price of $9.99. If only publishers could get control of pricing — something that was likely illegal before an ill-conceived 2007 Supreme Court decision that Consumer Affairs called “legalized price fixing” — why consumers would surely win.

Almost none of the spin was remotely true — there was no maximum price and many ebooks were sold for more. But if you did fall for it, the big publishers have now dropped a ton of insane ebook price increases on your head like a pile of bricks to demonstrate what they’re really up to.

Today’s example: I was reading some various and sundry recommendations on Seth Godin’s blog including a 10-year-old novel by Chip Kidd called the Cheese Monkeys. Sounds good – clicked over to Amazon where I find that this books sells for $11.19 in paperback or $16.99 (!!!) as a Kindle ebook. That price, under the big publishers’ new agency model, was set not by Amazon but by “Simon and Schuster Digital Sales Inc.” Please, anyone, explain how this makes any sense? Really, seriously? Anyone?

There is only one explanation. I tried to warn you. And then I tried again. The big publishers don’t like ebooks and they want to kill off the market, plain and simple.

p.s. This is hardly the only example. I recently saw a recommendation for Stefanie Pintoff’s historical thriller “In the Shadow of Gotham.” Already out in paperback for $10.19, the Kindle ebook is $11.99. Thank you, Macmillen.

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7 responses to “Insane eBook rip-offs — I tried to warn you”

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  2. JamesKatt Avatar
    JamesKatt

    It isn't a rip off.

    The publishers are charging what the market will bear.

    It is as simple as that.

    The reason the physical book price goes down is that after a while, people lose interest in the book and sales go down unless the price also goes down.

    It is simply a market force that keeps eBook prices afloat.

  3. ampressman Avatar
    ampressman

    This isn't a price to sell ebooks. It is a price not to sell ebooks.

  4. drunken_economist Avatar
    drunken_economist

    Stop acting surprised. The publishers are trying to milk you guys as much as possible before their model collapses. JUST LIKE the music and film industries.

    Then there was a letter from Uncle Steve, and non-DRM'd music in the iTunes store, cheaper than previously, became available.

    You want to see the future? Cruise over to Baen Books or PragProg.com. For what's there, the cost is very reasonable. And in ePub format.

    If you want to effect change, then write the authors and tell them that the publisher model is unacceptable and you want the future NOW. And then back up your words by supporting them.

    -Drunken Economist
    http://mindtaker.blogspot.com/
    http://twitter.com/drunk_economist

  5. Patrick Avatar
    Patrick

    “…this books sells for $11.19 in paperback or $16.99 (!!!) as a Kindle ebook. [snip] Please, anyone, explain how this makes any sense? Really, seriously? Anyone?”

    OK. The price of a good or service is determined by mutual agreement of the buyer and seller.

    Not that tough. If you don't like it, don't buy it (thus no mutual agreement and no sale). Apparently there's a different set of buyers in the paperback market than the e-book market.

    If you think books in a certain format should cost less, by all means go write a book or buy the rights to one and sell it for that amount.

  6. Peter Avatar
    Peter

    The “problem,” if you will, is (a) an issue with digital goods and (b) the agency model.

    Starting with (a), in the “physical” world, book prices go down when the supply overreaches the demand. You want to clear those “non-sellers” off the shelves or out of the warehouse and put something in it's place that will make you money.

    In the digital world, “shelf space” is effectively infinite. Adding “shelf-space” for another million or so books probably costs a few hundred dollars–the cost of a good sized hard-drive. So why lower the price of the books? It's not like you need to clear out the old books to make room for new ones.

    This leads us to (b), the agency model. As has been pointed out, in this new world the publisher sets the price and Amazon/Apple just take a “commission” from the sale. What is the incentive for the publisher to lower the price? It doesn't cost them anything to keep it at the same price. If they lower it, they may be leaving money on the table. If a book was worth $20 when it was released, why shouldn't it be worth $20 a year or two later? Has the book somehow changed since it got older? Nobody wants to “pull the trigger” too soon.

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    air jordan 9

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