Book Publishers Must Learn the Same Lessons Music Publishers Did

[gb18]

"But the book publishing business can be put back on track."

http://www.tabletpcreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3234&news=ebooks+ereaders+apple+price+kindle+amazon

[flyingtoastr Scribe]

Once again, another article that missed the entire point of why Agency pricing was institued.

Remember kids, the publishers made less money on Agency pricing than they did on wholesale.

[patgolfneb]

The article does comment on issues of how consumers perceive value and pricing structure especially the prices of older books. I for one am maintaing a healthy distrust of publishers stated cost strucures until they are subjected to an independent eye. Right now the information is anecdotal, mostly from those with vested interest in the process. It amazes me that we assume private companies are so efficient with almost no real information.

[bklvr896]

---

patgolfneb wrote:
The article does comment on issues of how consumers perceive value and pricing structure especially the prices of older books. I for one am maintaing a healthy distrust of publishers stated cost strucures until they are subjected to an independent eye. Right now the information is anecdotal, mostly from those with vested interest in the process. It amazes me that we assume private companies are so efficient with almost no real information.

---

I don't understand the reference to the cost of older books in this article or any others.  Yes, you can pick up an older book at a used bookstore.  But if you want a new copy, it's going to cost you the same amount as a paperback released last week (or close to it).    So why would we expect an older eBook to be cheaper?  

First, depending on how old it is, if it isn't in eBook format, the publisher has to decide if the ROI of converting it is worth it.  How many will they actually sell.  If it is a very small amount, that would be a very small base to spread the costs. Publishers may decide it isn't worth and and many older books will never be converted.

Since everyone wants to compare books to music, older songs, like from the 50s and 60s are the same price as a song released last week.  I checked iTunes for some songs from those eras, they're $0.99 and $1.29.  I didn't see any cheaper that the top songs today.

I'm also amazed at how it seems like more emphasis is placed on the format of the book than the content.  If you were previously willing to pay $15 or so to read a new release in HC, what price are you willing to pay for the same story, released at the same time, in eBook?  If folks think that publishers are going to release the HC and an $7.99 version of an eBook at the same time, I seriously doubt it.  If they do that, they might as well release the paperback at the same time also.  Part of what you pay for with a new release is the ability to read it when it first comes out.  What I can see happening, is eBooks not being released for several months after the HC, maybe in between the HC and the paperback.  

So if I absolutely have to read that new release as soon as it comes out, I'd like that opportunity without buy a printed book, even if it means paying $13-$14 for it.  Being forced to wait several months to get an eBook version will be annoying.  I have a feeling some publishers are going to at least try this to see how it works out.

Certainly, the publishing industry is going to go through some changes and rough times in the future, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

[ProfReader]

---

bklvr896 wrote:

---

patgolfneb wrote:
The article does comment on issues of how consumers perceive value and pricing structure especially the prices of older books. I for one am maintaing a healthy distrust of publishers stated cost strucures until they are subjected to an independent eye. Right now the information is anecdotal, mostly from those with vested interest in the process. It amazes me that we assume private companies are so efficient with almost no real information.

---

I don't understand the reference to the cost of older books in this article or any others.  Yes, you can pick up an older book at a used bookstore.  But if you want a new copy, it's going to cost you the same amount as a paperback released last week (or close to it).    So why would we expect an older eBook to be cheaper?  

First, depending on how old it is, if it isn't in eBook format, the publisher has to decide if the ROI of converting it is worth it.  How many will they actually sell.  If it is a very small amount, that would be a very small base to spread the costs. Publishers may decide it isn't worth and and many older books will never be converted.

Since everyone wants to compare books to music, older songs, like from the 50s and 60s are the same price as a song released last week.  I checked iTunes for some songs from those eras, they're $0.99 and $1.29.  I didn't see any cheaper that the top songs today.

I'm also amazed at how it seems like more emphasis is placed on the format of the book than the content.  If you were previously willing to pay $15 or so to read a new release in HC, what price are you willing to pay for the same story, released at the same time, in eBook?  If folks think that publishers are going to release the HC and an $7.99 version of an eBook at the same time, I seriously doubt it.  If they do that, they might as well release the paperback at the same time also.  Part of what you pay for with a new release is the ability to read it when it first comes out.  What I can see happening, is eBooks not being released for several months after the HC, maybe in between the HC and the paperback.  

So if I absolutely have to read that new release as soon as it comes out, I'd like that opportunity without buy a printed book, even if it means paying $13-$14 for it.  Being forced to wait several months to get an eBook version will be annoying.  I have a feeling some publishers are going to at least try this to see how it works out.

Certainly, the publishing industry is going to go through some changes and rough times in the future, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

---

I have no problem with the publishers releasing ebooks either way. The only problem I would have is if the price of the ebook is never lowered to a reasonable price.

[Ya_Ya]

---

bklvr896 wrote: 

So if I absolutely have to read that new release as soon as it comes out, I'd like that opportunity without buy a printed book, even if it means paying $13-$14 for it.  Being forced to wait several months to get an eBook version will be annoying.  I have a feeling some publishers are going to at least try this to see how it works out.

---

I don't like windowing either, personally, for this very reason - but I bet we see it.  It was being done and discussed before Agency Pricing went into effect and it wouldn't surprise me if the publishers tried it again:  Ebooks will releas equivalently/slightly lower-priced to the paperbacks at the same time paperbacks do...

I don't know if consumers will stand for it, though, this time...

[gb18]

---

flyingtoastr wrote:

Once again, another article that missed the entire point of why Agency pricing was institued.

Remember kids, the publishers made less money on Agency pricing than they did on wholesale.

---

Why it was instituted isn't the point.

[Doug_Pardee Distinguished Bibliophile]

---

Ya_Ya wrote:
I don't know if consumers will stand for it [windowing], though, this time...

---

What're they going to do about it? Buy the hardcover?

The publishers offer whatever they choose, and the public has three choices: take it, leave it, or search the torrents. To date, the public as a whole hasn't shown a lot of interest in the latter two options.

[Fred011]

---

patgolfneb wrote:
The article does comment on issues of how consumers perceive value and pricing structure especially the prices of older books. I for one am maintaing a healthy distrust of publishers stated cost strucures until they are subjected to an independent eye. Right now the information is anecdotal, mostly from those with vested interest in the process. It amazes me that we assume private companies are so efficient with almost no real information.

---

I am in agreement with you regarding a "distrust" of publishers "stated" cost structures and that there are vested interests involved here.  Also important to the successful marketing of any product is the consumers' perceived value of that product.

The article pointed out of couple of interesting concepts which I think are relevant to the discussion.  It pointed out, in reference to music publishers that "...they [music publishers] liked being able to force people to buy a whole CD in order to get the one or two songs they actually wanted."  That is one major difference in the comparison of music vs. book publishers: nobody is really interested in buying a chapter or two of a book where many people only wanted a couple of tracks from a CD.

Another issue that might become more relevant as time goes by is the contention that "...in the eBook business, authors and readers are necessary, publishers are not. They can have a role, finding new authors and assisting current ones to do their jobs, but they aren't required."  And also, that: "In the new age of publishing, authors are going to have to take a more active role in promoting their work. But there will be a benefit, as publishing companies won't be taking such a large share of the profits."

I know many will disagree with the statements made in the article, but there is a certain validity to the possibility that these ideas are, or will become, significant factors in the way publishing of books will proceed in the future.  The cost of self-publishing seems not to be the hurdle it might have been in the past since the advent of the Internet and ebooks.  It is the marketing that still seems to be the bailiwick of the publishers.

To what degree the contentions of the article might affect the cost of books or the success or failure of publishers is surely open to debate, but I do think the factors are real and shall have some influence IMHO.

[Ya_Ya]

---

Doug_Pardee wrote:

The publishers offer whatever they choose, and the public has three choices: take it, leave it, or search the torrents. To date, the public as a whole hasn't shown a lot of interest in the latter two options.

---

I think there's a chance publishers will respond on this one; many who eread won't buy the hardcover and there's a good chance they won't want to read it by the time it comes out as an ebook.

I know the pubs are concerned about ebooks cannibalizing their hardcover sales; but I think windowing could lose them the hardcover and the ebook sale.(Possibly giving them too much credit) I think they might figure this out quickly and go back to releasing ebooks with the hardcover and dropping the ebook price to match the paperback on its release.