Who are they?

[mrskatylady]

I apparently suck at searching.  I want to know who the publishers are that are following the agency model.  My searching only turned up article about Random House joining them.  So who are the other publishers so I can avoid buying their books?

[bklvr896]

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mrskatylady wrote:

I apparently suck at searching.  I want to know who the publishers are that are following the agency model.  My searching only turned up article about Random House joining them.  So who are the other publishers so I can avoid buying their books?

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Pretty much all of them.  If you read mainstream fiction you're going to find it hard to avoid buying their books.

These are the 6 major publishers and this includes all their subsidiaries such as St. Martin's Press.  I saw a list somewhere at one time that listed all of them but I don't remember where.

Simon & Schuster

Penguin

MacMillan which includes St. Martin Press

Harper Collins

Random House

Hachette

Smashwords also recently went to the agency model.

If you're buying an eBook go into the details, it will say

Published by;  Penguin Group

Sold by:  Penguin group.

But, as I said, if you like mainstream fiction, it's going to be hard to avoid. 

[Doug_Pardee Distinguished Bibliophile]

All of the 'Big 6' trade publishers: Random House, Penguin, Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Macmillan. Basically, if the book is (or was) a hardcover novel that you can buy in a bookstore, it's probably from one of the Big 6.

Smashwords is also on the agency model, as is PubIt!.

Personal opinion: there's no point in boycotting. They won't notice, and the agency model is here to stay for a while at least. I expect most of the other publishers to transition to agency model over the next year or so, but that's just my personal guess.

You need to ask yourself: is it the concept of the Agency Model that you're upset with, or is it high prices? If it's the prices, then don't buy any e-book that you think is priced too high. It's pretty easy to figure out which ones those are.

[RHWright]

I have less of a problem with the agency model for eBooks per se than with how some publishers have taken this as an opportunity to push the line back up on pricing, sometimes to a ridiculous extreme. But, I think, given time they will find pricing strategies that are still in line with profitability and won't cause us to pull our hair out in incredulity.

I have more of problem with those publishers (Harper Collins, Simon and Schuster, and MacMillan) that have taken decidedly anti-library stances regarding eBooks.

A boycott of all agency publishers will leave me with little to read that's not public domain. A targeted boycott of those three still leaves me with other options.

[Wrking21]

The library stand is really upsets me as well. I love getting books from my public library and have been doing so since I could read. I just believe that some things shouldn't be tampered with just for the ole mighty buck! I think even greed should have it's limits and when they started messing with libraries that's about when I hit my limit. I personally don't mind spending $12.99 on an eBook under the agency model. Perhaps its too much for no overhead but if it's a good book I want to read in my opinioin it's worth it. Having such a great free resources elsewhere I alwasy felt I could make it up the difference at places like the LIBRARY!

I being a single person may not make a difference to these publishers. However; I will stop buying their books if they successfully get this library deal done. I will start buying the books from re-sell stores etc. Where I know they will get $0.00 of the profit! I personally think they've gone to far trying to mess with the library system. It's hard enough to get a popular eBook from the library; let alone if they have to rebuy every 26 lends.

Of course this is JMHO!

Happy Reading!