Amazon-Macmillian and the price of e-books
I've been reading a lot about the future of e-book prices. Both pros and cons, including this article on Yahoo.
I have a nonfiction reference book that I sell both in print version and in e-book version. As it is a reference book, it sells for much more than a novel, etc. I price the e-book $10.00 less so the customer saves both on purchase price and on shipping. So far, it has worked well.
As both a self-publishing author and a consumer, I can see both sides of the pricing war. As a consumer, I want e-books cheap, especially since, in essence, I am only "renting them." I can't lend them (in most cases) nor can I sell them. It only stands to reason that I should pay less.
As a self-publisher/author, however, I need to make enough money to make it worthwhile to spend the time it takes to write a book.
Never have been published, I only guess or hear references to what authors make when they sell through traditional publishers. It doesn't sound like much. How can they make anything if publishers start selling their e-books even cheaper?
What do you all think about the price wars of e-books? What experiences have you have that would help us price our e-books in the future?
Tags: Amazon, authors, e-books, publishers
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jeanne Webster on -
Cindy I think you've hit the problem right on the head when you talk about e books and their price, but I'm not sure if you are published through a traditional house or one of the "big six" you will have a say on how much your book costs. I think we've all been reading or trying to stay current on the changing face of publishing and for my two cents...it's about time for this revolution.
Traditionally the author is the one that's been consistantly screwed by the publishing industry...ie, lowest form of life on the publishing ladder. There's been no tranparency between author and publishing house and depending on what kind or agent you have, once you've signed on the dotted line, that's it...they own your work.
What your seeing now with the advent of e books and the self publishing models becoming more and more accessible, is the publishing industry running a bit scared. Kindle, Sony, I Pad and other readers are moving toward the market in a more intimate way and that leaves out the traditional paper book. If you can get the lastest bestseller for 9.99 on Kindle instead of the 24.95 hardback version or have your newspaper delievered into your I Pad instead of sitting in the rain on your porch, which are you going to choose as a cosumer? And that's what we're talking about here, selling your book.
Your right you can't lend it out, that might make the consumer's best friend unhappy, but as a author, it should tickle you pink. I wish I had a nickel for everyone that told me, "Your book was so good, I lent it to my sister and she gave it to our mother. They all just loved it!" My preference is for the buyer to tell her sister, who then buys a copy and so does their mother. Heck, we may even see libraries get on board with a digital library, point is, technology is changing the way published books get out there and there's no turning back.
I've been following the Digital World conference and the out come and articles on that. The agents are wondering what their role will be in all of this and the publishing houses are scrambling to keep up with technology. A self published author, with a grip on the social media and a good website can reach as many of his or her target markets as they wish and sell a good many books that way. I own my own publishing company, I have three books in print, my latest book Strays, was launched the beginning of November and as of today, (2/1/20) we've sold well over half of our first run of 2000. In fact, we're reordering. That's 1300 books in 3 months with no big house or agent taking their cut.
Will I do e books?...OH YES...but I'm waiting a bit to see where the dust settles on I Pad and Amazon before comitting to a program for two reasons, popularity and function of the readers and because you don't see DVD's of a blockbuster movie out at the same time the movie debuts in theaters. I'll sell the book locally and regionally first and then move into the ebook national market. I have no problem with the price at 9.99 or 14.99 or whatever washes out, because I have no overhead investment in the unit cost, so it comes down to what the royalties are per e book. The higher the royalty, the better I like it and that will figure in when I chose my e book program.
But this means more to me than just the route of my sales, it could mean, if all authors took a bit of time to research all of this, then for once, we just may have some power in the industry, because for the first time, we don't have to adhere to the strict structure the publishing world has always demanded and enjoyed. We dont need them as much as we used to and if your making a living as a writer, you can't really relish the idea of waiting a year to find an agent and then another before your book hits the market and then another 6 months before you get paid. I know some will argue that writing is the true art, but you also have to be read and that means your also in business. My biggest fear is that if authors don't take the time to realize what's going on, and by that I mean staying stuck in the idea that your only valid if your published by a major house...then the industry will figure out a way to rope in ebooks, cut off our access and we will once again, but the low man on the publishing totem pole.
But that's just my two cents
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