Amazon Capitulates Spelling Higher Ebook Prices For Readers
February 1st, 2010 | 
Author: If you’ve been following the posts about the iPad you already know about the skirmish between Amazon and Macmillan, one of the largest US publishers over ebook prices.
According to this post at ZD Net Amazon capitulated over the weekend and will allow Macmillan to sell its ebooks for the price that Macmillan chooses, rather than forcing the company to sell its ebooks for the $9.99 (or less) that Amazon has traditionally charged for ebooks.
It looks likely that Amazon’s capitulation will allow other publishers to follow in Macmillan’s footsteps charging prices in the $12 – $15 range for ebooks.
It may be a good day for publishers who have had a win against Amazon’s monopolisitc power, but it’s probably not a good day for consumers who may find escalating prices for ebooks.
For the record, Black Velvet Seductions has no intention of changing our ebook prices which have always been below the minimum allowed by Amazon.
Posted in Amazon/iPad Pricing
I think that if people quit buying Macmillan’s books that they may change their prices. If I’m going to pay that much for a book I’d rather have it in paperback or hardcover.
I will wait for the book to come out in paperback or go without it before I pay that much for an ebook.
You know, if the publishers start charging more for ebooks than it costs us for print books, some of us a very willing to go back to print books to save the money. Maybe then the huge publishers will realize that it is about the readers and the authors, not about trying to get a higher profit. I never bought anything from Amazon anyway. I could get the ebooks cheaper directly from the publisher in most cases and paperbacks from the local bookstores without the wait and cost of shipping.
I would not pay that much for an ebook. I always thought that an ebook should be cheaper than a print copy. With print you can hold the book,show off the artwork, and loan it to a friend. There is no reason for an ebook to be that expensive.
BVS and AllRomance will remain my two main resources for eBooks now that Amazon has caved. I’m sorry, but I’m simply not willing to pay over $10 for a standard size eBook of any kind… now, something like “The Crimson Z” is MORE than worth $15 because it’s like 4 or 5 books rolled into one.
Some companies just want to be greedy, but I will not pay that type of fee.
I’m with everyone else, I won’t pay that much for an ebook. $10 is enough to pay for a book I may read only once. When, you add the high price of an eReader, my reading habit might have to be satisfieed at the local library.
Well I can agree that arbitrary rules by Amazon as to the pricing of books really don’t make any sense. The publishers should be able to set their prices where they feel it’s reasonable. LOL. But reasonability seems to be the real issue. Ebooks are cheaper to produce, lower overhead, less employees (no printers), etc. therefore, should be priced as such.
From a consumer standpoint, they take up less space and are delivered instantly (both bonuses), but they can’t be taken with you (unless you have an ereader) and they can’t be shared, ever — so that make them sort of one-trick ponies.
I don’t know, but I honestly don’t think reasonable consumers are going to pay 12-15 bucks for an ebooks (heck, that’s almost the price of a trade paperback, newly released).
It’s interesting to watch the prices of ebooks skyrocket over the last few years. I remember when you could easily say that $5 was TOPS for ebooks (most were in the $3-4 range) — if they were really, really long maybe 6, but that was pushing it. Now, there’s no telling and it varies so greatly from pub to pub that you really do have to stick with the pubs you trust to know that you aren’t getting ripped off.
Has anyone else been surprised by the constant increase of ebook prices?
LOL. I went a little backward reading posts and just read your first post on this issue. I feel like I should have just gone with…yeah, what she said. LOL.
Anyway, yes, I think those ‘bigger’ pubs will figure out that they aren’t going to be making the profits they like at those prices. And even if they don’t….no worries, all the better for the smaller pubs, because that’s where we’ll all be shopping.
I read too many books to pay such high prices — the amount I spend on ebooks monthly isn’t pretty. lol. And since I refuse to read less, I’ll have to find pubs that produce quality material (like BVS) and purchase from them.
They are only hruting themselves because readers will not pay that much for an ebook when the can but the paperback for 6.99 or 7.99. They will be losing a lot of sales.
I know i will stick to the smaller companies who sell there ebooks for good prices.
HeidiS
I wondered how the ebook would affect the sale of print books and I guess I am still wondering. I love visiting bookstores and always end up buying something I would never have thought of if I hadn’t spotted in such a store.
After that incredible sale at All Romance I don’t think I could spend more than $9 for a book.
I’m with Sherry. There are a lot of other places to get them and with less revenue maybe they will change there minds.
There are enough authors out there that, except for a very few, I would stop buying macMillan books entirely, rather than pay higher ebook prices. As a matter of fact, the authors I do read from them, I prefer hard copy anyway as I share with my daughter-in-law and her sisters. Since none of them have ereaders, I get this particular author in paperback anyway.
I agree with Estella’s comment. And thank you BVS for maintaining some integrity.
Ditto, ditto and ditto again and again.
Especially ditto to Tracey D……tyvm BVS!
That is alot to pay for an ebook. A lot of times price is a big reason that I would pick the ebook over the print book. Many people may start looking elsewhere to buy their books.
Gabrielle
I wouldn’t spend that much for a ebook.
I feel that ebooks aren’t worth it if they aren’t cheaper than print books. Print books are better overall (you can loan them, sell them, give them to a friend, donate them; and they look nice on the shelf too). And there’s the cost of the e-reader to consider. If they’re charging that much, I’d just go back to buying print books or find a cheaper publisher.
If the price of ebooks skyrockets it would seem to me that the sale of ebook-readers would hit rock bottom.
I agree with Sabrina. Paper and ink books are more valuable. It’s not the same thing to recommend an e-book to someone and say ‘go download it yourself’ instead of loaning your gently-worn copy to a good friend. They should definitely be much cheaper than regular books.