Credit: ba1969
Remember the good old days when most Kindle e-books were available for $9.99. Even in those days, many of us were complaining about Amazon not making all e-books available for $9.99. Some of us were even asking for lower e-book prices. One thing that consumers forget is that publishers are for-profit companies. So they are not going to be happy with just a little bit profit when they can charge more for their e-books. We already know that Amazon has already caved in to MacMillan’s demands and allowed the publisher to set its own e-book prices. Are we surprised that other publishers are using that as a precedent to demand the same things from Amazon?
HarperCollins seems to be the latest company that is putting pressure on Amazon to increase its e-book prices to $14.99. That means the day of cheap e-books are over. Amazon has already given in once already. Other e-book publishers are not going to put up for less money when they can ask for more. And all of it could be due to Apple’s e-book pricing strategy for iPad. That is if Rupert Murdoch is telling the truth:
Apple — in its agreement with us, which has not been disclosed in detail — does allow for a variety of slightly higher prices… There will be prices very much less than the printed copies of books, but still will not be fixed in a way that Amazon has been doing it.
Remember how experts were claiming that Apple was not going to challenge Amazon with the iPad. The device itself may not be as good an e-reader, but Apple’s e-book pricing deals with publishers could force Amazon’s hands to increase its e-book prices. That move would be devastating for Kindle fans and Amazon itself. But things could be worse.
Unfortunately, we are living in crazy times. There was a time when consumers stood for something. It’s true that publishers and distributors set the prices for e-books. But it’s up to us consumers to figure out whether those prices are reasonable. While I am not suggesting a boycott of some of these greedy publishers, it is disappointing to see Amazon focusing more on them rather than its customers. Considering that you can’t sell your e-books back and even lend them to others, I am not sure the upcoming price hikes are going to go down too well.
Your turn: is $14.99 a reasonable starting price for e-books?
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8 comments
#1MojoYugenFebruary 5, 2010, 2:35 pm
$15 for the rights to read a “book” that is locked to a single platform and I don’t have to right to re-sell, or give away when I’m done? No thanks, The publishers may make more per book, but they are going to sell a lot fewer books overall.
If I really want a bestseller I’ll just wait a few weeks until I can pick it up used for next to nothing.
#2P.RadFebruary 6, 2010, 12:31 am
Will Rupert be happy with $14.99? I somehow feel he may be hoping for $19.99 e-books. I don’t mind $19.99 e-books but here is the catch. Amazon should introduce an e-book subscription service.
#3Gwen B.February 5, 2010, 3:13 pm
I don’t like the $14.99 price for e-books. I already typically only purchase most of my e-books at less than 9.99 and I always compare the prices to the prices of the printed versions that I can see back or donate to the library. If the print prices are cheaper or the same, I typically just buy the printed version and won’t buy the e-book version at all. If the prices continue to rise, I probably won’t upgrade my Kindle anytime soon – UNLESS they add the option to sell back/trade the e-books.
#4DonFebruary 5, 2010, 6:59 pm
$14.99 with no DRM – maybe?!?!?
#5David H. DeitrickFebruary 6, 2010, 1:05 am
To purchase an ebook significantly over about $10, I must be certain that I will like it. I will not be willing to take a chance on some author I don’t know. The result is that my total expenditures for ebooks will DROP. In addition, If I am going to spend that much, I think I should get some special consideration for being willing to part with that much money. That something is the ability to read the book on any platform I currently own, now and in the future. I am not interested in giving the books to other people, they can read them on my devices if they want, and I will remove all of the material from any device that I dispose of, as I already do to protect my own information.
Standardize the ebook formats and tie the DRM, if you must have it, to the DEVICE, allowing each purchaser to us it on any of their current personal devices, say 6 for a household. Software to read all of the standard formats should be available for any Operating System that is on a device that can be used as a reader: Desktop computer, Laptop Computer, NetBook, Tablet/Slate, Smart Phone, Dedicated ereader from ANY manufacturer.
Publishers and Purveyors: If you want me to part with more of my money for your books, then you must make your material more transportable.
#6JohnFebruary 6, 2010, 2:05 am
I still think $9.99 is too much unless the book can be sold or converted to another format.
There are always plenty of classics to read.
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