Apple作恶
Amazon Loses E-Book Pricing War
By Brennon Slattery
The world's largest online retailer has conceded to the demands of three major publishing houses and will not discount new best-selling e-books.
Publishers have emerged victorious in the e-book pricing war with Amazon. The world's largest online retailer has conceded to the demands of three major publishing houses and will cease heavily discounting new best-selling e-books, according to the .
Amazon and Macmillan
already exchanged fisticuffs about money in February with Macmillan
leaving the ring unscathed. Now Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins have joined the bandwagon in refusing to allow retailers to set e-book prices.
In order to
stay competitive with
Apple's iPad, Amazon needs to keep as many publishers in its corner as possible. After
many of them balked at a $9.99 price-point and embraced the iPad's intent to sell e-books in the $15 range, Amazon was forced to reconsider its stance. This news means that
rumors of Apple matching Amazon's prices are false given that publishers are now in control.
Interestingly enough, Random House, the world's largest book publisher,
still hasn't chosen a side, likely out of fear of the
iPad's negative influence on e-book pricing.
My
PCWorld colleague Jeff Bertolucci opined that
publishers have tunnel vision when it comes to prices and may have a negative impact on the growth of the e-book market.
Amazon declined to comment on the
Wall Street Journal article.
jaykw
April 3, 2010 8:10:07 AM
It would be interesting to know what the cost to the publishers is that justifies this increase. I mean with actual paper books I can understand, as they have to actually manufacture the book, ship it, pay the overhead on stores, employees, etc. With an e-book it would seem to me that the majority of that overhead is gone? Although I do suppose that $15 is still about half price of what it would cost in the stores. Still if you order a book online through Amazon, or through Chapters/Indigo you can get best selling hard covers for anywhere from $15-$20. Hard to see the justification of the price increase on something that should have very little overhead, except a desire to make more and more money for the publishing company. Of course that shouldn't surprise me. Of course I could be wrong.
Who Cares What My Name Is
April 3, 2010 10:09:46 AM
You can buy some brand new just released books for $9.99. Why should I pay that for an eBook copy, that once it is made the first time needs no more manufacturing or shipping whatsoever?