Amazon vs. Apple: What Should E-Book Prices Be? - The Atlantic Business Channel
Would you pay the same for an ebook as you would for a paperback? I really have a problem doing that. An ebook has no physical, tangible substance. It has no weight, no heft - no smell. You cannot see it beforehand to determine how thick (or thin) it may be. The cost to store and distribute one is a tiny fraction of a cent. And they're pathetic when it comes to levelling tables.
So why should an ebook cost the same? Royalties for the author? That'd be okay - but we're not talking about royalty pricing with a bit of markup for the distributor, we're talking about darn near the full price of a paper book.
What do you think?
J.
Comments (1)
I think that the little incident with Amazon about the book with a problematic copyright situation made me think I want the physical book if it's anything I want to keep.
If you recall, Amazon simply "sucked" it back out of people's ebooks, and credited their accounts. Very proper from a commercial angle, but suppose your future government decides it doesn't want you to read certain material? Ebooks would make it easier and more environmentally friendly than book burning! Just suck all those copies out of your ebook reader, and the book may as well never have been written. I say if the government wants those words erased, let them find every book and have a bonfire. Nothing sneaky about it - make them do it in the open!!!
And do I think such a thing might come to pass in this United States of America??? Even 10 years ago I would have said no. Now I'm not so sure.
Posted by suek | February 4, 2010 10:38 AM
Posted on February 4, 2010 10:38