sounds quite reasonablehauntedcomputerFebruary 5 2010, 19:37:57 UTC
Bob, it's good to hear an industry professional present a non-emotional explanation. I've made arguments to the effect that this battle is going to be good for everyone eventually, mostly because my observation of Kindle readers--they are buying stuff they never before would have dreamed of trying and they are generally consuming more books. I can attest to the incredible value and talent of a good copyeditor who can remember tiny details over hundreds of pages. I think most people understand books don't spring fullblown from the author's tortured brow, unless they happen to be Isaac Asimov's ghost. But from reading more than a thousand blog entries and forum posts on this, I think people don't believe the costs are fairly amortized between the different formats.
Sure, the "soft" production costs will be there for ebooks as well as paper editions, yet the paper editions have far more costs attached in production and shipping. Just as most people understand a hardcover is worth more than a trade paperback and a trade paperback costs more than a mass market paperback, so should ebook versions be the cheapest of all. A competent person can format and "publish" a polished, print-ready manuscript in an hour. I think publishers are missing a chance to really secure the next generation of readers. They will survive because they have been aggressive about nailing down ebook rights, but I also don't think they're a bunch of dummies and are doing the best they can to protect their industry. I work in the newspaper business, so I know the threats firsthand.
I don't blame the Big Six for seeking high prices for ebooks, even though in the short term it will not make much difference, because ebook prices will inevitably move downward. I also think in a few years, everything we thought we knew about the near future was wrong!
Sure, the "soft" production costs will be there for ebooks as well as paper editions, yet the paper editions have far more costs attached in production and shipping. Just as most people understand a hardcover is worth more than a trade paperback and a trade paperback costs more than a mass market paperback, so should ebook versions be the cheapest of all. A competent person can format and "publish" a polished, print-ready manuscript in an hour. I think publishers are missing a chance to really secure the next generation of readers. They will survive because they have been aggressive about nailing down ebook rights, but I also don't think they're a bunch of dummies and are doing the best they can to protect their industry. I work in the newspaper business, so I know the threats firsthand.
I don't blame the Big Six for seeking high prices for ebooks, even though in the short term it will not make much difference, because ebook prices will inevitably move downward. I also think in a few years, everything we thought we knew about the near future was wrong!
Scott Nicholson
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