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Book v. Nook

For discussion about electronic reading devices and related issues (pricing, formatting, accessories, comparisons, etc.)
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Ludmilla
Bibliophile
Posts: 1346
Joined: September 2008
Location: Georgia USA

Post by Ludmilla » Mon March 7th, 2011, 8:24 pm

[quote=""MLE""]This is what is being hammered out right now in the publishing world. The pubs want a 25/75 split, with the lion's share going to them, in perpetuity, since e-books never go out of print. [/quote]

I'm just a reader so there is a lot about the business that I don't understand or goes over my head, but I've noticed that publishers can withhold rights to sell ebooks that have already been published (I know I'm niggling over word choice, but saying they never go out of print doesn't sound right to me, and DRM limits or cancels any rights for owners to loan/trade, etc.). For example, I know I bought the ebooks that corresponded to some MMP last year but when that author's contract with the publisher ended the ebooks were taken off the market (not sure if or when rights transfer to the author or another publisher in those cases). I've also noticed that most ebooks are published concurrently with a corresponding PB or HC. What can get confusing very quickly are the ebooks that correspond to the HC and the ebooks that correspond to the PBs and when/if prices get adjusted for ebooks after those new PB books are released. As a consumer, I'm not willing to pay more for an ebook than a PB and I'm going to resent any publisher that tries to force me to buy print over electronic (at least for fiction).
Last edited by Ludmilla on Mon March 7th, 2011, 8:29 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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N. Gemini Sasson
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Location: Ohio
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Post by N. Gemini Sasson » Tue March 8th, 2011, 12:45 am

[quote=""Stephanie Dray""]I'm certainly no expert in the matter, but as I understand the argument, it goes this way. Let's pretend that I earn 12% royalties on the sale of each print book of my novel. And let's pretend that I earn 6% royalties on the sale of each electronic version. Even assuming that both books were priced the same (and they aren't), you can see that I will make more money on the dead-tree edition.

This gets more complicated by the fact that stores like Amazon sell my books at a deep discount whereas B&N sells them pretty much at list price.

However, this argument of cannibalization only holds true if we assume that the availability of my novel in electronic form has persuaded someone to buy it for their device who may have otherwise bought it in print if the electronic version wasn't available. There is some merit to this idea. Certainly, in addition to research books (which I always want in print) there are other books that I might have bought in print if I couldn't get them any other way. By the same token, I'm quite sure that there are some electronic books that I've purchased that I would never have bought in print because I wouldn't want to clutter up my bookshelves. (I think it's a given that there are many more books that you'll want to read than you'll ever have room for in your house.)

Consequently, I suspect it probably evens out. But I have no cold hard data to back this up.[/quote]

Thanks, Stephanie. I understand what you're saying about the royalties. Seems like paperbooks and e-books should at the very least be treated equally in that respect.

As per available formats and what people will buy, we are certainly coming into an age where some people will only buy e-books. So obviously, the more formats that are available, the more readers you'll reach. Hopefully authors will gain more leverage in the future and be able to negotiate better rates for e-books.

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wendy
Compulsive Reader
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Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
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Post by wendy » Sat March 12th, 2011, 1:39 pm

[quote=""N. Gemini Sasson""]Thanks, Stephanie. I understand what you're saying about the royalties. Seems like paperbooks and e-books should at the very least be treated equally in that respect. Hopefully authors will gain more leverage in the future and be able to negotiate better rates for e-books.[/quote]

Isn't this where the good agents should earn their keep?
Wendy K. Perriman
Fire on Dark Water (Penguin, 2011)
http://www.wendyperriman.com
http://www.FireOnDarkWater.com

lvcabbie
Scribbler
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Location: Lost Wages, Nevada

Post by lvcabbie » Wed March 16th, 2011, 7:37 pm

A number of book sellers are reducing their physical plants as so much publishing is going online or POD. :cool:

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Veronica
Avid Reader
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Joined: July 2009
Location: NT, Australia

Post by Veronica » Fri March 25th, 2011, 8:39 am

I reckon that paper books are something that will always be around. At least I hope that is the case.

I personally have no interest in Kindle and what else they are called and can not understand the interest either. Reading to me is at least 50% about holding the book in my hand, the smell of it and how beautiful it looks on my bookshelf. To me that is half, again, the experience about reading a "real" book.

Long live the paper book!
"Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted"

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Madeleine
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Currently reading: "The Whitstable Pearl Mystery" by Julie Wassmer
Preferred HF: Plantagenets, Victorian, crime, dual time-frame
Location: Essex/London

Post by Madeleine » Fri March 25th, 2011, 11:29 am

I agree entirely Veronica, although I do think Kindles are good for holidays (spoken by someone who got charged excess baggage for lugging about 10 paperbacks to Greece) so if you could hire them out with say 5 books downloaded, for a couple of weeks, then I'd probably do that, and they're also very good for people such as a friend of mine who has bad arthritis in his hands and finds turning the pages difficult if not impossible, but otherwise - you can keep 'em!
Currently reading "The Whitstable Pearl Mystery" by Julie Wassmer

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Veronica
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Location: NT, Australia

Post by Veronica » Fri March 25th, 2011, 11:40 am

[quote=""Madeleine""]...they're also very good for people such as a friend of mine who has bad arthritis in his hands and finds turning the pages difficult if not impossible...[/quote]

I never looked at it that way. Made me a lot more positive about the Kindles (and whatever the other ones are called) :)

Regarding excess luggage... you sound like me after visiting Sweden (where I am from) and I find so many good books I never heard of as well as in Swedish. I never manage to stick the maximum allowance of luggage!
"Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted"

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LoveHistory
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Post by LoveHistory » Fri March 25th, 2011, 1:41 pm

Veronica, is it cheaper to ship internationally than to take them with you as luggage?

Tim Woods
Scribbler
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Joined: March 2011

Co-existence

Post by Tim Woods » Fri March 25th, 2011, 2:43 pm

At least as long as those currently alive and reading today walk the planet, print and e-books will co-exist: though the trend is inevitable in favor of the ebook which will continue to increase its market share.

Tim Woods
Author of 'Grant Me Timely Grace'

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Veronica
Avid Reader
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Joined: July 2009
Location: NT, Australia

Post by Veronica » Fri March 25th, 2011, 10:05 pm

[quote=""LoveHistory""]Veronica, is it cheaper to ship internationally than to take them with you as luggage?[/quote]

Funny enough I can send several books from Sweden fairly cheap to Australia but more costly the other way around. However I think if I were to buy new books and wanted them sent to Australia I would be better of using a place like bookdepository.

Tim; audio books didn't take over they world and I hope that the same thing applies for ebooks.
"Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted"

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