Agency Model pricing -- Anyone else Disgusted?

[jusmee]

Originally Posted by cancelx

at best 10% royalties writer

Actually, some publishers DO pay more. I know of one that pays 35% !

[aagstn]

I've been checking the prices on Amazon for the series I like and they are all the full price of the paperback. Sorry publishers, but I'm not paying $6 or $7 for a digital copy when I could buy a paper copy for the same price. They have to price these less to make them worth buying. Without all the discounts I got for years from Fictionwise I probably will stop buying ebooks. I'll go back to what I did in the 90s, check it out from the library and read it for free. I only use an iPod Touch with Stanza anyway and I can still use that for my back catalog and public domain stuff. I'm really thankful I didn't buy the Nook a couple of months ago.

[tmgplc]

The increase in pricing is a bad move for everyone. It will mean less ebooks will be sold because it might make more sense to just buy a paper book that you can lend out, etc. Honestly, this is the same problem that killed the music industry because (not that I condone it) it will drive people to piracy. When you combine a higher customer cost, DRM, closed systems, expensive hardware, etc people will just buy the book or get a pirate copy of the ebook. The media industry will never learn.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by tmgplc

The increase in pricing is a bad move for everyone. It will mean less ebooks will be sold because it might make more sense to just buy a paper book that you can lend out, etc. Honestly, this is the same problem that killed the music industry because (not that I condone it) it will drive people to piracy. When you combine a higher customer cost, DRM, closed systems, expensive hardware, etc people will just buy the book or get a pirate copy of the ebook. The media industry will never learn.

Dear All:

Look, I fought like hell to finally come out with a good eBook Store with great pricing. Our prices are well below the others. Some even beat out Kindle.

Do I hate this stupid Agency Model crap. Hell, yes! Do I see it as bad for the eBook and eBook Reader business... damned straight. Would I like to grab one of the Big 6 and cram a hardcover up their backside... sure. BUT... what the hell good is it going to not wait and see how this works out.

I think the Agency Model is going to end up being ruled illegal anyway, class action suits are underway, and many authors are threatening to PULL their works from the Big 6 over this. We all hate it.

BUT... most of my prices on www.MyEZread.com remain fabulous, we are going after independent authors and publishers, and we have voiced our displeasure with the publishers over what is going on.

So, now you all want to desert Astak and go to Baen (whatever they are). Give it a chance to see where Astak can take this. Your buying of eBooks from the MyEZread site saves you money and makes it far more likely we can bring in the independent authors and publishers that you will love. You already know where Astak stands. We hate this crap. But this type of leaving talk really hurts.

[ThomasMcKean]

Originally Posted by jusmee

Actually, some publishers DO pay more. I know of one that pays 35% !

I'd like to know who this is? My publisher has always given me $10% which I have felt is a bit LOW, seeing as how I am the one who writes the books...

[cancelx]

Thomas 10-12% is industry standard.. I have no idea where 30% came from...but then I don't know the epublishing/writing side.

Robert...I would not take it personally. Everyone knows it is not Astak, but you have to understand people will follow prices IF they are incredibly different. We all have to wait to see what happens, but in the meantime, where good prices can be found is where I'm sure people will flock.

If Astak can keep prices down, and iron out the estore issues, I'm sure it will become all you (and we) hope.

My only problem with Astak's store right now, is not being able to use it ! Because no Paypal, and No Canadian purchase from your google books.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by cancelx

Thomas 10-12% is industry standard.. I have no idea where 30% came from...but then I don't know the epublishing/writing side.

Robert...I would not take it personally. Everyone knows it is not Astak, but you have to understand people will follow prices IF they are incredibly different. We all have to wait to see what happens, but in the meantime, where good prices can be found is where I'm sure people will flock.

If Astak can keep prices down, and iron out the estore issues, I'm sure it will become all you (and we) hope.

My only problem with Astak's store right now, is not being able to use it ! Because no Paypal, and No Canadian purchase from your google books.

Dear cancelx:

Agreed! The first item on my list of 14 improvements is getting PayPal!! You need it and we need it. We will have it soon!

Agreed! We need to enlarge our Google territory to include Canada. Frankly, I see the USA and Canada as so bound together anyway it is wierd breaking them apart. BUT, Google makes the decision. Item #2 on my list of 14 changes is to win Canada as in our territory for Google.

[bbqncigars]

Robertb:
FYI, Baen is a publisher (mostly s.f.) that has been doing ebooks before most anyone ever heard the term. The late Jim Baen had a vision of publishing his books in electronic format along with the original paper. Pricing is lower on the electronic versions due to lower overhead. There is also the bonus of getting the ebook a bit earlier than the hardcopies hit the shelves. For certain authors, you can even get Advance Reader Copies if you can't wait for the completely edited and proofed text of your next fix. The ARCs command a premium, but sometimes you just can't wait for that next book.
Needless to say, publishers like Baen are rare.


Wayne

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by Robertb

So, now you all want to desert Astak and go to Baen (whatever they are). Give it a chance to see where Astak can take this. Your buying of eBooks from the MyEZread site saves you money and makes it far more likely we can bring in the independent authors and publishers that you will love.

It looks like a good store. It's a bit buggy in a few places, but it's very new, and I know you'll get the rough spots flattened out soon, sort out the categories & so on. I have no worries about your customer service--if anyone's unhappy with it, it's because every business has a few mistakes *somewhere*, not because you have a policy of not helping some types of disgruntled customers.

But as a DRM-based store that sells each book in only 1 format, PDF or EPub but not both, it's never going to have much appeal for me. (Maybe none; right now, I don't buy DRM; don't even download free DRM'd books--have no DRM-reading software on my main computer.)

I'm willing to pay an extra dollar or two for the non-DRM'd form of a book--but oddly enough, it never works that way. The DRM'd format costs more.

Side note: since you're reaching out to indie publishers & authors, you might put the publisher info on the book's description page. Help customers keep track of which books come from which publishers.

[Davimee]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear All:

Look, I fought like hell to finally come out with a good eBook Store with great pricing. Our prices are well below the others. Some even beat out Kindle.

Do I hate this stupid Agency Model crap. Hell, yes! Do I see it as bad for the eBook and eBook Reader business... damned straight. Would I like to grab one of the Big 6 and cram a hardcover up their backside... sure. BUT... what the hell good is it going to not wait and see how this works out.

I think the Agency Model is going to end up being ruled illegal anyway, class action suits are underway, and many authors are threatening to PULL their works from the Big 6 over this. We all hate it.

BUT... most of my prices on www.MyEZread.com remain fabulous, we are going after independent authors and publishers, and we have voiced our displeasure with the publishers over what is going on.

So, now you all want to desert Astak and go to Baen (whatever they are). Give it a chance to see where Astak can take this. Your buying of eBooks from the MyEZread site saves you money and makes it far more likely we can bring in the independent authors and publishers that you will love. You already know where Astak stands. We hate this crap. But this type of leaving talk really hurts.

Hi Robert,

I just did a quick scan of the bookstore again, and many that I looked for I wasn't able to find. I'm guessing they are published by those particular publishers, and just aren't available right now. However, some books that I was able to find, I was pleasantly surprised to see how low the prices were! Even though I won't buy often, the Astak bookstore will definitely be my first stop in my ebook hunt!

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

It looks like a good store. It's a bit buggy in a few places, but it's very new, and I know you'll get the rough spots flattened out soon, sort out the categories & so on. I have no worries about your customer service--if anyone's unhappy with it, it's because every business has a few mistakes *somewhere*, not because you have a policy of not helping some types of disgruntled customers.

But as a DRM-based store that sells each book in only 1 format, PDF or EPub but not both, it's never going to have much appeal for me. (Maybe none; right now, I don't buy DRM; don't even download free DRM'd books--have no DRM-reading software on my main computer.)

I'm willing to pay an extra dollar or two for the non-DRM'd form of a book--but oddly enough, it never works that way. The DRM'd format costs more.

Side note: since you're reaching out to indie publishers & authors, you might put the publisher info on the book's description page. Help customers keep track of which books come from which publishers.

Dear Elfwreck:

Thanks, I do want to get the publisher and the number of pages on the book's description page. You KNOW how we feel about DRM. We hate it. It is confusing and troublesome and just more cost.

Do you realize how many great eBook Readers we could be carrying fall by the wayside because the maker will not get Adobe Digital Editions on there for DRM? Porting it is a major expense on top of paying for it in the first place.

We already do carry most titles in BOTH PDF and EPUB. We just need the webmaster to put them side by side. We do aim, also, to have a search button so you can search by EPUB or PDF before doing any other search.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by Davimee

Hi Robert,

I just did a quick scan of the bookstore again, and many that I looked for I wasn't able to find. I'm guessing they are published by those particular publishers, and just aren't available right now. However, some books that I was able to find, I was pleasantly surprised to see how low the prices were! Even though I won't buy often, the Astak bookstore will definitely be my first stop in my ebook hunt!

Dear Davimee:

That is all I want to hear. We also fight HARD to keep costs to the bottom. I can say it and people do not believe. Having you say you were pleasantly surprised means everything!!

[theducks]

Originally Posted by cancelx

Thomas 10-12% is industry standard.. I have no idea where 30% came from...but then I don't know the epublishing/writing side.

Robert...I would not take it personally. Everyone knows it is not Astak, but you have to understand people will follow prices IF they are incredibly different. We all have to wait to see what happens, but in the meantime, where good prices can be found is where I'm sure people will flock.

If Astak can keep prices down, and iron out the estore issues, I'm sure it will become all you (and we) hope.

My only problem with Astak's store right now, is not being able to use it ! Because no Paypal, and No Canadian purchase from your google books.

Baen's publisher say e-book sales pay the higher rate. Baen wants Authors happy.
They do not have to pay the DRM license fee that others pay (and pass on)
for every book sold. Adobe make money on every book sold that uses their DRM.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear All:

Look, I fought like hell to finally come out with a good eBook Store with great pricing. Our prices are well below the others. Some even beat out Kindle.

Do I hate this stupid Agency Model crap. Hell, yes! Do I see it as bad for the eBook and eBook Reader business... damned straight. Would I like to grab one of the Big 6 and cram a hardcover up their backside... sure. BUT... what the hell good is it going to not wait and see how this works out.

Big 6? I thought it was the evil 5.

[theducks]

RobertB So, now you all want to desert Astak and go to Baen (whatever they are).

I don't think anyone is going to desert MyEzreads for Baen.

Baen is a publisher (http://www.webscription.net/ is their e-book store, mostly, just their imprint).

You really should know what/how a competitor presents their products in their store. I really like the features of the store. The store flags the books I have already bought with a big green tick mark. My purchase is good for any/all e-formats of the book (not an option for you with DRM royalties per copy). And a little known feature is corrections to the title do get made and you are entitled to (re-)download the update for no additional charge.

You don't have Baen e-book Titles (neither does Amazon, because Amazon wantsthem only with DRM).