Nathan Bransford wrote:Personally I think lower price points for new releases is an inevitability. In this day and age the number of people willing to $25 for a new book is shrinking fast with so many other low-cost or free entertainment options available. This may delay the inevitable a little longer, but I think publishers annoy digital consumers at their peril.
Nathan, I absolutely agree. I think the pros are small, and the cons, large. Publishers would be wise to see the writing on the wall and start fostering good relations with e-book customers. They need to start looking at increasing quantity of sales, rather than holding out for high prices - which are doomed, anyway.
Personally, with a few exceptions, I have always refused to buy hardcover. I don't want it - it's bulky, hurts my hands to hold up and takes up too much space on my shelf. I'll wait a year or more for paperback. Pretty soon, I'll wait however long for an e-book.
This is one of the reasons books have historically been a low sale item. Forcing hardcover books first slows the market down. They never should have done it that way, in the first place, IMHO. It left out entire segments of the population who would have bought at a lower price, but forget about the book by the time it comes out in paperback.
You have to move your product when it's ready. If you're advertising for it now, meet the market demand, and match what the market is willing to pay for it.
Okay, that's my two cents. :) Very interesting topic, thank you.
