Nathan Bransford - The Forums

Self-published author Diane Duane (fantasy and YA fantasy) has encountered an unexpected short-term financial problem: someone apparently skimmed her credit card and has emptied her bank account. In order to get some working cash until the bank's fraud department has completed its investigation, she's put her e-books on sale at 20% off with a discount code (DDGOTSKIMMED) at her direct-sales web site.

That sounds like something it'd be hard to do through a conventional publisher.

Diane Duane has switched to self-publishing? Isn't she a NY Times Bestseller?

Well, good for her!

And yes, I agree, pricing something lower in order to make up for an author's financial shortfall would be unthinkable in traditional publishing. This is some nice flexibility that comes from an author having control over their product.