Charles Stross' Diary (RSS Feed)
08-02-2007, 12:30 PM
A couple of months back, I vented here about how the cost structure of the commercial ebook market is fundamentally broken (http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2007/03/why_the_commercial_ebook_marke.html).
Well, it turns out that some of my publishers read my weblog, and notes were taken, and now something's come of it — in the shape of an experiment.
One of my points was that, from a reader's point of view, ebooks are worth somewhat less than paper books — and ebooks with Digital Rights Management (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/jul/31/comment.drm) are worth even less than that.
However, the big publishers continue to publish ebooks with DRM at a price that's typically the same as, or at most 15% lower than, the most expensive dead tree edition of the book that's currently on sale. (This leads to the amusing situation that if you are so inclined, you can pay $24.95 for a DRM'd ebook of Accelerando (http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook36428.htm?cached). Or not (http://www.accelerando.org/book/).)
However, Orbit listened to me, and they decided that if their paperback edition of The Atrocity Archives (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1841495697/charliesplace-21) retails for £6.99, they'd like to find out how many people would be willing to buy an ebook of The Atrocity Archives for £3.00 (http://ebooks.whsmith.co.uk/796C409E-5467-4E25-AD1C-00F7E3492191/10/46/en/ContentDetails.htm?ID=90AA714F-53AA-4064-8788-F017017E2D00) — half the price.
Amazon.co.uk are discounting the paperback, but the ebook is still cheaper — especially if you're paying Amazon for postage. In fact, you can buy a discount paperback from Amazon and an ebook from W. H. Smiths for the same price as the paperback in most of the high street stores. And if you do so, you'll help demonstrate to at least one major publisher that ebooks can sell — if they get the price structure right.
What do you think?
A couple of FAQs follow, below the link.
(Original Post) (http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2007/08/publishing_experiments.html)
Well, it turns out that some of my publishers read my weblog, and notes were taken, and now something's come of it — in the shape of an experiment.
One of my points was that, from a reader's point of view, ebooks are worth somewhat less than paper books — and ebooks with Digital Rights Management (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/jul/31/comment.drm) are worth even less than that.
However, the big publishers continue to publish ebooks with DRM at a price that's typically the same as, or at most 15% lower than, the most expensive dead tree edition of the book that's currently on sale. (This leads to the amusing situation that if you are so inclined, you can pay $24.95 for a DRM'd ebook of Accelerando (http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook36428.htm?cached). Or not (http://www.accelerando.org/book/).)
However, Orbit listened to me, and they decided that if their paperback edition of The Atrocity Archives (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1841495697/charliesplace-21) retails for £6.99, they'd like to find out how many people would be willing to buy an ebook of The Atrocity Archives for £3.00 (http://ebooks.whsmith.co.uk/796C409E-5467-4E25-AD1C-00F7E3492191/10/46/en/ContentDetails.htm?ID=90AA714F-53AA-4064-8788-F017017E2D00) — half the price.
Amazon.co.uk are discounting the paperback, but the ebook is still cheaper — especially if you're paying Amazon for postage. In fact, you can buy a discount paperback from Amazon and an ebook from W. H. Smiths for the same price as the paperback in most of the high street stores. And if you do so, you'll help demonstrate to at least one major publisher that ebooks can sell — if they get the price structure right.
What do you think?
A couple of FAQs follow, below the link.
(Original Post) (http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2007/08/publishing_experiments.html)