Book Publishing Industry Just Now Realizing That Change Is Turbulent?
from the really? dept
As the latest episode of "the ebook wars" continues, there's still lots of chatter about last weekend's Macmillan/Amazon fight. Apparently a lot of authors are angry at Amazon for this. While I can understand how the fight might hurt some authors -- and they're justifiably worried about Amazon's dominance in the ebook market today, I think they need to take a larger view of things. The reason why Amazon tried (though, failed) to stand up to Macmillan was to avoid Macmillan making some really stupid decisions about ebook pricing and distribution windows. That Macmillan won may have helped some authors in the short run (avoiding them being cut off by Amazon), but could hurt in the long run by fighting against the economic tide.Perhaps the best summary of this situation was written by Steven Pearlstein at the Washington Post, who recognizes that this is a technological transformation, and while it may be messy in the interim, the end results should be quite positive:
While markets have their flaws, over the long run they are good at executing these technological transformations.... Reports of the death of book publishing, like those of music publishing and newspaper publishing, are greatly exaggerated. Business models will change, companies will come and go, and people will lose their jobs. But at the end of the process, there will be fewer people who will be paid higher incomes to produce a wider array of products at lower prices. There's a word for that -- progress -- and it's exciting to see it unfold right in front of us.If only those going through that transformation could recognize it in those terms...
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Filed Under: books, change, ebooks, progress, publishing
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Amazon trying to force a low price on Macmillan is just as dumb as Macmillan trying to force a high price on Amazon. In this case, neither of them is attempting to listen to what the market wants, so it doesn't really matter what they do otherwise.
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Not about Kindles, it's about control
This whole thing is only barely about price. It's about who gets to set the rules. Amazon botched the handling of this pretty badly, pissing off a lot of authors in the process, but neither side really cares about what the price is, or what the consumers want.
Macmillan isn't used to a retailer trying to make the rules, and Amazon isn't interested in being treated as a retailer. This is likely to get a lot worse before it gets better, but it's a really interesting time in publishing.
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Re: Not about Kindles, it's about control
If it isn't true, then there's some serious misinformaiton afoot, and Amazon hasn't denied it.
There's a really great article comparing this story to music over here.
I think TNH probably is right, and I also think Mike is right about the economics. And I don't see how authors work out self-promotion as well as musicians a la Amanda Palmer - some surely will, but rather a lot of them are simply constitutionally much different sorts of artists.
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Re: Re: Not about Kindles, it's about control
Being THE place to go for ebooks is a good long-term position. Taking advantage of having the best (and I use that term loosely) ebook reader is great in the short-term.
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Re: Re: Re: Not about Kindles, it's about control
Really nice write-up of the whole thing from someone who knows what she's talking about. Reminds us that ebooks could be a loss-leader for all of Amazon's inventory rather than just Kindles.
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How did Amazon lose?
I think Amazon should find loopholes to get around this, personally. Let the idiot publishers offer their books for $15, but offer an easily accessible "$5 off any eBook priced $14.99 or higher" coupon.
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Re: How did Amazon lose?
And which is their hometurf.
To ask the question is to answer it. Amazon wants to protect its market leadership.
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Re:
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"those going through that transformation"
Capitalism works...eventually.
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Re: "those going through that transformation"
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Re: "those going through that transformation"
you make it sound like they have some sort of choice or recourse. they don't. the market has changed and that's that.
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It's a sausage factory
Apple is in a great place, remains very well positioned, very well... And continues to provide an additional, revenue-generating platform, but after dropping in and talking to a few people in Boulder CO, I still think that Scott may not be best.
However, I'm pretty sure everything will work out.
Somehow...
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While McMillian may not be acting in favor of the customers, Amazon is acting like a spoiled child. The last I have heard is that many authors still can't sell books directly from amazon, even though it has been a week since they have said they will put the buy button back up.
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Re:
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Re: Re:
Thats because the music industry LIES. They LIED about CD's when they first came out (and "had to be" priced at 1.5x an album price until the CD caught on) and they LIED about the iTunes pricing. THEY LIE. That is what they do. Anything to make a buck.
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take a look to:
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I think many of them do. They just don't want to be one of the ones losing their jobs. They're probably just holding out until it's time for them to retire or they have their own great idea for what the new "thing" is. Until then, the longer they can stave off the tide, the better off they feel they'll be personally.
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The solution
They will need to offer authors a higher commission but can do so and turn a tidy profit by cutting out the other middlemen.
Now all I need is a way to get a piece of the action.
The beauty of this is that they can then charge Apple a higher price just like Apple has been doing to their customers since the Apple III (Lisa), a really crappy product with a propriety floppy drive. I dumped Apple at that point. I have allowed fellow inventors to talk me into trying the Airport, the AirBook, and an iPhone and I found all of them unacceptable because Apple cripples their products by design.
Ronald J. Riley,
I am speaking only on my own behalf.
Affiliations:
President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Washington, DC
Direct (810) 597-0194 / (202) 318-1595 - 9 am to 8 pm EST.
Ronald J. Riley,
I am speaking only on my own behalf.
Affiliations:
President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Washington, DC
Direct (810) 597-0194 / (202) 318-1595 - 9 am to 8 pm EST.
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Amazon is somewhat to blame
Danny - Kindle Case Blog
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Amazon is a major game changer for publishers
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