Publishers like to whine about how there are costs associated with producing an electronic edition that can't be ignored, and claim the paper only costs a couple bucks. That may be true, but there also aren't trucks driving around cases of e-books to stores. There aren't lost or damaged copies or (as much) theft. There is a relatively small amount of time to format and review the digital edition and then the rest of the distribution costs are borne by the distributor – Amazon, Sony, Mobipocket, etc.
When the Kindle launched books were priced aggressively – about $9.99 for a digital edition. Since then prices have crept steadily upward, even as the number of customers and devices has increased. If economies of scale aren't coming into play, presumably the publishers are putting pressure on Amazon since I don't see them making a boneheaded move like this.
Pricing
First the hardcover – $15.37. Not bad, about what it'll run you at Costco or Barnes and Noble with a membership discount.
And then for some reason there are two Kindle versions available. One that you can pre-order, and one you can buy now.
If you want to buy the book now it will cost you $22.36 – $6.99 more than the hardcover version.
If you pre-order the Kindle edition it will only cost you $15.37… the same price as the hardcover edition.
Suggestions
- Don't sell the digital version of a book for the same price as the print edition.
- Don't compare the digital price to the print price – that's not why people are buying a digital copy.
- Don't ever sell a digital copy for more than the print price.
- Release the e-book on the same day as the print book.
- Try not to have multiple erroneous listings for the same item :)
July 5th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
I've found they're the same price as the print copy for the first week or two of release, then they drop to (at most) $9.99.
July 6th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
[...] Amazon's Kindle Pricing Sucks | corey gilmore's blog [...]
March 17th, 2010 at 10:43 am
Amazon has draconian royalties – 65% charge for publishers
Would you works when 2/3 of your labor is goint to the Masters?
Even Uncle Sam does not charge 65%
I ahve to raise my price 3x times in my Kindle store to match the same low price on my website.
and Kindle is Black and White? What century we live in? Cmon Amazon!
July 21st, 2010 at 8:29 pm
Not to worry about anything I have worked on it and simply found that the price remains the same i.e. $9.99.
August 3rd, 2010 at 3:29 am
I have to agree with the first commenter – Yes kindle books cost the same as hardbook on release but if you are patient they will drop significantly. I don't need to read an e-book straight away and would prefer to just wait a few weeks and get it for 50% less – this is the same for films and video games – let others pay top dollar!