Amazon's Kindle Pricing Sucks

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.

Finger Lickin' Fifteen - Hardcover

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.

Finger Lickin' Fifteen - Kindle Buy Now

If you pre-order the Kindle edition it will only cost you $15.37… the same price as the hardcover edition.

Finger Lickin' Fifteen - Kindle Pre-Order

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 :)

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