My Kindle Stuff

Amazon announced last night that they have made a deal to publish 20 books from the Wylie Agency.  They will be publishing electronic versions of these books and have 2 years of exclusivity.  12 of the 20 will be available globally.  The books are a mix of highy regarded literary works.

They are:  (I) indicates international availability

• “London Fields” by Martin Amis  (I)
• “The Adventures of Augie March” by Saul Bellow  (I)
• “Ficciones” (Spanish Edition) by Jorge Luis Borges(I)
• “Junky” by William Burroughs
• “The Stories of John Cheever” by John Cheever  (I)
• “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison  (I)
• “Love Medicine” by Louise Erdrich  (I) Pre-order
  
• “The Naked and the Dead” by Norman Mailer  (I)
• “Lolita” by Vladimir Nabokov  (I)
• “The Enigma of Arrival” by V.S. Naipaul
• “The White Castle” by Orhan Pamuk  (I)
• “Portnoy’s Complaint” by Philip Roth
• “Midnight’s Children” by Salman Rushdie (I)
• “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat” by Oliver Sacks
• “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” by Hunter S. Thompson  (I)
• “Rabbit Run” by John Updike
• “Rabbit Redux” by John Updike
• “Rabbit is Rich” by John Updike
• “Rabbit at Rest” by John Updike
• “Brideshead Revisited” by Evelyn Waugh (I)

They will have an updated and uniform look that has been optimized for the Kindle  screen.  ALL are $9.99 with prices slightly higher outside of the U.S.

See the Press Release here and for more Kindle exclusives see this page.

Well it seems that the dust has settled in the aftermath of the inception of the agency model pricing on ebooks.  There were calls (from customers) for boycotts, tagging efforts on Amazon, claims of the end of Amazon monopolies (by publishers/authors) and conflicting ‘fact reports’ by all.

I have to admit, the whole thing just pissed me off.  I viewed it as a targeted attack on Amazon specifically and to me, the customer, in general.  With the decline of reading as a whole, I just don’t get not embracing a technology that has increased readership.  I don’t buy the “Amazon monopoly” view since there was and is nothing to keep competitors out of the market; in fact, Barnes & Noble created the nook™ to directly compete against the Kindle–other vendors took advantage of the emerging ebook market as well–just look at the Cooler reader and Kobo.  There are now too many viable ereading devices to list in a single comparison list.

Let’s not overlook the ridiculous claim that the $9.99 pricing that Amazon touted (for bestsellers) would devalue books as a whole. Why?  If the consumer doesn’t have the same rights on an ebook as a physical book (loaning, selling or giving it away), why would it hold the same monetary value? We also cannot access it on anything other than the devices or applications from the vendors; a physical book is independent of any restrictions after you pay for it; ebooks are not via DRM, licensing restrictions, hardware and software requirements.

While I haven’t seen any ebooks priced higher than the hardcover (although I’m sure there are some), it is an insult to the consumer to price them higher than the least expensive physical book on the market.

So what has the agency model done for me?

I notice the publisher now.  Prior to the model, I think the only publishers that I even paid attention to were Random House-who turned off all text-to-speech on ebooks and Orbit-who seemed to have the best new writers in the fantasy genre.  Now I note who is setting their own prices and how much they charge.  The ones that are (in my view) overcharging for ebooks are no longer insulated against a (my) negative company image.  Prior to the agency model, I was just mad at Amazon for a higher price.

I actively look for publishers (higher price or not) that don’t have a agency model.  This means Random House (out of the Big 6) and smaller, independent publishers and authors.  Prior to the new model, if two books looked good to me, I’d pick the one I was most interested in; now, I pick the one that isn’t on the agency model.

Finally, I always notice price. In the past, I would sometimes pick up a new release if it was above the $9.99 price point, now I just wait for it to come down.  Even if the book is not on agency pricing, I don’t pay more than $9.99.  I’ll either wait for the price to come down, or I’ll skip it altogether.  For example, I waited over a year for Imager: The First Book of the Imager Portfolio by Modesitt.  It’s now $7.99 for the Kindle version, but I waited so long that I’m not that interested anymore.  Since this was a series, unfortunately the publisher missed out on multiple sales since it’s on my 3rd (in importance) TBR wish list.

Some may say that in time these feelings will change–I don’t think so.  It’s been 5 years since I saw WAL-MART: THE HIGH COST OF LOW PRICE and I still refuse to set foot in their stores; I feel much the same about the agency model for ebooks.  I think the only thing that will change my mind is if publishers implement the same model for physical books. Mainly because then the savvy authors will go independent and set their own prices.

You’ll notice that I not once mentioned increased piracy, DRM removal or library use, yes?

Well, along with the iPad and Kindle for iPad, agency pricing has arrived.  After a week of books being unavailable for some Kindle versions, Amazon has updated the pricing for same.

All I can say after reviewing the prices is that if publishers are trying to boost sales and increase market shares, somebody is living in a dream world.  As pointed out on a Kindleworld blog post, this new pricing leaves less money to the author and publisher and less money in customer pockets.  The only one making more money on this deal is Amazon, who if believed, would rather have done without the pay raise. (Note: Random House is the only ‘Big 6′ publisher staying out of the agency model for now.)

All of this was instigated by Apple’s contract negotiations with the publishers in preparation for the iPad. Perhaps Apple knew that they wouldn’t be selling as many books from their iBookstore so wanted a bigger piece of the pie–who knows.  But as pointed out by a savvy blogger, the publishers who signed on forgot that the Kindle encompasses more than a single device.  If you have an iPad, you can only read books on that single device–if you own a Kindle, you can read all of your purchased books on your PC, Mac, iPhone, Blackberry and now your iPad.  Why publishers would side with Apple on this one baffles me (but see previous post).

Frankly some of the pricing is ridiculous, but Amazon wants to make sure you know where those prices are coming from.  In the listing (and in bold when viewing from your Kindle) is the name of the publisher and a notice that “This price was set by the publisher”.  The pricing for these books has also been moved out of the Amazon price column and into the New price column.

There is a mix of price points.  Some books are higher priced than the paperback–even old ones like some from the Twilight series, while still being less than the hard cover version. Some are reasonably priced, with the Kindle version less than both, and some are too high to be worth mentioning.

I’m waiting to see what the near outcome of this pricing will be.  Are publishers going to react to inevitable lower sales numbers of ebooks by lowering pricing? Will they use those numbers to say that ebooks ‘don’t sell’? One thing I will be watching–will the ebook torrent (piracy) levels increases.

For some alternatives to the higher prices, the Kindle Boards forum users (Kindle board is one of the most popular Kindle sites) offer suggestions to lower prices, alternatives to the Big 6 books, links and lists to free and cheap books along with other suggestions.  The best suggestion is to contact the publisher via email to let them know what you think. When all is said and done, your mileage may vary depending on which books you are looking for, but you’ll definitely be paying more if you don’t want to wait for prices to come down by using the ‘wait for paperback’ strategy.

So its been a few weeks since the entire kerfluffle over ebook pricing.  Readers have gone on in their quest for stuff to read, Amazon prices are slowly edging up and most bloggers and Twitterites have moved on to other subjects.  That may be just what the publishers wanted because a year from now, only early adoption ereader customers will even remember that whole “$9.99 thing”.

Right now, its unclear whether the iPad will have conquer the world, but it will have accomplished one thing–ebook prices upwards of $12.95 will be generally accepted because that’s what most new books will be priced–our memories are short.  Between now and then, Amazon will probably have to quietly remove the ‘most books are $9.99′ statement, as most will not be $9.99.  I have no idea what that’s going to do for prices outside the U.S. except that is not a pretty picture.

I don’t think that the prices will have a lot to do towards slowing down the ebook momentum. Dedicated readers who have found the Kindle, nook, Sony or other readers aren’t looking back.  Some, like me, have given up dead tree books entirely when reading general fiction.  And if I find a device that gives me the experience that I’m looking for in technical books and magazines, I’ll be going digital all the way.  And publishers, if you’re listening–if it ain’t digital, I’m giving it up for the next guy that is digital–I’m not getting the paper version.  I just don’t enjoy reading physical copies anymore.  And judging from the way internet news and magazines are moving, I’m getting a lot of company.

There will be customers that take a stand on lower prices, but if most prices go up a dollar or two, I doubt that the number of hold-outs will be equal to the amount of outrage expressed when this subject first came up–myself included.  Sure, we’ll be more open to smaller independent publishers with discounted prices and free books, but I’m one of those readers who when I was reading dead-tree books, generally got the paperback except for the books I really wanted to read, then I’d pay hard cover prices.  That’s probably what I’ll end up doing a year or two from now, except it’ll be for ebooks.  I’m price sensitive now, but when the next Charlaine Harris or Patricia Briggs or Ilona Andrews book comes out, price sensitivity will fly right out the window and I’ll be clicking the buy now button.

What will last for me is the resentment towards MacMillan.  I’m not a hater and won’t be going out of my way to bad-mouth the company; but as a consumer, when I do notice their brand, I’ll be less likely to spend my money with them if I have to choose.  And that resentment will last a long time; probably past the time when I remember or even care about where it came from.  They may not notice or miss my thousand dollars a year, but it will make me feel a lot better. Wow, I guess I’m bitter; how irritating is that!

(Update 9:20PM 1/31/2010) – Well, Amazon gave into MacMillan’s demands for higher prices.  For the full story see the NYT article here.  It remains to see what, if any fallout there is for the publisher or the ebook industry as a whole.  Certainly, publishers own their content and can set the pricing for it, but I really wonder if they are trying to save hardcover sales, give Amazon a swift kick in the behind by ’siding’ with Jobs & the iPad (go google that one!) or just don’t value the ereader consumer.  Whatever the case, I guess they didn’t read the article published on Slate last year Does the Book Industry Want To Get Napstered? Nuff said.

Wow.  This has been a crazy weekend in the Kindleverse!  Amazon pulling MacMillan titles, forum boards erupting with both anger and dismay, Twitter going crazy with 140 character comments on same-plus a lot of bad information. Authors weighing in on mostly the publishers side and some Kindlers vowing retribution by both bad reviews (here we go again) and boycott tagging.

When this all first happened, I was angry at MacMillan.  About 8 books on my Amazon wish list were gone and I don’t even remember which ones they were.  Now I’m just weary of the whole thing, while at the same time extremely curious on how it all will shake out.

I do have a couple of observations to make, though.  First, I’m a avid reader and had to join Amazon prime to defray shipping costs.  I almost always purchased mass-market paperbacks over hardcover books just to appear like I was trying to stay within some sort of reasonable budget.  There were a few authors that I loved which I felt merited the $20 for a (discounted) hardback, but not many.  I didn’t go to the library and I didn’t use 2nd hand books because, frankly, old paperback stink and I hated the yellowing due to the cheap paper used.  Then I discovered the Kindle which I’ve had a Kindle for about two years now.  If anything, I read faster and now spend way more on books.

Just as pre-Kindle, I spend more than $9.99 for some authors, but my average for a Kindle book is between $5 and $7.  I don’t really care about book format or DRM, because I have the tools to change both, and I don’t share my Kindle account with anyone, so if I find a good book, I just recommend to my Kindle friends so they can purchase their own copy.

That being said, there is NO WAY that I can see myself regularly paying $15 for a newly published ebook; and I doubt that I would even remember the book when the price came down to what I would pay–unless it got recommended by an online review or other listing.  That is a hit-or-miss proposition as most books are reviewed when they are released, not 7 months later.  The best example of this for me is the slow release of the Robert Jordan Wheel of Time series.  I was going to buy it for my Kindle until I saw the release dates.  After I saw that it was releasing approximately one book a month and that I wouldn’t be able to get through it for a year, I decided to wait and haven’t thought about it since.  Some ereaders that I know got them on the darknet to read now, then would buy the ebooks as they were released.  That can start a whole conversation about ebook availability vs. piracy which I won’t go into.

Some are saying that this whole thing was started by the immenent advent of the iPad and it’s iBook store.  Maybe, maybe not, but as a non-LCD ereader, I think the publishers are barking up the wrong tree if they think that avid readers will be embracing reading books on what is virtually a flashlight on any type of regular basis.  I do plan on getting one, but it will be either as a replacement for my iPhone, or as a living room and portable laptop-lite device–not as a reader.  I’ve seen this sentiment repeated more times than I can count, so if MacMillan and other publishers are looking as the iPad to revolutionize books, I fear they will be sadly disappointed.

I don’t know who will win this war, but America loves a good fight.  Hey! Maybe they should put it on Pay Per View?