Dear publishers: a word about Kindle Pricing

Dear publishers, (and ps to my other readers: if you agree with this, re-tweet, blog, like or otherwise pass on so that it might stand a better chance of getting to the eyes of the people who commission the pricing software).
I think that you may be wise to consider what many of you seem to be doing with your pricing of Kindle format books.
You see, we, the Kindle-buyers, know that you have no costs associated with producing an electronic book analogous to raw materials, paper, printing, shipping and only low overheads for cover design. So it is a puzzle why a situation like this, taken from a recent Amazon listing, should exist.

"Formats         Amazon Price   New from   Used from
Kindle Edition £12.34                  --                --
Paperback          --                     £6.72            £8.10"
Note how some sellers are offering the book as a paperback at nearly half the price of the Kindle edition.
Knowing what we know (or reasonably presume) about pricing and costs, it is annoying to see this. In fact it makes us rather crotchety and ill-disposed to publishers who seem clearly to be attempting to profiteer. I suspect that authors may start to be aware of this and prepared to move publication routes to make their work available possibly better margins and almost certainly higher sales figures.

They are presumably obtaining copies from you, the publisher, so we know that your overheads should allow you to offer the e-version to us for less than the 'new' price listed. There is at least one site dedicated to watching price lists for Kindles and some of us are prepared to wait or to fill our kindles with other publications. It is rare that the book is an 'absolutely must have (now)' item.

Do yourselves a favour. Look at the wholesale paperback price and undercut your own cheapest offering to the trade when pricing Kindle editions. We are aware that there are costs to do with marketing and with editing and nurturing writers, but we are aware that if those can be covered by paperback prices to wholesale trade at half of the asking price in cases like the above book, then there really isn't much excuse for asking the price above, for example. You're still going to be making a killing and with less risk of remaindering.

You risk driving authors more quickly into self publishing and social-media promo which would make you, as publishers obsolete or radically redefine your role. Your best chance to retain a niche is to roll with the wave not mis-serve your authors and readers by profiteering.

Sincerely yours,
A Kindle Reader


Cultural Intelligence: Improving Your CQ to Engage Our Multicultural World (Youth, Family, and Culture) eBook: David A. Livermore: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store: