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rugby
I think I know it all.
join:2000-09-26
Plainfield, IN

rugby to Daemon

Member

to Daemon

Re: [humor] E-books anyone?

I think we need to see some justification that selling an e-book at $10 generates a loss whereas a hard cover book sold at release is usually LESS than the ebook version.

Thinkdiff
MVM,
join:2001-08-07
Bronx, NY

Thinkdiff

MVM,

The books were sold wholesale by the publisher to Amazon. If Amazon sells the eBook for less than the unit price they paid for it + their own costs, that's a loss. Just because it's an eBook doesn't mean it was free/nearly free for Amazon to acquire it.

Snakeoil
Ignore Button. The coward's feature.
Premium Member
join:2000-08-05
united state

Snakeoil to rugby

Premium Member

to rugby
said by rugby:

I think we need to see some justification that selling an e-book at $10 generates a loss whereas a hard cover book sold at release is usually LESS than the ebook version.

I have browsed torrent sites, and I have seen a lot of e-books listed on those sites.

IMO, selling an e-book at 10 bucks a pop generates more profit then selling a physical book.
Physical books require fuel and man power to get them into the hands of the reader, which add costs to the book. An e-book is easy money.

The Dv8or
Just call me Dong Suck Oh, M.D.
Premium Member
join:2001-08-09
Denver, CO
ARRIS TG862
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The Dv8or

Premium Member

said by Snakeoil:

IMO, selling an e-book at 10 bucks a pop generates more profit then selling a physical book.
Physical books require fuel and man power to get them into the hands of the reader, which add costs to the book. An e-book is easy money.

You say "in my opinion", and then you follow it up with what are essentially made up facts. You have no idea if what you're saying is true or not. However, it fits your argument, regardless of its truth. And opinion has nothing to do with it.

robbin
Mod
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX

robbin

Mod

Are you really questioning that it takes man power and fuel to deliver hard copy books?

howardfine
join:2002-08-09
Saint Louis, MO

howardfine

Member

You're ignoring the costs involved with creating and marketing the book. There's the author, the editor, the minions, their offices and the marketing department and the cost of marketing. Books of any kind are never created for free no matter the media.

Snakeoil
Ignore Button. The coward's feature.
Premium Member
join:2000-08-05
united state

Snakeoil to The Dv8or

Premium Member

to The Dv8or
said by The Dv8or:

said by Snakeoil:

IMO, selling an e-book at 10 bucks a pop generates more profit then selling a physical book.
Physical books require fuel and man power to get them into the hands of the reader, which add costs to the book. An e-book is easy money.

You say "in my opinion", and then you follow it up with what are essentially made up facts. You have no idea if what you're saying is true or not. However, it fits your argument, regardless of its truth. And opinion has nothing to do with it.

Ok MR. Troll, I'll bit.

Do e-book require fuel to deliver to readers? I doubt it, unless you count the coal used to power the power plants that power the devices that run/connect to the internet. Then that amount of coal required is probably a small amount. Compared to the power required to power a printing press, book binder. Then to box it, then load it in the truck to deliver to the point of sale or the readers home.

e-book requires a lot less effort then a physical book. It's production costs are a lot less. The main cost is the license fee.

Also consider the physical space abook takes up. It requires a warehouse to be stored in for shipping, or a bookshelf for display. An ebook takes up next to nothing in space. Add to that, a physical book requires a human to move it, vs an ebook.

So physical books do have a higher cost then ebooks.
ebooks are easy money.

Go check out smashwords, or a print on demand service. Heck even Barnes and Noble or Amazon have self publish e-book software. For those that want to publish an e-book.

Heck, the one site I was on, mentioned one reason why ebooks were so high, was because the publishers still have a lot of physical real estate to pay for. Offices, warehouses, maybe printing presses, though I think they contract that out.

robbin
Mod
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX

robbin to howardfine

Mod

to howardfine
Did you read my post? Are you saying that it takes NO MORE man power or fuel to deliver a hard copy book than an ebook?

Some of the costs you describe will be there regardless, although marketing seems to take a big hit in this.