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Apple Raises E-book Prices For Everyone

Posted by timothy on from the here-a-penny-there-a-penny dept.

Nom du Keyboard writes "I was informed by my publisher this week that they would have to raise my e-book prices because they planned to sell them through the Apple iBooks store. How could this happen? A lot of my individual stories sell in the $1 to $3 range, which is well within the impulse purchase amount for many people. In this price range a 50-cent price difference may well be the difference between a purchase and a pass. Meanwhile, Apple is touting its new 'agency model,' whereby the publishers set the prices. However, it seems that Apple requires books sold in its iBook store have prices ending in .99 — nothing else." (More below.) "Furthermore, Apple requires that if you sell books through them that you absolutely cannot sell them for less through anyone else. To my understanding Amazon also requires this, so Apple and Amazon prices should be identical in the future, but Amazon doesn't force prices to end in .99. What this means is that an e-book that the author was quite happy to sell for $2.29 or $2.49 is now going to cost $2.99 from everybody. While that sounds like only a few extra cents, it adds up over time and can lead to resentment against authors for charging higher prices, even though they have little real control over pricing. I, for one, do not understand why Apple computers only understand numbers ending in .99, or just how Apple is making it better for the consumer this way."

6 of 327 comments (clear)

  1. Ridiculous by DarkKnightRadick · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm really beginning to hate Apple. I'm in the process of putting together a manuscript and I would not agree to have it put in the Apple store just on this issue.

    --
    "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Proverbs 16:25 (NKJV)
    1. Re:Ridiculous by DarkKnightRadick · · Score: 2, Funny

      Well, hate them more I should say.

      There are other reasons to hate Apple (ridiculously high prices, closed platform, etc.) but this one is the straw that broke the camel's back.

      --
      "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Proverbs 16:25 (NKJV)
  2. What they're doing by sys.stdout.write · · Score: 3, Funny

    See, whenever there is a book transaction, a few cents go into a bank account. They're shaved off as a remainder. Initech will never know it's missi.. oh wait.

    Yeah, this sucks.

  3. Re:Wrong answer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    now its 42.99 according to jobs.

  4. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 2, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  5. Re:I wish the .99 gimick would die in a fire, now by Duradin · · Score: 3, Funny

    It sounds like someone doesn't want to live in the paradise that is Somalia.