Re: "The Elusive E-book"

From: "Aaron Walker"
>I agree.
>
> But what I meant was that whatever the markup is that paper 
> publishers charge for printing, binding, packaging, shipping is 
> a cost saving we can pass on to our customers.
>
> I don't know the exact figure of how much it cost to get a 
> paper book physically produced and into the hands of a 
> customer, but if the above is 20% of the final cost of the 
> book, then e-books should always be 20% less than a paper book 
> with all other things being equal.
> Aaron J. WalkerPublisher
> http://www.walkbroadpublishing.com

Theoretically it makes sense Aaron, and I see the same view in 
other similar discussions.   If it is an ebook of an already 
successful pbook there is probably no argument.   Though the 
percentage will depend on quite a few factors, varying for each 
book.

But the sales number is very important in relation to the return 
sought.   Your view surely predicates sales being similar or 
identical for the two methods.   But it is more likely, for the 
immediately forseeable future that ebook sales will be less than 
pbook for the equivalent niche.

That argues the need for more margin which eats into the physical 
production savings.   And there is one other thing that is rarely 
raised.   The need to put money into advertising, into effective 
estore and website presences, and maybe into something that is 
not yet realised.

By this last I mean that I do not think that selling on the web 
has yet found that special way that connects as effectively as 
hoardings, newspapers and television elswhere.

Joseph Harris 


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