Re: Ebook Price War Obscures Larger Problem

On 30/09/2012 09:17, Chris wrote:
>
> On Sat, 29 Sep 2012, Bill Amatneek wrote:
>
> > So, there must be some small publishers who are only selling
> > their e-books through their own websites. It seems to me that
> > if I wanted a book and it was only available thru the publisher
> > and not Amazon, that I would go to that publisher and buy it.
> > Is it that difficult to set up e-book sales through one's own
> > publishing site?
>
> It's quite likely that many small publishers often operate this
> way. I suspect the advice is more aimed at the large publishers.
> They, however, have probably always been reluctant to go this
> route because it places them in direct competition with the
> bookstores.
>
> The small publishers, by contrast, may have some difficulty
> getting wide distribution in bookstores everywhere, and so will
> easily move to direct sales.
>
> As long as paper books outsell ebooks, I can't see publishers
> willing to risk alienating the channel that provides the majority
> of their income. The corollary of course, is that if ebooks ever
> look likely to reach parity with paper, we might reasonably
> expect a sudden about face on the part of major publishers.
>
> It also seems likely to expect - whether we like the idea or not
> - a sudden bookstore implosion at such a point. Should it come to
> pass, it would probably make the bookstore contraction that we
> have seen up to this point in time seem miniscule in comparison.
>
> The article leans more to suggesting that customers have come to
> expect they can get all books in one place. The problem I have
> with that idea is that it isn't based on reality -- I *already*
> cannot get all books in one place. I need to have a variety of
> book and magazine stores, both physical and online, in order to
> completely meet my reading material expectations. Of course,
> there is always the possibility that although that is not the
> reality, it may actually be the publishers' perception. If *that*
> is the case, then that would imply they think their books are
> everywhere, ready to be bought -- but they aren't. In that case?
> The publishers have a really big problem, and they don't know it!
>
> ... Chris
>
> : chris smith ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
> : nihil tam munitum quod non expugnari pecunia possit - cicero :
>
> 

Chris,

That is very perceptive and insightful  and a valuable contribution to 
the discussion of this matter. Thank you for it.

I agree that a lot does hang on the survival of bookshops. One advance 
made by small publishers - a trend that started in the late 1970s in the 
UK - was the treatment of other retail outlets for books related to 
their products. In the UK this probably started with the opening of the 
great historical houses to public viewing. Indeed some of  those 
publications, often thin paperbacks, could be found nowhere else.

There has been a tendency to see the whole publishing business as 
dominated, controlled by and dependent upon the monster publishers - 
often thought of as the 'Big Six' in New York. I don't know if this was 
ever true, but today for certain it is not. Ever since Gutenberg's 
moveable type the publishing industry has been innovative and adapting 
as a whole industry. And now, I suppose like the theory of evolution, 
there are endless variations on the theme, some of which you refer to in 
your comment, ready to fill the niches that future history, economic 
experience and (mis)fortune will bring.

Joseph Harris




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