Comments on: Seriously? Now They’re Just Being Dicks

By: Christopher Floyd

Christopher Floyd — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:36:10 +0000

This is one of many reasons I won’t buy from Amazon. I’m sure someone above already said that. Now I have too.

By: Josh Jasper

Josh Jasper — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:19:17 +0000

Also, holy heck, Mercedes Lackey dropped by. Dang! Greetings from a long time fan. I’m hearing rumors there’s going to be a new Bedlams’ Bard book soon. I look forward to it.

By: SomeGuy

SomeGuy — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:00:50 +0000

@161 no, but they love their industry and their profession and are very uncomfortable with the fact that it is changing very quickly in ways that might destroy it, and in ways they cannot foresee.

This of course, does not change the fact that this is happening and probably cannot be prevented

By: Craig Ranapia

Craig Ranapia — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:59:36 +0000

Chris Meadows@155: I don’t think it’s a good idea to disregard the way public opinion among consumers is turning. Consumers are the ones who actually buy the books in the end, after all. I've got to smile at the notion that our host, Charlie Stross or Patrick & Teresa Nielsen Hayden are prone to knee-jerk support of the commercial self-interest of publishers over those of "consumers". I won't presume to speak for them, but I rather doubt they consider publishing a zero-sum game where someone has to get screwed.

By: kejia

kejia — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:10:14 +0000

@The Gray Area #159

Kejia, of course. Anyone in business wants that kind of power.

Aside from the ethical concerns of individual employees (from the CEO down), it’s important for a corporation to realize the consequences over time of any underhanded (if not strictly illegal) tricks.

The old adage about show business still applies: Be nice to people on your way up because you’ll meet them on the way down. Remember when IBM was the behemoth and an apple was just something you bobbed for on Halloween or put in a pie?

By: The Gray Area

The Gray Area — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:50:51 +0000

Kejia, of course. Anyone in business wants that kind of power. I bought Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall online for $13.00. At the book store it cost in the 30s. So I go shop online and see another book I like (a British release, not going to be in the American book store for another year), and buy it. Seriously, I’m not sure any more, but I would think that the last “person” you would trust is a publisher (as an author). Trust your agent to work out a deal to get the publisher to pay you as much as you can get.

By: Chris Meadows

Chris Meadows — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:03:37 +0000

And then after you set any price you liked, someone else could come back into the market and undercut you. It’s crazy, this whole “being able to start a business at any time” thing.

By: kejia

kejia — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 04:58:06 +0000

@Jim F #156
if I was was running a store I’d want to be able to set the price at which I sell goods at my discretion.

If I were running a store, I’d want to be a monopolist. To achieve that end, I might try setting a price so low that all my competitors were forced out of the business. Then I could set any price I liked.

By: JimF

JimF — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 04:34:53 +0000

Will @154

Amazon does not want to be forced into the agency pricing model. I really don’t blame them; if I was was running a store I’d want to be able to set the price at which I sell goods at my discretion.

By: Chris Meadows

Chris Meadows — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:05:13 +0000

I really find it interesting how sharply the discourse on this subject changes depending on where you look. Please like here, or Making Light, or Charlie Stross's blog, there tend to be a lot more people sympathetic to Macmillan's side of things. Perhaps because a lot more authors, and people who are devoted fans of those authors, tend to post here. On the other hand, if you go somewhere there are more average consumers and e-book buyers, such as the News & Commentary forum at MobileRead, people are a lot more anti-Macmillan. Even those who recognize Amazon is just trying to corner the market, which may not be good for the future of the e-book industry, don't have a lot of kind things to say about Macmillan either, and there is a lot of talk of boycott. I don't think it's a good idea to disregard the way public opinion among consumers is turning. Consumers are the ones who actually buy the books in the end, after all.