General Discussion

Confusious

(8,317 posts)

77. Sure there is

Thu Jul 12, 2012, 07:14 AM

Jul 2012

People wrote all the time in the past. They had no hope of a "best seller" but they still wrote, and now we consider them classics.

A "best seller" does not a good book make. Look at Stephen king. Half his stuff is shit. but they still make the "best seller" category.

I repeat, snobbery.

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How Germany Keeps Amazon at Bay and Literary Culture Alive [View all] HiPointDem Jul 2012 OP

Will they save the buggy whip also? Confusious Jul 2012 #1

Bookstores do not sell ebooks? Fumesucker Jul 2012 #4

every eReader can go online Confusious Jul 2012 #6

A few really weird people prefer to support their local merchant.. Fumesucker Jul 2012 #8

Basically, what they do would be Confusious Jul 2012 #9

Where do you go to get your cable TV at a lower rate? Fumesucker Jul 2012 #10

I don't. I have satellite. Confusious Jul 2012 #11

Why do people collect comics/graphic novels when you can get a better rendition on your screen? Fumesucker Jul 2012 #12

Because people collect comics/ graphics novels, as I said Confusious Jul 2012 #28

Publishing houses are not the same as "local merchants." They're leeches. joshcryer Jul 2012 #65

What about nationalizing publishing and electronic media? FrodosPet Jul 2012 #100

"Additionally, average book prices in Germany are the lowest in Europe" Zalatix Jul 2012 #66

The author of the OP article is the fucking former CEO of Henry Holt Inc. joshcryer Jul 2012 #69

They tried price fixing, and that is what you are talking about, price fixing, and they got sued. CBGLuthier Jul 2012 #2

Price fixing goes on every day in America.. Fumesucker Jul 2012 #5

yeah, sure. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #20

Protectionism! Argh! Well that explains why the German economy is so anemic. Egalitarian Thug Jul 2012 #3

Ding ding ding!!! LOL. +1,000! Zalatix Jul 2012 #67

The numbers are bullshit Confusious Jul 2012 #7

i'll believe you when you link a reference. because the number i get is 172,000 (for 2005). HiPointDem Jul 2012 #14

Well according to wiki: 4th law of robotics Jul 2012 #16

notice the difference between the two citations? HiPointDem Jul 2012 #17

What's wrong with being self-published? 4th law of robotics Jul 2012 #18

not an apples to apples comparison on two counts, i infer. 99% of "self-publishing" is stuff HiPointDem Jul 2012 #19

So the democraticization of the process here is bad because it means anyone can take part 4th law of robotics Jul 2012 #21

no, saying the comparison of two different data sets is invalid. and self-publishing has always HiPointDem Jul 2012 #22

Apparently it isn't much of an option in some places 4th law of robotics Jul 2012 #25

it's a;ways been an option, from vanity presses to xerox machines. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #32

The publishers are middlemen, they're rent seekers. "Mom and pop" is just propaganda. joshcryer Jul 2012 #63

here's the story on the numbers; the reason for the large jump 2005 to today is: different method- HiPointDem Jul 2012 #70

I'm not sure this is true Johonny Jul 2012 #26

no, small presses were hit by the internet & amazon, which destroyed their margins. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #34

yeah Johonny Jul 2012 #88

Good. joshcryer Jul 2012 #94

Oh god, now you're defending big publishing houses. joshcryer Jul 2012 #62

Not just that but the end of the article basically contridicts everything else. joshcryer Jul 2012 #68

I only complain when market manipulation drives prices up... Comrade_McKenzie Jul 2012 #13

Does a book lose its literary value by changing format? 4th law of robotics Jul 2012 #15

Their loss... I prefer Amazon Marooned Jul 2012 #23

thank you for supporting sweatshop labor, the destruction of local taxbases & small publishers, HiPointDem Jul 2012 #36

I usually buy books used on Amazon Freddie Stubbs Jul 2012 #24

thank you for supporting sweatshop labor, the destruction of local taxbases & small publishers, HiPointDem Jul 2012 #35

Try these guys. Egalitarian Thug Jul 2012 #90

The US used to have Fair Trade Laws -- they have all been repealed FarCenter Jul 2012 #27

Yea, but your link also said Confusious Jul 2012 #30

The small business community could not hold the line against the large retailers FarCenter Jul 2012 #40

you missed the "impractical" part Confusious Jul 2012 #43

Enforcement is cheap so long as it is consistent, rigorous, and painful. FarCenter Jul 2012 #44

You still haven't addressed the fact Confusious Jul 2012 #51

It's illegal under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, you are right about that. Selatius Jul 2012 #59

I love Amazon and have bought literally hundreds of dollars worth of books from them. apocalypsehow Jul 2012 #29

thank you for supporting sweatshop labor. and the destruction of local tax bases. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #31

And the day I do any of those things I will return to this thread and accept your "thanks." apocalypsehow Jul 2012 #39

you do those things, because amazon does those things. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #48

Not a bit of it: but if it makes you feel better about yourself apocalypsehow Jul 2012 #49

again, thanks for your support of union-busting, worker-grinding, small-business and small HiPointDem Jul 2012 #50

The only one doing any "rationalizing" here is you: and that is in the cause of apocalypsehow Jul 2012 #52

amazon is all those things; you said you love it and support it with your dollars. ergo. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #53

You can keep typing such silliness all night long: it still doesn't make it true. apocalypsehow Jul 2012 #54

of course it does. actions have consequences. support for anti-labor tax dodgers does too. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #55

Of course it doesn't: buying books from Amazon does not equate to "support" apocalypsehow Jul 2012 #56

BTW, Hannah: I wasn't really for your banning back on DU2, just FYI. apocalypsehow Jul 2012 #57

You've been quite civilized even after being accused of promoting slavery. joshcryer Jul 2012 #64

"rang a Bell" - LOL, good one! And quite right, methinks. apocalypsehow Jul 2012 #109

Have you seen that Harlequin class action that was filed? joshcryer Jul 2012 #110

oh NO!!!! Anything against PROFITS is EVIL! Ask the devil... fascisthunter Jul 2012 #33

german publishers make profits. rather decent ones. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #37

oh well... I'm sure they will survive fascisthunter Jul 2012 #38

Wunderbar! Danke n/t sfpcjock Jul 2012 #41

Why stop at books, if this is such a great idea? Nye Bevan Jul 2012 #42

it's how airlines and some other things used to work in the us. & it worked better than today, HiPointDem Jul 2012 #46

The airlines were also highly regulated Confusious Jul 2012 #58

nobody's regulating the books. they're regulating potential monopolists. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #60

Like fast food caused the death of good food? Confusious Jul 2012 #71

It does spell the end of "independent book stores" as well. joshcryer Jul 2012 #72

I don't think it does Confusious Jul 2012 #73

The studies on this show that it does though. joshcryer Jul 2012 #75

After reading your other post Confusious Jul 2012 #76

Yeah, it's not far off. :) joshcryer Jul 2012 #79

no, nature doesn't always find a way. and there's nothing natural about literary culture. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #74

Sure there is Confusious Jul 2012 #77

there were 'best sellers' as far back as the foundation of the country. those people you imagine HiPointDem Jul 2012 #78

Well they still wrote, didn't they Confusious Jul 2012 #80

a leisured elite wrote for each other's entertainment and edification. perhaps that's your ideal. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #82

Until the press came along. Funny how that works out. joshcryer Jul 2012 #83

there seem to be a lot of people i'm ignoring in this thread. which means a gang attack. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #84

gang attack by the 'ignored' continuing. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #96

And the ones writing now aren't the leisured elites? Confusious Jul 2012 #85

stephen king worked in a laundry and taught school before he hit it big with carrie. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #86

Maybe he did Confusious Jul 2012 #87

"part of a privileged few". exactly. the same as the unknown "self-published" authors amazon HiPointDem Jul 2012 #89

Oh brother Confusious Jul 2012 #91

It's the same type of kneejerk reaction to technologically aided education. joshcryer Jul 2012 #92

all but one *owned* publishing businesses, & that's how they did their "self-publishing". it's a HiPointDem Jul 2012 #95

Really? corporatists? Confusious Jul 2012 #97

lol. just a bigger corporatist controlling more of the value chain, from publishing to retail. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #98

No, the writer would take all of it. Confusious Jul 2012 #99

i'm pretty sure you don't know anything about anything. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #101

Like I said Confusious Jul 2012 #102

let's place a bet & see how your speculation pans out in 10 years. HiPointDem Jul 2012 #103

Amazon will be highly marginalized in 10 years. joshcryer Jul 2012 #107

Yep, Xuni is one of them. The problem is payment methods. joshcryer Jul 2012 #106

LOL, you quote 35% royalty at the minmum. Paper book authors get 15% at the maximum! joshcryer Jul 2012 #104

gangstalking continues HiPointDem Jul 2012 #105

Status quo defending continues. joshcryer Jul 2012 #108

Amanda Hocking was a group home worker before she hit it. joshcryer Jul 2012 #93

Heh, franchising is the fault of that. Kinda like how publishing houses are the middle men... joshcryer Jul 2012 #81

Its been years since I could afford to buy books new bhikkhu Jul 2012 #45

yeah, there's such a discount on e-books. not. and you don't even get to own them. you just HiPointDem Jul 2012 #47

Amazon is fine with this, Amazon's war is with publishers. joshcryer Jul 2012 #61