Latest Breaking News

TreasonousBastard

(43,049 posts)

10. Amazon was, and probably is still, losing money on Kindles and ebooks simply to...

Thu Apr 12, 2012, 08:47 AM

Apr 2012

eliminate the competition. They depend on the good graces of the cheap bastards who look for the lowest price and consider nothing else-- not the least of which is that many good authors are being thrown under the bus.

When the $9.99 price was originally set, publishers complained en masse that they would lose money too. Amazon then happily threw small publishers off the site and even took the "Buy" button off MacMillan's entire list.

When Borders was in trouble, Amazon happily agreed to jump in and service their ebook market-- just a couple of months later, Borders' ebook market disappeared. And so did Borders.

But, hey, if you sign your life away to Amazon, you can publish through them and sell to people who hate to pay. You can publish through B&N. too, and maybe make more money per sale, but Amazon will do what it can to make sure you don't sell anything through them.

And, if you sell through Amazon, you can sleep soundly knowing that it now has so many operations besides selling stuff like books and blenders, that it can lose all the money it wants in the retail business without skipping a beat. It really has your interests at heart since you share the losses.

http://www.alternet.org/story/149124/is_amazon_evil_?page=entire

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

165 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Amazon to Cut E-Book Prices, Shaking Rivals (making Amazon a Monopoly) [View all] onehandle Apr 2012 OP

are you serious? naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #1

Amazon has a history of dropping prices to kill off competition, then raise prices back up. onehandle Apr 2012 #3

I've noticed.. naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #4

I'd prefer that to Amazon being the only place to buy books rebecca_herman Apr 2012 #70

Me too naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #71

But they are now well on their way to becoming one rebecca_herman Apr 2012 #73

Amazon was, and probably is still, losing money on Kindles and ebooks simply to... TreasonousBastard Apr 2012 #10

Kindles are sold "at cost." They get 30% of revnue from ebooks. joshcryer Apr 2012 #41

Yup ! It's called "The Walmart Strategy". russspeakeasy Apr 2012 #20

If Amazon raised prices they would be liable to class action. joshcryer Apr 2012 #44

LOL! Amazon = Walmart. Don't trust them. nt onehandle Apr 2012 #84

LOL! Apple = Wal-Mart! Don't trust them for music! joshcryer Apr 2012 #85

good one! :) nt Vehl Apr 2012 #162

Where's the thread about Apple contributing the most CO2? joshcryer Apr 2012 #163

Or the greenpeace protestors protesting on its roof! Vehl Apr 2012 #164

While the saintly Apple would never ever do such a thing, ever. 2ndAmForComputers Apr 2012 #67

But, but....it's no fair when someone else does it!!! IndyJones Apr 2012 #105

What people forget or don't realize is WeekendWarrior Apr 2012 #103

Opinion, not fact rebecca_herman Apr 2012 #117

It's a FACT WeekendWarrior Apr 2012 #121

You make some pretty big assumptions rebecca_herman Apr 2012 #124

You've got it wrong, your tax dollars WeekendWarrior Apr 2012 #128

Amazon can afford to fight their own battles rebecca_herman Apr 2012 #129

Fifty Shades of Gray WeekendWarrior Apr 2012 #130

What Amazon is doing should be what is illegal rebecca_herman Apr 2012 #131

Amazon isn't destroying the value of anything WeekendWarrior Apr 2012 #132

You aren't even reading what i'm posting rebecca_herman Apr 2012 #133

Amazon is not and never will be a WeekendWarrior Apr 2012 #134

For some Apple Fans, Price fixing is ok if Apple does it Vehl Apr 2012 #161

a few years ago they had a price war with etoys and ejpoeta Apr 2012 #2

There go after who they can get away with going after. onehandle Apr 2012 #6

+1000 n/t ProfessionalLeftist Apr 2012 #11

the real issue is the govt telling a business they cannot price their own goods RainDog Apr 2012 #140

Government stopped enforcing Sherman Act violations (except for political enemies & extortion) Egalitarian Thug Apr 2012 #145

In the meantime, government establishes a minimum price for milk. GodlessBiker Apr 2012 #5

I've been saying for the last couple of years that ebook prices are outrageous. obxhead Apr 2012 #7

I agree. But now the Feds have handed the game to Amazon, giving them total control. onehandle Apr 2012 #8

This didn't hand anything to Amazon groundloop Apr 2012 #13

What stops other companies from opening an e-book store? ProgressiveProfessor Apr 2012 #15

nothing naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #26

Who said that? TiberiusB Apr 2012 #43

That's what this Is about naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #49

That's simply how you see it...clearly TiberiusB Apr 2012 #159

The same way Apple cornered the digital music market? joshcryer Apr 2012 #93

What does that prove? TiberiusB Apr 2012 #158

What do you think of all the indie musicians who were saved by iTunes? joshcryer Apr 2012 #160

Amazon allows authors to do the same thing WeekendWarrior Apr 2012 #123

This is actually a "free market' analysis. This is what "free marketers" dream about. joshcryer Apr 2012 #45

I don't think so naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #51

Yes I am saying that the cartel is a "free marketers" wet dream. joshcryer Apr 2012 #52

It's making some independent authors a good living, though. sofa king Apr 2012 #12

Several of us are trying to push something like this on college campuses ProgressiveProfessor Apr 2012 #16

That's a completely different animal. obxhead Apr 2012 #21

Yes, I understand. sofa king Apr 2012 #109

There's a guy who watches the list closely, here's a link to a forum posting about it: joshcryer Apr 2012 #46

There's the guy! John Locke. sofa king Apr 2012 #107

My family gave me a Nook for Christmas CRK7376 Apr 2012 #18

Your public library has ebooks for download obamanut2012 Apr 2012 #19

I'll check this out with my library right away goclark Apr 2012 #25

Like print books, ebooks can already be checked out obamanut2012 Apr 2012 #53

Amazon is my public library's pscot Apr 2012 #32

I agree. obxhead Apr 2012 #22

Yes these things are true but the author gets paid a % of that sale price. apnu Apr 2012 #65

How does this make Amazon a monopoly? Orrex Apr 2012 #9

It doesn't ProgressiveProfessor Apr 2012 #14

I chose the Nook Tablet because most reviews rated it higher than the Kindle Fire... BUT... wyldwolf Apr 2012 #17

All of these companies get 30% of the proceeds, with digital the costs are astronomically... joshcryer Apr 2012 #54

Your description of the book publication is accurate. apnu Apr 2012 #78

Yeah I think half what it'd sell for is quite reasonable. joshcryer Apr 2012 #79

This message was self-deleted by its author savalez Apr 2012 #90

Amazon is not the hero you think MelissaMSmith Apr 2012 #23

Yes, it's great. naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #27

It's called supporting your community MelissaMSmith Apr 2012 #29

Why support mom & pop? naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #30

There is no talking with people like you MelissaMSmith Apr 2012 #34

They haven't changed... they have gotten worse naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #35

Maybe you should take into consideration WeekendWarrior Apr 2012 #112

Our local mom & pop used book store is great, wonderful people, selection, prices. uppityperson Apr 2012 #56

My horse and buggy shop always had the best geldings. nt Snake Alchemist Apr 2012 #60

yep, naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #63

Ours is very popular but the town is small and rent rose dramatically. "Outrageous prices, crappy uppityperson Apr 2012 #68

YTes, because the world revolves around you! Odin2005 Apr 2012 #74

no, naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #83

I say f* the people who want to take my friends and neighbor's jobs away by not giving them uppityperson Apr 2012 #95

I don't want to take anybodys jobs away... naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #97

I bet you assume a lot. eom uppityperson Apr 2012 #98

Nope. nt. naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #99

You have proven you do. eom uppityperson Apr 2012 #100

Well naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #102

Let me elaborate naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #31

Good grief, don't you know Walmart online would give you a better deal? Why are you wasting money? uppityperson Apr 2012 #57

Yes, just like Walmart, cheap prices MUST be a universal good TiberiusB Apr 2012 #66

Thanks, i will. Nt naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #69

So, as an aspiring author, kentauros Apr 2012 #101

I think your analysis of paper books versus e/publishing and electronic readers is a bit off.. Fumesucker Apr 2012 #106

I guess I'm not "most people." kentauros Apr 2012 #108

Other than flashlights and such we went for a week without electricity winter before last.. Fumesucker Apr 2012 #111

I have also spent time in an urban setting without power. kentauros Apr 2012 #113

We couldn't go anywhere, the tree that took out the power blocked the road too.. Fumesucker Apr 2012 #115

At least you know about camping, too :) kentauros Apr 2012 #116

The cloud retains everything. joshcryer Apr 2012 #141

We live in an unfriendly universe.. Fumesucker Apr 2012 #149

I love KSR, thanks for the (incidential) recommendation. :) joshcryer Apr 2012 #150

I kind of suspect that books are going to move toward an "edited by" strategy to an extent.. Fumesucker Apr 2012 #152

Another nasty Amazon move came after they bought Createspace flamingdem Apr 2012 #28

Agreed. Amazon is the enemy of creativity. No hero there. nt onehandle Apr 2012 #33

I suppose you'd say that Apple iTunes was an enemy of creativity... joshcryer Apr 2012 #47

All I know is my Kindle Fire - however goclark Apr 2012 #24

I suspect naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #37

This mindless seeking of cheap prices regardless of consequences is the CAUSE of our problems... saras Apr 2012 #36

This is not a monopoly naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #38

Do you understand how monopolies come about? Bradical79 Apr 2012 #61

the answer to that, naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #62

Wait... The Walmart model is Not good for America? nt onehandle Apr 2012 #39

Honestly? enlightenment Apr 2012 #42

That is not what is happening here. It's being against price fixing. joshcryer Apr 2012 #48

It's stunning, isn't it. naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #64

Post removed Post removed Apr 2012 #91

If what you were saying was true, naaman fletcher Apr 2012 #92

It's not about price-fixing. It's about undercutting the competition... mainer Apr 2012 #76

Apple did that. Went from $0.99 to $1.29. joshcryer Apr 2012 #81

It's about making Amazon the world's publishing monopoly. They greased the right wheels. onehandle Apr 2012 #88

Amazon is but a blip in technological terms, as is Apple. joshcryer Apr 2012 #89

It's just like iTunes. 99 cents a song killed creativity. Those songs should be 4.99 a piece! nt Snake Alchemist Apr 2012 #59

Haha. :) And what about the record industry? Those poor record execs... they are mom and pops... joshcryer Apr 2012 #80

Exactly. If they had kept songs at 4.99 a piece then maybe the mom and pops would still be around. Snake Alchemist Apr 2012 #82

Yep this picture tells the story: joshcryer Apr 2012 #86

That's what they want you to think. Snake Alchemist Apr 2012 #87

It's our atomized society, people don't think about the social impications... Odin2005 Apr 2012 #75

The death knell of print books and bookstores mainer Apr 2012 #40

Yeah, but editors will still have a job. joshcryer Apr 2012 #50

True. nt greyl Apr 2012 #104

Based on the awful self-pubbed books I've read... mainer Apr 2012 #137

Because they can't afford them. Amanda Hocking has an editor now. joshcryer Apr 2012 #139

So self-published authors will continue to produce horrible, unedited books mainer Apr 2012 #144

Authors can edit. joshcryer Apr 2012 #147

Then why are so many self-pubbed books so bad? mainer Apr 2012 #154

Because there are more bad authors than good authors. joshcryer Apr 2012 #155

On this, we can agree on. mainer Apr 2012 #156

By the sound of things, kentauros Apr 2012 #148

To be sure, while editing can be as much as half or more of the process... joshcryer Apr 2012 #151

I think I'm going to have to do something like your example kentauros Apr 2012 #157

The outrageous prices of e-books will be coming down? Oh no!!!!!!!!!! nt Snake Alchemist Apr 2012 #55

So? How much regulation will be necessary to get Amazon to put people before profits? patrice Apr 2012 #58

Teddy Roosevelt wept! Odin2005 Apr 2012 #72

Get all the 99 cent e-books you want on Amazon! mainer Apr 2012 #77

Welcome to Capitalism American Style. sendero Apr 2012 #94

will Justice ever find time to go after America's greatest monopolists... lanlady Apr 2012 #96

What about the implications for Public Libraries? They_Live Apr 2012 #110

While the paper books last, kentauros Apr 2012 #114

At this time, people still prefer print books for children RainDog Apr 2012 #142

Readers will be the ultimate victims if this suit succeeds mainer Apr 2012 #118

The same shit was said about iTunes. joshcryer Apr 2012 #127

ABA calls lawsuit "baffling" mainer Apr 2012 #119

Godbless Amazon, take it to these fucking greedy publishing rats. Kurska Apr 2012 #120

+1 Marooned Apr 2012 #122

+1! Glad you are getting somewhere! joshcryer Apr 2012 #126

No matter what, authors will be fine mainer Apr 2012 #136

So "quality" should a barrier to the market? Rowling was rejected by TWELVE publishers. joshcryer Apr 2012 #138

Quality was never a barrier to the market mainer Apr 2012 #143

JK Rowling didn't HAVE the self-publishing option that Amazon gives you. joshcryer Apr 2012 #146

$9.99 still means the e-books will be more expensive than paperbacks... PavePusher Apr 2012 #125

But once a book goes into paperback mainer Apr 2012 #135

Ever since Amazon stopped their $9.99 deal and allowed publishers... polichick Apr 2012 #153

The cost difference b/t ebooks and print books is minimal RainDog Apr 2012 #165