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RainDog

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140. the real issue is the govt telling a business they cannot price their own goods

Sat Apr 14, 2012, 04:19 PM

Apr 2012

publishers are the ones who are being told what they can charge for their goods - by Amazon, with support from the govt.

of course Amazon offers opportunities for writers who might not find a publisher - or those who choose to work without one as already established writers.

that situation has nothing at all to do with the current dispute b/t publishers and Amazon. This dispute started long before e-books with Amazon strong-arming publishers to give them (Amazon) preferential discounts - which is an unfair trade practice, btw. Amazon has been trying to force publishers into unfavorable contracts for years.

Amazon is here to stay.

Publishing houses - those who develop relationships with writers and create imprints to focus on particular genres (such as non-English language writers in translation, who can afford to publicize these writers - are facing the same crisis that so many sectors of the economy have faced as technology has altered the cultural landscape.

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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