Random House Triples fees for library e-books

[Bateluer]

http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2012/03/02/random-house-raises-library-ebooks-through-the-roof/

For the most part, RH prices to library wholesalers for titles available in print as new hardcovers are now set in the range of $65- $85.
Titles available for several months, or generally timed to paperback release, will be decreased in price to a range of $25-$50.
New children’s titles available in print as hcs: $35-$85.
Older children’s titles and children’s paperbacks: $25-$45.

Before stating anything, library licenses/versions cost more than what you'll find on a store shelf. I think we all know that those licenses should cost more, since the library will make money off renting them out to us. But, digital versions, which are clearly the wave of the future, should be substantially cheaper than the printed versions.

What raising the prices means: Libraries won't 'stock' more than a few copies of the e-versions, if they get them at all. So people turn to piracy to get the books. Then, Random House blames piracy for their books not selling, resulting in them raising the price more and implementing a DRM system that requires the reader to authenticate and activate every 15 pages. More people turn to piracy in disgust. Random House cries. Cycle repeats.

 

[Exterous]

Random House, Inc. is constantly experimenting, evaluating, and adjusting different retail price points for our e-books

Translation: How much can we rape people over a product that has significantly lower produciton costs

 

[FoBoT]

<gubberment official>This is not the inflation you are looking for

 

[Bignate603]

http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2012/03/02/random-house-raises-library-ebooks-through-the-roof/



Before stating anything, library licenses/versions cost more than what you'll find on a store shelf. I think we all know that those licenses should cost more, since the library will make money off renting them out to us. But, digital versions, which are clearly the wave of the future, should be substantially cheaper than the printed versions.

What raising the prices means: Libraries won't 'stock' more than a few copies of the e-versions, if they get them at all. So people turn to piracy to get the books. Then, Random House blames piracy for their books not selling, resulting in them raising the price more and implementing a DRM system that requires the reader to authenticate and activate every 15 pages. More people turn to piracy in disgust. Random House cries. Cycle repeats.

I'm not sure if you understand how a public library works...

 

[Bateluer]

I'm not sure if you understand how a public library works...

Libraries have late fees, which is what I was referring to. Guess it doesn't matter with regards to ebooks though, once your time is up, it removes from your e-reader, yes?

I've never done the e-library thing on my Nook, personally, though. Usually I prefer to buy my books.

 

[preslove]

http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2012/03/02/random-house-raises-library-ebooks-through-the-roof/



Before stating anything, library licenses/versions cost more than what you'll find on a store shelf. I think we all know that those licenses should cost more, since the library will make money off renting them out to us.

As a librarian, I have no earthly idea where you got this info. For print books, we get a discount because we are bulk purchasers and can bid down the price. It's about 25%. And how do libraries make money checking out materials for free?

<gubberment official>This is not the inflation you are looking for

You obviously don't know what inflation is. Given your idiotic wingnut posts of the past, that's not surprising.

 

[tfinch2]

Before stating anything, library licenses/versions cost more than what you'll find on a store shelf. I think we all know that those licenses should cost more, since the library will make money off renting them out to us.

:confused;

I hope this doesn't set the tone for dumb shit I have to hear today.

 

[SandEagle]

lol. with those prices i could just buy a PS3 game instead

 

[Bateluer]

As a librarian, I have no earthly idea where you got this info. For print books, we get a discount because we are bulk purchasers and can bid down the price. It's about 25%. And how do libraries make money checking out materials for free?

:confused;

I hope this doesn't set the tone for dumb shit I have to hear today.

See my post directly above yours preslove. It was my mistake, was thinking of movie rentals for a moment. There's late fees, but I don't think those are anything significant.

Several posts on my minor mistake, but none on the obscene prices the publisher wants to charge on something that effectively costs them nothing. For the price of the gas I put in my Corolla yesterday, they could fund the bandwidth for probably most libraries ebook collections.

 

[alent1234]

so buying the books is out of the question?

 

[twinrider1]

I read something from a published author that printing costs were a smaller percentage of a book's cost than you would think. There are a lot of hands involved in writing/promoting a book and they all get paid.