"The Digital Print" by Jeff Schewe is now available

[Tim Lookingbill]

Well that is a long history that you can read in a short ebook called "the battle of $9.99". Basically, when the publishers signed their original contract with Amazon, they were more worried about a good DRM than with the rights they where giving Amazon. Amazon started to sell ebooks with a top price of $9.99, usually that mean that with new titles they were loosing money... They had to pay more to the publisher, but they got their money back from selling kindles and not so new books, the idea for amazon was to make more attractive to buy ebooks instead of physical books.

Publishers were horrified, they were quite worried people get used to pay just $9.99 dollars for just-published books, instead of the $20-$30 dollars, but they couldn't do anything, until apple decided to release their iBook store together with the iPad. Until that the kindle was the king of ebooks... Apple signed an agreement with the publishers saying they let the publisher select the price of the ebook, and apple keeps just about 30% (like the apps). Publishers started only to release new books to iBook store, and amazon was forced to change their agreement with the publishers.

Now publishers select the price at all ebook stores, amazon and apple get an percentage back for each sell, the rest goes directly to the publisher, and the publisher has this mentality that new books have to have a high price, physical and electronic ones.

Here's some more "sand in the vaseline" regarding ebook pricing that I'm surprised wasn't mentioned here...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/apple-antitrust

http://allthingsd.com/20130710/apple-loses-e-book-antitrust-trial/

[Rory]

Has anyone in Canada gotten Amazon.ca to cough up Jeff's book yet?  I am wondering it they are just slow getting stock or they have lost my pre-order from January

They are shipping the Digital Negative (I have a copy via Amazon.ca).  They say the Digital Print will ship on Aug 12.  Sounds like your pre-order is languishing in cyber land.

[davidgp]

Here's some more "sand in the vaseline" regarding ebook pricing that I'm surprised wasn't mentioned here...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/apple-antitrust

http://allthingsd.com/20130710/apple-loses-e-book-antitrust-trial/

I just told the beginning of the story... Between appeals and so on... That part still has a long way to go... But difficult for Apple, since the publishers already pledge guilty and pay a fine for it...

[Steve House]

Even though I'm in Canada I usually order through Amazon.com, not Amazon.ca. They're invariably faster and usually cost about the same or less, even after taxes and shipping are added.  My copy of The Digital Print arrived today, ordered July 30 - would have been here Monday but that was a holiday here in Ontario.  The Canadian site is still quoting 2 to 4 week delivery estimates.

[Andy Barnes]

If it's any consolation to UK readers my copy of The Digital Print arrived just a few minutes ago (Wed Aug 7, ordered on December 15), so Amazon UK are able to fulfil their orders now.

Andy

[dmward]

I got my copy a couple of days ago.
Great job Jeff.
Will take me awhile to get completely through every page but a quick scan and reading the first few pages promises more pleasure to come.

[ButchM]

Here's some more "sand in the vaseline" regarding ebook pricing that I'm surprised wasn't mentioned here...

"Sand" in the vaseline? I find it intriguing that folks invested in content creation would want to promote an attitude of "low bid" to save the day ... When the rate is bottomed out by retailers like Amazon ... it isn't only the publishing houses that lose out  ... so do the authors ... Without which, neither the publishers or Amazon would be in existence ...

As a consumer, I can appreciate a bargain ... however, on the other hand, who wants to invest all the time, effort and artistic flair only to receive pennies on the dollar because the virtual monopolistic retailer in question believes that is the best method to achieve success?

While Apple may have been found complicit in the effort, I think they may have shown authors a much higher level of respect than Amazon has. IMHO the "sand" in the ointment is much more the result of Amazon than any other entity.

[davidedric]

I have and found very useful the Digital Negative in paperback.  I decided to buy the Digital Print in ebook format, for reading on a 10" tablet.    For me the ebook wins hands down.   I can prop it up alongside my editing desktop, and read it easily in the (deliberately) subdued light.   All the images are crystal clear, too.   And it weighs a lot less .   (Thanks Jeff for helping me improve my images)

Dave