Giant online retailer Amazon.com recently discontinued the sale of Macmillan titles. Macmillan considered as one of the top 6 publishers in the world. Amazon decided to resort to this move because of a disagreement on the consumer’s price for Amazon Kindle and ebook users. According to a notice at Amazon.com, the Kindle Team wrote that they might sooner or later have to accept the publisher’s terms which will mean more costlier Macmillan ebook prices, because they want to give the customer the option. Macmillan’s titles will range from $5.99 to $14.99.
The Macmillan group claims that they are going to actually generate less profit while Amazon makes more using the digital agent model. The retailer (Amazon) will receive 30% cut off the titles. The tangible book market has adopted an agency model that has provided considerable gains to all involved, and Macmillan states that the digital market needs a standard to follow too.
It can’t be denied that the publisher, retailer, author and/or illustrator is in business to make money. This monopoly, however, will hurt the customer in the long run.
Amazon’s temporary exclusion of Macmillan titles is to show their protest of the higher cost, and according to Macmillan’s CEO, the disagreement is about the long term market. Obviously the retailer and publisher have diverse view points. Amazon hopes that other publishers won’t go along with Macmillan’s move. But since it is obviously for their benefit, what would stop other publishers from doing the same?
If we look at the tangible book market, a consumer who wishes to purchase the latest and best hard cover books is going to do so. If the desire can be tamed, then they may wait for the cost to take a bit of a dive. The question is, why should things be any different in the digital book market?
A boycott against Macmillan is perhaps a suitable response, but, would it really last? Once a reader is tempted by a new title from one of Macmillan’s brilliant writers, the purchase price doesn’t matter any longer.
Individuals will still acquire what makes them happy. The simple joys of reading a book has become convenient and so accessible with the use of the ebook reader technology. This alone is enticing, and when you add a new Macmillan title, the consumer will bite. We haven’t been able tofight the urge when it’s time for an interesting read.
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Tags: rsquo, boycott, macmillan group, hard cover books, ebook <BR/>
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