Why does a book cost about $25 nowadays? Why do even paperbacks cost $15? How much do you think the author gets?
Well, the author gets about a buck. That’s right: $1.00. The rest of that “reasonable” price is the cost of printing, formatting, shipping, and handling. It includes the cost of display shelves, store clerks, cash registers, and agents. It includes the cost of advertising, promotion, travel, office furniture, telephones, and postage.
What if you didn’t have any of those costs? What if you could buy the book directly from the publisher? What if the book could be shipped to you over a phone line, in about 10 seconds? What if the publisher didn’t have to pay for paper? How much should the book cost? About $2.00, right? All right– let’s be generous: $3.50.
Wrong. It would cost $15-20.00. It would cost more than the same book on sale, in paper, on a shelf, in a store, in front of a counter with a cash register and a clerk.
This makes no sense. But it’s true. Meet the “electronic book”. Meet greed.
This reminds me of when the CD first came out. It was priced about $10 more than a vinyl LP. Why? The record companies said it cost more to produce. Well, today the CD cost way less to produce than a vinyl record. When do the discounts start? When do they start to pay their artists?
Yes, the first “virtual” books are on the market: The Software Book and The Rocket. They cost about $500 – 600. They are about the size and weight of real books and consist mostly of computer components and monochrome screen. Yes, you can read in the toilet again.
And how about that: you can buy Shakespeare for your virtual book. I couldn’t find out the price, but I’m sure you won’t mind paying a royalty on it.
Should you buy one? If you’re the kind of person who buys lottery tickets for birthday presents, then yes, by all means.
For the rest of us— forget it.