Barnes & Nobles bought Fictionwise as we all know, and there was much trepidation that they did so in order to kill it. Now, it seems, there might be a more insidious intent afoot. Many small press novels are being sold at absurdly low prices. My publisher, for instance, sold more books and made less money this last quarter than the quarter before where they sold less and made more money. Why? Because Fictionwise deep-discounts and makes the publishers eat it - and they are doing this to the majority of small presses apparently. Even to the point of undermining the B&N site.
There are two possible reasons, the most benign being ineptness. The other reason is a bit more chilling - drive out the small press by making them unprofitable. This suggests a nasty collusion with the New York publishers, but surely I'm paranoid to think that there would be some mad plot on the part of New York's houses to crush the small press and take over the e-book as their own (after denigrating it for so long).
Yes, paranoia. Conspiracy theory. I'm headed to Tea Party country. New York's industry would never be able to strangle small presses, seize the e-book as their own, and restrict distribution through silent deals with the main distributors.
In the late 1950's a cheaper alternative to hardback books arose - called a "paperback". This was the sweetheart of new independent presses that could afford to get into the market. The main houses poo-poo'd this new medium as "pulp fiction" and laughed at both it and those authors who wrote such books. Then, paperbacks became a genuine threat. The New York houses bought up or cut out most of the small presses and made the paperback their own. History, folks.
I'm hoping that FW's inability to maintain their customer service, and gut prices of small press offerings, is merely ineptness. Funny how it has the same effect of driving off small press outfits.
Something to think about.
ps: Yeah, I checked around and most everything is 40% discounted. Perhaps this is just them trying to get market share, but damn, it's killing the publishers just the same.
Kerry
There are two possible reasons, the most benign being ineptness. The other reason is a bit more chilling - drive out the small press by making them unprofitable. This suggests a nasty collusion with the New York publishers, but surely I'm paranoid to think that there would be some mad plot on the part of New York's houses to crush the small press and take over the e-book as their own (after denigrating it for so long).
Yes, paranoia. Conspiracy theory. I'm headed to Tea Party country. New York's industry would never be able to strangle small presses, seize the e-book as their own, and restrict distribution through silent deals with the main distributors.
In the late 1950's a cheaper alternative to hardback books arose - called a "paperback". This was the sweetheart of new independent presses that could afford to get into the market. The main houses poo-poo'd this new medium as "pulp fiction" and laughed at both it and those authors who wrote such books. Then, paperbacks became a genuine threat. The New York houses bought up or cut out most of the small presses and made the paperback their own. History, folks.
I'm hoping that FW's inability to maintain their customer service, and gut prices of small press offerings, is merely ineptness. Funny how it has the same effect of driving off small press outfits.
Something to think about.
ps: Yeah, I checked around and most everything is 40% discounted. Perhaps this is just them trying to get market share, but damn, it's killing the publishers just the same.
Kerry
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