So, they’re at it again. Nice article this morning in the New York Times on the battle between Amazon and Apple over e-book prices. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that I favor competition and freedom of choice, and for you to have choice, there has to be more than one player. Plus–honestly–people need to be reminded of all the manpower/woman-power hours that go into making a book. Consumers can not and will not see that if there is a) one distributor who b) sets ridiculously low prices that c) do not accurately reflect the sheer number of people behind the curtain.
Does it cost less to produce an e-book? Yes and no. Sure, distribution costs will go way down. You eliminate waste, a ton of dead trees, etc., etc. (But that won’t stop people from WANTING books–REAL books–and so publishers will still have to produce them.) Further, to get a book to the stage where anyone would CARE to distribute it, in whatever venue, is a hugely time-consuming and costly affair–months and months and months of work. And we won’t get into the blood, sweat and tears part . . . or the fact that Amazon wants to bully everyone into one-stop shopping without bothering to pick up the trash in the aisles. (I’m talking about books getting one-star ratings on the basis of PRICE. PRICE. And no amount of hand-waving gets them to pull those kinds of reviews.)
Want to hear something interesting? Doctors . . . we’re ethically bound NOT to discuss what we charge with one another. Why? Gee, well, it’s called price-fixing. You, the individual doctor, set a price on the basis of what you think you’re worth (and overhead, etc.). If it’s too high–no one will come to see you (or can come to see you for long). If it’s too low, people will decide there must be something wrong with you. It’s all about relative perceived value–and value is a highly individual decision and dynamic. One of the most interesting conversations I had with the parent of a long-time patient was when she told me that I ought to raise my prices, not only because I would be in-line with what everyone else was charging (I didn’t know, of course, and wouldn’t dream of asking) but because she felt I was worth it.
Did I raise my prices? No. Because–to be very honest–while what she’d said was flattering, I really felt that my ear and my brain were only worth so much. Plus, when you’re a psychiatrist, that typically means people are seeing you pretty often, and that can be a huge drain. But I digress . . .
So, make every book the same? Wrong-o. Because they’re not. That’s like saying that a five-year-old’s painting is “worth” the same as a Rembrandt. (Yeah, but, gee, aren’t they both paintings? Hmm . . . a real head-scratcher there.) Some books ARE worth more than others–and the ones that are I will happily pay for, just as I know that a wonderful meal at the local Thai place is WORTH more–was tended more, given more care, more imagination–than, oh, Burger King. When I want a Whopper, I know where to find it.
Currently reading Hate List by Jennifer Brown
