Thursday, January 15, 2015
In late 2014, Amazon and the
publishing house Hachette settled a months-long dispute over who should
set the price for e-books. In Amazon’s view, lower prices mean more
sales and more readers, and that benefits everyone. But for publishers,
the price of an e-book must reflect the investment made, from the
author’s advance to a book’s production. The conflict, resolved for now,
has only raised more questions about the value of books, Amazon’s
business practices, and the role of publishers. Is book publishing an
oligopoly, a dinosaur in need of disruption? Is Amazon, which accounts
for 41% of all new book and 67% of all e-book sales, a monopoly? Who is
doing right by readers and the future of books?
Source.
