Amazon dropping book prices

[damian_steele]

It's not even available until after 2 Aug 2012 but Amazon are already dropping the price of the next TimeRiders book.

TimeRiders: City of Shadows (Book 6)
by Alex Scarrow
Price dropped 19% (was £6.10)
£4.89



This is great news for those who have little money yet want to place an order, but it really doesn't do much for the author's royalties.

Doesn't it occur to these people that if authors can't get a decent return for their work many of them will stop writing? Despite what most people think the usual income for authors is not very much and when Amazon drop the price of the book they also cut the amount of royalties the author gets.

Clearly the financial welfare of the author is not high on Amazon's list of priorities.

What do you think?

Does it matter that authors get less in royalties?
Do you care if some authors stop writing?
Will there always be people willing to put in a huge amount of time and effort to produce new work even if it only sells for a couple of pounds?
Would you pay more for a book so that the author can get a decent royalty?

[crafters_corner]

Afraid I am not that altruistic. If I can buy a book on Amazon at a price that suits me, then the author's royalties don't figure in the equation.

[suesjools]

Afraid I am not that altruistic. If I can buy a book on Amazon at a price that suits me, then the author's royalties don't figure in the equation.

Have to second this one; of course being unemployed and watching my pennies does figure into the equation as well.

Not sure about real authors, but as an avid blogger (fiction, non fiction and poetry) I don't get paid for my efforts, though I write anyhow, because I love to write and share my ideas with others. I'm pretty sure some published/real authors feel this way, too, though I'm also pretty sure a certain (maybe larger) percentage are about the bottom line, just like the rest of us.

Best wishes for many sales to all,

[bykimbo]

Amazon wouldn't drop the price if they didn't think it would increases sales, so the authors should end up getting as much or more money. If they thought the market could bear a higher price they'd darn well charge it.

[damian_steele]

Amazon wouldn't drop the price if they didn't think it would increases sales, so the authors should end up getting as much or more money. If they thought the market could bear a higher price they'd darn well charge it.

Amazon drop prices to ensure that people buy from them and not their competitors. They get away with it because, like many other large retailers, they can use their bulk buying power to force a lower price from their supplier. The supplier, in this case a publisher, makes less money per book but is guaranteed to shift a large number of copies to the wholesaler - Amazon. However, the author only gets their royalties when those copies sell at retail level, not wholesale and only gets a small percentage of the final selling price. Therefore when Amazon drive the price down they are stopping the book from selling elsewhere at a higher price AND are taking money out of the pockets of the people who did the hard work in the first place - the authors.

I have heard from a number of authors who feel quite upset by Amazon's practices.

[bykimbo]

Amazon drop prices to ensure that people buy from them and not their competitors. They get away with it because, like many other large retailers, they can use their bulk buying power to force a lower price from their supplier. The supplier, in this case a publisher,

Yeah, fair point.

makes less money per book but is guaranteed to shift a large number of copies to the wholesaler - Amazon. However, the author only gets their royalties when those copies sell at retail level, not wholesale and only gets a small percetage of the final selling price. Therefore when Amazon drive the price down they are stopping the book from selling elsewhere at a higher price AND are taking money out of the pockets of the people who did the hard work in the first place - the authors.

I have heard from a number of authors who feel quite upset by Amazon's practices.

Well, they would. I'd like to get paid more for working in shops too, but round here there aren't many jobs, the retailers don't make fortunes (generally), the economy is pants and wishes ain't horses. If you'll pardon a drifting metaphor.

[JanetB]

Yeah, fair point.


Well, they would. I'd like to get paid more for working in shops too, but round here there aren't many jobs, the retailers don't make fortunes (generally), the economy is pants and wishes ain't horses. If you'll pardon a drifting metaphor.

I have to smile at that remark, never heard it before.

[madelaine]

I heard it suggested recently that the price of books as set by the publisher now factors in the discount which Amazon will demand.

[bykimbo]

I heard it suggested recently that the price of books as set by the publisher now factors in the discount which Amazon will demand.

Figures.

[madelaine]

And most authors make little or nothing (she says, married to someone whose first book is now out in a Kindle version - his sales haven't yet covered his, miserable, advance)