Rod "RJ" Moore

A current WIRED magazine piece, "Why Do E-books Cost So Much," initially made me react with anger. As an author, I see that publishing has a challenging future. However, with the advance of e-readers, the prospects of e-books are better than ever. But pricing e-books has been a source of contention since their introduction (more…)

This is a follow-up to my last post about Apple's iPad and ebook pricing.

   In case you missed it (yeah, right), Apple's iPad will be $499 minimum. So, the price of a PC notebook. Lower than anticipated, but still not chump change. Seeing how Kindle's are selling, I think the iPad could become the killer e-reader. (My wife will get one first since I got the MacBook).
   In addition, ebooks in Apple's digital bookstore will be priced from $12.99 to $14.99, but bestsellers will likely stay at the magic $9.99 price. Good news or bad news? Good news for authors and publishers. After all, if you have a bestseller, a (more…)

   The countdown is on for the announcement of the much anticipated Apple Tablet. As an author, my hope is that the Tablet will do for publishing what the iPod has done for music. That is, boost interest with a new digital platform. After all, iTunes is the number one seller of music in the world.
   However, I do have mixed feeling since I’m not happy with the pricing or royalty split of most electronic books. Seems the consensus is $9.99. In anticipation of Apple’s Tablet, the behemoth Amazon.com has backed off of their hard-line policy with authors and publishers. Last week Amazon.com announced a 70% royalty option for Kindle Books beginning June 30, 2010.
   Either way, publishing needs a shot in the arm. Bigtime. Bookstore sales peaked in 2005, according to the Census Bureau, and have fallen since then. Last year’s sales are much worse. So, I’m hoping Apple’s Tablet won’t be too expensive which would increase the barrier of entry. Seems like the iPod Touch would be a good price point. And it would be competitive with other e-readers. Comments?