Authors pan Amazon's buy-by-the-page program
Consumers are cheering Amazon.com's new program enabling readers to purchase single pages or chapters of a book, and why not? Who wants to pay $24.95 for the whole book if you only need one chapter?
The reaction among authors is more circumspect. What if a self-publisher already features sample chapters on his Web site? If a reader can then cherry-pick the rest of the book from Amazon, they won't need to buy the whole thing.
You can bet Amazon is getting inundated with inquiries from authors who are believe the program is already live. In fact, just an announcement was made, with no specifics on pricing or how revenues will be split with publishers. Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos said the cost for most books would be "a few cents per page" although specialized reference works would cost more.
Publishers who are interested in participating can inquire at the address digitalbooks@amazon.com.
The announcement featured two programs: Amazon Pages, in which customers will be able to buy portions of a book for online viewing, and a separate program, Amazon Upgrade, where buyers will be able to access the full online text of a book after buying the hard-copy edition.
The cost of Amazon Upgrade would likely be "small," Bezos said, such as $1.99 extra for online viewing of a $20 book.
Meanwhile, Random House also said it plans to work with online booksellers, search engines, and portals to offer the contents of its books on a buy-by-the-page model. Up to 5 percent of book pages will be available as sample page views. After that pages will cost four cents. Special reference works and cookbooks would cost more, perhaps 25 cents a page, Random House says.
It seems that Amazon is having a hard time keeping up with Google these days. The search giant is also reportedly developing an eat-by-the-page program.
Self-publishing authors have seen past Amazon initiatives such as "Search Inside the Book" as beneficial because they have spurred book sales. They will likely take a wait-and-see attitude toward "Amazon Pages."
New in paperback: The Home-Based Bookstore: Start Your Own Business Selling Used Books on Amazon, eBay or Your Own Web Site (by Steve Weber)
The reaction among authors is more circumspect. What if a self-publisher already features sample chapters on his Web site? If a reader can then cherry-pick the rest of the book from Amazon, they won't need to buy the whole thing.
You can bet Amazon is getting inundated with inquiries from authors who are believe the program is already live. In fact, just an announcement was made, with no specifics on pricing or how revenues will be split with publishers. Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos said the cost for most books would be "a few cents per page" although specialized reference works would cost more.
Publishers who are interested in participating can inquire at the address digitalbooks@amazon.com.
The announcement featured two programs: Amazon Pages, in which customers will be able to buy portions of a book for online viewing, and a separate program, Amazon Upgrade, where buyers will be able to access the full online text of a book after buying the hard-copy edition.
The cost of Amazon Upgrade would likely be "small," Bezos said, such as $1.99 extra for online viewing of a $20 book.
Meanwhile, Random House also said it plans to work with online booksellers, search engines, and portals to offer the contents of its books on a buy-by-the-page model. Up to 5 percent of book pages will be available as sample page views. After that pages will cost four cents. Special reference works and cookbooks would cost more, perhaps 25 cents a page, Random House says.
It seems that Amazon is having a hard time keeping up with Google these days. The search giant is also reportedly developing an eat-by-the-page program.
Self-publishing authors have seen past Amazon initiatives such as "Search Inside the Book" as beneficial because they have spurred book sales. They will likely take a wait-and-see attitude toward "Amazon Pages."
New in paperback: The Home-Based Bookstore: Start Your Own Business Selling Used Books on Amazon, eBay or Your Own Web Site (by Steve Weber)
posted by Steve Weber at 11/08/2005
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