Publishers: Take my Money. Please.
Disclaimer: This is a rant from a consumer’s point of view. No wait, a pissed off consumer’s point of view.
Dear Publishers:
As one of your very best customers who routinely buys multiple books each month, you should care what I think, right?
So, here goes: Stop making me feel as if I’m doing something wrong – something lesser – when I buy an eBook. That’s exactly how I feel when you:
- Hold back an eBook release date until after a print book is published.
- Eliminate any discounts – the kind of discounts found everywhere on print books – by your stupid Agency Pricing model.
- And, God forbid, charge more for an eBook than a print book. What – I mean what the hell – are […]
I have a confession to make. In the past month, I bought more collectible anthologies than I should from Cemetery Dance, a small press specializing in horror. When I signed up for their newsletter, I wasn’t expecting this, not when so many publisher newsletters give me the doldrums. Whoops. Before you knew it, I had ordered several gorgeous hardcovers. They enticed me from right off the bat with phrases words like “72% off” and “Free book” right in the subject lines. Usually, I hate it when companies fill my inbox with lots of offers, but I couldn’t wait to see what they were offering next. Who wants to be left behind?
I’ve reached the end of my rope here.