L. McMaken
12-30-11
Cincinnati, OH
If you received a much coveted eReader for the holidays, you won’t be happy to discover the price of eBooks is on the rise. In a move by the six major publishers to set eBook prices, many eBook titles now cost more than their print counterparts. For example Fall of Giants by Ken Follett’s in paperback is selling for $16.50, while his eBook edition is running $18.99.
Why? According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the late Steve Jobs is to blame. With the release of his iPad, he convinced publishers to set their own prices for eBooks, instead of wholesaling them to retailers like Amazon. Another explanation is the explosion in eBook piracy. Like theft in retail outlets, the publishers need to recoup losses from eBook theft by charging higher prices to consumers.
