[skw]

Do publishers and authors not looks at statistics? I'm sorry but ebooks aren't even close to the same value as print books. I have an idea of the production costs involved. Not to mention that with ebooks you're saving trees and reaching larger audiences. If the mobile app market shows us anything it's that micro-transactions are the way to go. Either sell your books for <4.99 or sell your books by the chapter (eg: 99c per chapter, if your book is actually engaging).

That or an unlimited book (library) subscription fee. Like job says piracy is going to occur if you don't make content accessible, and in the country I reside in (Canada), it's largely inaccessible.

[Erwin]

My Kindle books hold higher value for me than physical hardcover books (and also cheaper comparing to buying an imported paperback let alone hardcover). There's convenience in getting the book you want at any time and not having to store them. Distribution is also far more efficient.

Sentimental value of looking at the shelve and resale/lending are the only advantages physical books have. When I'm near Foyle's in London I buy any signed edition of authors I like, but other than that it's Kindle + Safari Online for me.

The author's work is the valuable part. I wouldn't support lowering the prices anymore for any established authors.

However the eBook market is a great opportunity for new artists -- take the "Hunger Games".

[makerops]

The preview book feature alone makes it 100 times more valuable than a traditional book imo.

[brown9-2]

Of course they know the economics of the situation. What they have been attempting to do is to cement a price point for eBooks in their customer's heads so that they can continue to charge $10, $14, $16 etc for a megabyte of text for a new release. I think they've been successful so far.

Just because they are doing something illogical doesn't mean they are stupid; they are doing it to make more profits.