MSGID: 2:221/1.58@fidonet ea9176e4   
   REPLY: 1:153/757.26 03d57ff5   
   PID: OpenXP/5.0.47 (Win32)   
   CHRS: ASCII 1   
   TZUTC: -0500   
   Hello Charles!   
      
   ** On Wednesday 18.11.20 - 21:45, Charles Pierson wrote to August Abolins:   
      
    CP> I know the price is from the publisher. I understand how all of that   
    CP> works. I have been on enough writers mail lists to pick up on that.   
      
    CP> My point is still valid. They set the price because there are people that   
    CP> will pay that price.   
      
   The retail price for the new vanity book by Barack Obama is     
   set at $55CDN.  I have people resisting to pay the full price     
   because they boast that Amazon is selling for $20.  Are you     
   suggesting that it is therefore poor business choice to stock     
   the book if I am not willing to sell at the same loss as     
   Amazon?   
      
      
    AA>> shops have simply given up - and far too early IMHO - when the   
    AA>> the ereader was introduced around year 2006.   
      
    CP> Here, I think B&N chased everyone off.   
      
   I think if some of the independents had rallied together (for     
   support and promotional ideas) they might still be around.   
      
      
    AA>> ..The total startup cost   is substantial - for me.   
    AA>> There are yearly fees to keep the system going.   
      
    CP> I've looked into online stores. It's painful.   
      
   The covid lockdown has not helped the matter. It has driven me     
   into 5-figures of debt - instantly.  It is not an easy peasy     
   solution to just pay for and configure an online presence     
   overnight.   
      
      
    AA>> Explain to me how could I sell at below cost (to compete with   
    AA>> the 4-letter companies) and maintain the fees for an online   
    AA>> ordering system.   
      
    CP> You can't you can't do their volume.   
      
   Ah.. there is another misconception.  I *can* do the volume of     
   the big guys if I wanted. First, I would need extended     
   storage.  Then, I can send back the copies that do not sell     
   (within a deadline set by the publisher.)  In truth, Amazon is     
   making money from other products, not the books. They are     
   simply undercutting the traditional independent book store,     
   upselling memberships for their music/movie streaming, the     
   yearly fee membership for even more apparent discounts and     
   free shipping, and simply returning unsold copies to the     
   publishers.   
      
   I told my agents that I can do the same thing - if they want     
   to process a whole pile of returns every month for every book.   
      
   I asked them.. compared to me and other independents, from     
   whom do they process the majority of overstock?  The answer     
   was not surprising.   
      
   Amazon orders overstock. That makes them look like a good     
   customer to the publisher for an order. But the quantities of     
   returns gets little scrutiny.   
   --   
     ../|ug   
      
   --- OpenXP 5.0.47   
    * Origin: Mobile? COFFEE_KLATSCH = https://tinyurl.com/y56r9f2o (2:221/1.58)   
   SEEN-BY: 1/123 90/1 105/81 120/340 123/131 124/5016 154/10 203/0 221/1   
   SEEN-BY: 221/6 360 226/30 227/114 702 229/101 424 426 452 664 1016   
   SEEN-BY: 230/0 240/5411 5824 5832 5853 249/206 317 400 280/464 5003   
   SEEN-BY: 292/854 310/31 317/3 320/219 322/757 342/200 396/45 423/81   
   SEEN-BY: 423/120 712/848 770/1 2452/250   
   PATH: 221/1 280/464 240/5832 229/426