Let's Shake Up the Publishing Industry!

Robin Spano

Yesterday, I was reading this guest post over at Coffee and a Book Chick's Blog written by Robin Spano, author of Dead Politician Society, and I just could not believe my eyes! A published author was writing this?!? So, of course I had to comment, and tweet about it, and then have this twitter conversation with Natalie at Coffee & a Book Chick's Blog and then what to my wondering eyes should appear? An email from Robin offering to write my own guest post! 

I'm honored and privileged to be bringing to you (twice in one year too!) the incredibly talented, Robin Spano. 

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My publisher has priced the ebook version of my mystery novel at $10.99, which is the current standard for new releases.

I think the standard is too high. It can't be loaned, it can't be signed, and the production costs are significantly lower. I asked my publisher if he'd consider lowering the price, to something like $4.99.

He said no. His main issue is devaluing literature. He's a book lover, and so is everyone at ECW Press. They don't want to sell their writers short, which I appreciate. They also don't think people buy books based on price. They felt that their original price was fair.

I was expecting the no, but I wasn't expecting the but. They didn't say go away, you writer with your big ideas for how we should run our business. They said, we'll show you why we're right.

For one week – since Monday Dec. 6 – Dead Politician Society has been $1.99 at Kindle, Kobo, and iBooks. ECW has tried this with other books, with zero impact on sales.

Their idea is that by the end of the week I'll agree with them. They think sales won't jump and I'll understand that price isn't a major factor in how people shop for books.

I said okay, you show me. My idea is to show them that sales will increase. I'd like sales to increase enough that they conclude maybe their price is too high, industry standard or not.

Because here's the thing – I think the industry standard is a false one, set by scared publishers at the advent of the ebook revolution. I think the big houses were scared of ebooks robbing print sales, putting them out of business. And I think that if they remain scared – and keep prices high – that mentality will  put them out of business.

Ebook sales are growing – they've just hit 8.7% of the market share.  I think it's time to shake the standard up. And I think the way to do it is through open-minded smaller presses – like mine, who are actually interested in the results of this experiment.

The preliminary results are interesting. Sales have jumped – enough that we're all taking notice. They haven't skyrocketed, but that's cool – I'm a new unknown writer from a small Canadian press who's been on shelves for 3 months - it would be weird if they did skyrocket. But the blogosphere has been amazing – book-lovers like Stacy have seen the challenge and been interested enough to help me spread the word.

Comment sections have been exciting. There are so many sides to this argument – each sector of the industry is affected by ebooks in a different way. On Coffee and a Book Chick, Bella's Bookshelves, Chrisbookarama, Daisy Chain Book Review, Deadly Letters, and Cultural Constellations, discussions are alive with every topic from the horrible impact on independent bookstores to which e-reader is the best machine.

I would love to think that this week's challenge will help push the industry in the direction I'd like to see it go –  lower standard ebook pricing for new releases. I know it probably won't, but I also know that in a time when everything's in flux, it's the perfect time for voices like ours to be heard.

Let's shape this industry together.

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Thank you Robin! I could not agree more. 

And she may not have said it in so many words, but I will for her, go on and buy Dead Politician Society, right now, and hurry.....while you can get it for $1.99!!! And prove her right! Not only that, it's a mighty fine book too! My review is here. Robin's first guest post at A Novel Source is here. And Robin - you just totally rock as a woman, an author and as an advocate for ebooks and pricing wars!

Robin Spano grew up in Toronto, studied physics in New Brunswick, and dropped out to explore North America on her motorcycle. She met her husband while working as a waitress and helped him run his Toronto pool room until they moved to Vancouver. She writes full time, plotting murder and living vicariously through her undercover protagonist.

Book One in The Clare Vengel Undercover Novels

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Twitter: @Robin_Spano
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