I’m someone who has always purchased Hardbacks for those authors that I really like. So, I have no objections to paying more for a new release ebook up front (it’s still cheaper than the paper version), than I’d pay for one later, or about the time it would hit paperback.

The author has worked very hard to produce a product that I enjoy and that takes me to another world, and deserves my thanks, gratitude, and money for giving me that enjoyment!

Amazon has definitely turned into a big corporate bully flexing its muscles to force anyone that does business with it to conform to its rules, or else it’s just not going to let you play on its playground. Walmart has done something similar. Smaller manufacturers can’t get Walmart to carry it’s products because they can’t afford to jump through Walmart’s hoops and meet their requirements they force on their suppliers.

So, I say avoid the bullies and play with the nice kids down the block!

Most of them are not willing to understand either that Amazon is doing the bullying or that ebooks are not free to create.

I won’t go into DRM, save to say I’m more on Scalzi and Buckell’s side than yours.

For example, I use eReader. Secure eReader books have to be unlocked with the credit card number that was used to purchase the book (something people are unlikely to share). There is no restriction on the number of devices I can use. I have gone through at least 6 hardware devices (handspring, 3-4 palms, ipod touch, and now a blackberry storm) and I haven’t had to mess with activating or deactivating those devices. If the device is functional when I finish with it (not always a given), I just delete the old content before passing it on. That is what I consider reasonable DRM protection.

The Kindle is too restrictive for my tastes. Hardware choices are limited and I have to worry about the number of devices I have activated. I also have to worry about Amazon yanking a title from the device.

I am an honest person who agrees that artists and authors deserve to get paid for their work, so I have no interest in stealing or sharing what I buy. I find it immensely frustrating when my responsible behavior is rewarded by being forced to jump through too many hoops, and I make my purchases accordingly. This is why I buy online music from eMusic and Amazon rather than iTunes, and why I buy ebooks from fictionwise and ereader but not mobipocket or amazon.

I don’t want to start anything in the comments, and I’m not lining up my guns to take you down. I’m a consumer, primarily, and it’s a topic I find interesting.

Perhaps this is in your blog archives somewhere and I’ve not seen it? If not, I would find it interesting to hear a fully reasoned response to those who think that DRM is the next spawn of pick-your-devil.

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/108723/e-book-pricing-put-into-turmoil

That was interesting and adds to the story.

I wonder if I should call my broker

Agree w/ all points about Amazonfail – and it’s not like Amazon US is the only division, I’ve heard AmazonUK tried this with Animal Farm, of all books.

Interesting point bringing up the DRM argument – I agree with YOU. As my husband puts it, DRM is to keep the honest people honest and the lazy people lazy. It’s not like the music industry where CD’s were DRM free, so you could argue that eversions ought to be. A book cannot be shared simultaneously like a CD, there’s no precedent for going DRM-free. It’d be suicide.