Where to go for best buys.

While browsing through Amazon and B&N, I noticed the prices of novels these days are on the rise. I've also noticed that a lot of sites are cropping up on the Internet that promise 'below cover price' purchases.


However, there's an oft overlooked site with easy access that often sells novels at a discount: this is the publisher's site. For instance: most of my publishers sell my novels on their sites at a discounted rate to lure consumers into visiting the sites to buy novels. This is an excellent selling plan because once consumers are there, they might see novels by other authors that are appealing.


With prices rising higher than raises on paychecks, everyone has to cut corners today without sacrificing their wants and needs. While they might not need books and novels to exist, they do want to read them. Most publishers are making purchases even more economical on their sites by featuring downloadable eBooks. These downloadables are copies of the paperbacks and hard covers in electronic form. The advantage of purchasing eBooks lies in the selling prices. Most go for as little as $3-$4 and can be read on laptops and hand held devices, making them just as portable as a paperback or hard cover.


Authors, aware of the differences in pricing between the large Internet distributors and bookstores readily list their publishers as a purchasing reference. I know I do.


A word about Amazon: one of my closest and dearest friends is establishing a small press business in order to convert hard covers into paperbacks and thereby lower the prices on them as well. These are hard covers by known published authors. Prices are expected to be held at $12 each. However, in trying to deal with Amazon this friend was told by a rep from that company that the prices had to be raised to at least $25 for the products to sell on their site. Amazon wants to offer 40% discounts and cannot do this with novels and books in lower price ranges.


Is this possibly due to pressure from large publishing houses trying to put the small presses out of business? The top ten have already had an effect on brick and mortar booksstores when it comes to book signings. Managers are warned that if small press authors are allowed book signings, the top ten will remove their novels from that establishment--perhaps the entire chain if there is one.


The only way to beat this tight control by nervous publishers in the top ten is to find other ways to purchase small press novels. Think about my suggestions at the start of this article.