check out this interesting __Post by Jim Henley over at Unqualified offerings__

describes profit margins for publishers/authors/retailers (like amazon). compares “Hot New Hardcover” vs e-ebooks of the same. its a lot of detailed info and it took me twice through to truely follow the complicated breakdown.

comments carried below were also very insightful.

also check __The Business of America is Spats__ also by Jim. more of a point by point break down of the current amazon/macmillan debacle, but helps frame his money post.

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why do i have to be addicted to pulp in this manner. it would all be so much easier if i wasnt. the last time i moved, i found that 75% of my boxes were nothing but media, cds/books/dvds/records.

i wish i could trust that ultimately, the change from pulp to electron is not going to kill the book as we know it. either through watered down releases, lack of expansive catelogues, high prices for less product, i fear for my favorite media.

let alone my two biggest fears..

1) self publishing and the inherent lack of eyes helping create well edited and readable end results. this will inevitably become a norm, increasing the amount of garbage available, and causing the best seller lists to become even more the industry bible than it is now. (wow, run on sentence :) )

2) my own piratical nature and easily swayed pocket book.. right now, i drop 30-60$ in pulp a month. imagine how much i would save if my brain began rationalize ebooks as i now rationalize mp3/xvid/variations. physical media stops that nature, but how long has it been since i bought a cd?

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image used without permission (guardian.co.uk – archives)