@ MPA: Is A Short Story Equal To The Price Of A Cup Of Starbucks’ Coffee?
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While consumers have shown some early acceptance of paying for content on Amazon’s Kindle, the big question is whether publishers can charge enough to make money. The even bigger “if” implicit in that question is figuring what’s the right price. Our Staci D. Kramer moderated a late morning panel at the MPA’s 24/7 Digital Conference on the “e-reading revolution” and asked Maria Streshinsky, Deputy Managing Editor for The Atlantic, which is selling individual short stories and packaging it for Amazon’s Kindle. Kramer noted that she had downloaded Christopher Buckley’s 15,000-word Cynara for $3.99.
While it’s great to have the instant access to an original short story like this, wouldn’t consumers be hesitant to buy more because of the price, which is practically half that of an average e-book sold for the Kindle. Streshinsky: “We’re just getting started, but we are making money on this. As for the price, we have to start by valuing content. We believe a 15,000-word story by someone as notable as Christopher Buckley is at least equal to a Starbucks coffee.”
Sean Nolan, Vice President, Online Operations and External Online Marketing, Rodale, talked about the varied pricing of the publisher’s mobile apps. Asked how the company determines the right price, Nolan said that it was mostly a matter of experimentation. “Ultimately, advertising and sponsorship of the apps will help determine the price of these products,” he said.
Posted In: Media & Publishing, Books, e-readers, Events, 247 digital
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