New FAQ Addresses Tough Questions About Google eBooks Pricing

Since the launch of Google eBooks™ earlier this week, the most common questions asked by participating IndieCommerce stores are about pricing, especially as it relates to titles from publishers that have not adopted an agency model. To help answer booksellers’ questions, the FAQ “Tough Questions and Answers about Google eBooks Pricing” [1] has been added to the resources available on IndieCommerce.com [2]. (An IndieCommerce user name and password is required to access the FAQ.)

Among the questions answered on the FAQ are:

• Why do some e-books on the Google website appear at much lower prices than they appear on our website?
• How much money do I earn on Google eBooks?
• How do I know how much discount I’m earning on a specific non-agency title?
• How do I change the price of an individual Google eBook or groups of e-books?
• Does ABA or the IndieCommerce program have any recommendations on how best to promote Google eBooks?

The FAQ emphasizes that “by law, ABA and IndieCommerce cannot recommend how to price specific books. Nor, by law, can two booksellers discuss specific prices.”

However, the FAQ also states:  “Generally speaking, it is ABA’s view that in today’s hyper-competitive market, rather than focusing on building margin in e-books sales, indie bookstores are best served by focusing efforts on building market share. [ABA] encourage[s] you to examine your business model and to consider offering your customers at least some value as it relates to price.”