Kevin couldn’t understand why Amazon charged $29.95 for the digital version of Confessions of a Butcher when the paperback cost only $11.95. Amazon tried to gussy up the Kindle edition by offering what looked like a steep 45% discount, but the digital edition still cost $5 more than the print edition. Even the author’s wife chimed in to Amazon’s discussion forum to pan the discrepancy, adding, “what’s really ridiculous is that we sell more ebooks at $20 than we do new paperbacks for $11.95.”

Kevin writes:

I was looking to buy confessions of a butcher and at the time the “digital list price” was 29.9.95. With the “45%” discount it was still 5+ USD more for a kindle copy. I posted a comment and asked the Author to speak to Amazon, long story short the author (through his wife) responded they thought it was the pits as well but there was a happy ending when Amazon ended up reducing the cost down to 10.76, still not great for a limited use e-book but good enough for me! So the moral is if you have a reasonable complaint, Amazon listens (at least in the case).

Amazon is heavily discounting the price of eBooks to spur Kindle sales, but eBooks won’t always be so cheap. Writing over at Slate, Farhad Manjoo warns that if the Kindle becomes as ubiquitous as the iPod, eBooks, which can’t be shared, traded, or resold, may soon cost more than their print counterparts. “As the master of the e-book universe,” Manjoo claims, “Amazon will eventually call the shots on pricing, marketing, and everything else associated with the new medium.”

Can you see yourself paying $30 for an eBook anytime soon?

Confessions of a Butcher-eat steak on a hamburger budget and save$$$ (Paperback) [Amazon]
$29.95 digital list price are you kidding me?!?!?! [Amazon Customer Discussions]
Fear the Kindle [Slate]

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