99 Cent eBooks

Thanks to kadymae for calling attention to this item:

Crime Writer Makes a Killing With 99 Cent E-Books

As I was discussing with baker_kitty and rpm45, the prospect of very low-priced books really challenges publishers to be clear about what they're selling.

Many readers might think that the majority cost of the book is in the physical aspects, namely the printing, materials and distribution. This leads to the notion that eBooks should be cheaper because they aren't physical. However, this completely overlooks the cost of editorial and copyediting.

Personally, I'm prepared to pay for a well-edited book, but are publishers going to be savvy enough to sell the value of these services?

Aside: The 99-cent price point is brilliant. It's the iconic price of an iTunes song.