I had an idea.

I think it might even be a relatively good one… maybe even a great one.

But then again…I could be wrong.

Anyway.  Here’s my idea.

One thing publishers really should have started doing, from the beginning, was getting readers to their sites to buy ebooks.  This cuts down on the middle men sites like Amazon, Sony (although yes, I love my Sony store and I’ll pay a few dollars *a few* dollars more total to avoid hitting two or three or five different places), Diesel, etc, etc, etc. and since they aren’t paying the distributor, they are able to keep more of the profit, which they could then pass on to the reader-maybe they could even keep those ebook costs at or close to $9.99.  The distributors take about a 30% cut, I think.  Not sure on stats, but I think.

But now, people are used to going to places like Amazon, or they’ll get used to going to the Nook store with BN.com, etc, etc.

Maybe what the major publishers (AKA The Big 6) should consider doing?  Developing their own Readers.  Maybe subcontract with Sony or the makers of the Nook-but please, be foreward thinking and do not make the reader to where it would only read books from their respective publishers-they will not sell that well. I’m a Nora Roberts/JD Robb whore and even I am not going to buy a dedicated ebook reader that would only allow me to read books from her publisher.  I like lots and lots of options.  Readers need lots and lots of options.

This reader/publisher idea thing could offer them that, and it would be in a way that could benefit publishers, authors and readers.

Why would this be a good idea?

Well, if publishers develop their own readers, they could use that as a way to get readers to check out ‘their’ ebook stores.   They’d make money through the ebook readers, and it would also serve as a platform to draw attention to the fact that you can buy ebooks through the publisher sites.  Granted, this isn’t going to work all that well unless pubs offer the ebooks at more reasonable prices.

Perhaps they could offer a running promotion that people who own ‘the pub ebook reader’ get an ongoing 30% discount on any titles purchased through their ebookstore. Vendors get a discount anyway, so why not pass that to those who hit their stores?

Maybe the publishers could start offering ‘bundled’ discounts-say five of JD Robb’s In Death books at 20-25% discount in general, and those who have the ‘publisher’ reader could get the bundle at a 35% discount… I dunno, something reasonable, certainly, but give them a reason to check out the publisher’s ebook store.

Harlequin is awesome about offering bundles, it looks like.  Other pubs could start offering this sort of thing and it could get readers to start checking out the ebooks on their sites, rather than through the E-tailers.  Build up a relationship with the ebook customers-give them the discount you’d give the vendors.

Readers would probably love it.  Publishers could still turn the profit they need and it could be another step toward adjusting to the changing digital marketplace.