Easy – they are damn near giving it away:
Walmart.com dropped price from list price of $28.99 to $10, then to $9 and below as other retailers matched it. On October 15, Walmart.com began offering preorders of Going Rogue, along with nine other new book releases, for $10. After Amazon.com reportedly matched the price, Walmart.com “str[uck] back, slashing its prices to $9” [AOL Daily Finance, 10/16/09]. Amazon also dropped its price to $9 [Buzzflash.com, 10/19/09]. Target.com joined in the price war, prompting Walmart.com to drop its price further [The New Yorker, 11/9/09]. By November 5, Walmart.com was selling the book for $8.98, Target.com was selling it for $8.99, and Amazon was selling it for $9. The respective retailers were still selling the book at those prices as of November 16. All three retailers give the book’s list price as $28.99. Screen shots of the November 5 prices are below:
Likewise, while watching MSNBC this morning, in one hour I saw a Newsmax commercial air four different times offering the book for $4.99. This is how so many conservative authors become best sellers – they give away their product. Don’t be fooled by all the hype, because that’s exactly what it is.