How is offering an e-book at $9.99 a loss? Given the much cheaper cost? This is a very good thing; let the retailers sell it for the price they want. The Agency model Apple put forth in collusion with the publishers has resulted in obnoxious and unfair pricing schemes for selling bits.
A simple lesson in basic business-
Do you believe that if I buy a book for say, $9 each and sell it for $10 that I made a one dollar profit?
If you answered yes then you don't understand business.
To go further, you would have to have the facts on the specific business, but in generic discussion, a business selling price is based on purchase price + Cost of goods sold + plus labor + Taxes + a whole assortment of other costs prorated to the number sold + profit. The profit may be reduced to zero but can never be less than zero. If the selling price is below the purchase price plus cost of goods sold and zero profit the business operates at a loss. The money to pay the costs comes usually from borrowed money or investors since it can't print money like the government.
The bottom line here you have no idea what the specific profit or loss of these books are since you don't have the facts to form an intelligent decision.
The point of collusion has not been determined and your accusation simply tells me you have tried the defendant with the press and news stories as your evidence.