# Price Discipline -- How we doing?



## ElaineOK (Jun 5, 2009)

During the Amazon/McMillan flap a while back a lot of us swore to never (or almost never) buy an ebook for more than $9.99.  I thought I would see how we are doing.

I went to the Kindle Bestsellers list and counted based on price:

$0 -- 51
Less than $9 -- 22
$9 - $9.99 -- 24
More than $9.99 -- 3

Sure, the freebies are there in droves, but 49 of the bestsellers are being paid for; and only 3 of those are more than $9.99.  Looks like maybe Amazon knew a thing or two about Kindlers' buying habits.

Elaine
Norman, OK


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

A friend at work has been raving about That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo for a few weeks now, so today I decided to look at it. Although the blurb is good, the Kindle book is $14.27 and the paperback is $10.20. I said to myself, "Nope, not even downloading the sample."

This is the first time I have actually been this swayed by price.

L


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## Bren S. (May 10, 2009)

I still haven't paid $9.99 for a book,the highest I've paid has been $5.
My absolute price point max is $9.99 and I will not go beyond that no matter what.
Consumers really are who will truly set the price of books, irregardless of what publishers may think.


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## planet_janet (Feb 23, 2010)

I won't pay more than $9.99 for Kindle books.  No way.  If there's something I want to read that's more expensive than $9.99, I'll get it from the library.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

I paid ~$15 for Janis Ian's autobiography which now, after two years, is down to $9.99. But I wanted to read it and for me, it was worth it. But that is the only book I've paid over $10 for and the vast majority of books I buy are $7 or less. 

L


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## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

Well, I just got my Kindle in January, but I haven't paid more than $9.99 for anything. I've bought two $9.99 three-book bundles, and two $9.99 bestsellers. The rest have all been much lower priced, and I've got a huge to-be-read list.


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## Boston (Nov 7, 2008)

I'm behaving but it isn't much fun. 

My mother was surprised to get her first shipment of books from me since we both got our kindles.  

Told her that I ended up buying them in paper because the Kindle prices were higher


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## ElaineOK (Jun 5, 2009)

I paid more than $9.99 once, but it was for work and buying it on paper would have been about $45.  The kindle version was $15.  I thought that was justifiable.  

Elaine
Norman, OK


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## pomlover2586 (Feb 14, 2009)

I've never purchased a Kindle book over 9.99 and I never will! LOL


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## Addie (Jun 10, 2009)

I've been good so far. I haven't bought anything over $9.99. Any book I want that is over that price I just put on my Jungle Search Price Drop List and wait. Although, I have to say I'm far more adamant about not buying ebooks priced higher than mmpb.

I really wanted to get The Wilderness Warrior, but it's $19.24. I know it's a super thick book, which I guess justifies a higher price, but the mmpb is $13.49! What really annoys me is that I know it was at $9.99 a while back, but I didn't buy it and just put it on a list to buy later because I wasn't really in the mood to read it. Now that I am in the mood, the price has doubled. Serves me right, I suppose. Although, I have so many books already bought that I need to read.
When I eventually get through a good chunk of the ones I have, I might go back and see where the price is and how I'm feeling.

I did nearly break down the other day and buy a book priced at $14.82. From Eternity to Here: The Quest for the Ultimate Theory of Time was featured on The Colbert Report, and I love those types of books. The hardcover is only $3 more. I almost bought it, but I think I'll actually just buy the hardcover. And it's not because I think the ebook price is outrageous (although, I do think it could be priced a little lower), but it's because I like having this genre in a physical format.

All that said, if there is a book that I feel I have to read right this minute, there's a good chance I'll pay a higher price (assuming the mmpb isn't lower priced, of course), but there aren't that many books I feel that way about.


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## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

I haven't paid over $9.99 for any Kindle fiction book.  I did pay more than that for 2 non-fiction books last year, but wouldn't do it again on principle.  Since I've had my Kindle I haven't bought any paper book and don't expect to from here on out.  Books that aren't available for the Kindle and books that are overpriced are ones I get from the library.


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## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

My general price limit is $9.99... I made an exception in January for my favorite author's new release at $14 because that's what I would have paid for the hardcover at Costco. I will *NEVER* pay more than that price for any book though, and will only rarely exceed my $10 limit.


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## TheSeagull (Oct 25, 2009)

See I will easily pay more than $9.99 for an ebook, maybe it's because of exchange rates but in the UK I'd be shocked to see a new book have a list price of what is £6.63 over here.


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## RiddleMeThis (Sep 15, 2009)

Since I have bought my Kindle in August, the only book I have paid more than $10 is Karen Marie Monings "Dreamfever" and would gladly do so again. But it is VERY rare that I will buy anything over $9.99. I am also not buying another book at $9.99 because I feel that is too expensive for what amounts to be just a novella.


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## MAGreen (Jan 5, 2009)

I did pay over $9.99, but it was a trilogy, so I don't think that counts! 
I usually pay less than $7. I have books that I watch for price drops and if they come down, I grab them. I have several that I have gotten very cheap or free because I waited! Eventually I wil have all of them!!! At least the ones I want...although my list just keeps growing...


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## Carol Collett (Oct 4, 2009)

I have not paid more than $9.99 for any ebook yet. I've put several that are more than that on my Wish List. When I got my Kindle I made a decision not to pay more than $9.99. Not because I think ebooks are worth less, just because I have a huge book habit and I have to have some boundaries to reign it in.   In fact, I think I've paid $9.99 maybe twice. I have a title on my Wish List right now that is $9.99 that if it doesn't come down in a week, I'll go ahead and buy.


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## jaspertyler (Feb 13, 2009)

The only books I have paid more than 9.99 for are professional books.


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## Ron (Feb 12, 2009)

I hope to retire in the next couple of years and am trying to tighten my budget.  I have many books that I purchased for $9.99 but have never paid more than that. In the past few months I have averaged less than $5.00 a book and have been very happy with these purchases.

I do believe that we can hurt the publishers more than they can hurt us. Ther are a number of books available that I would purchase if they were $9.99, but I will happily make do without these until they are reduced in price.


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## Lionspaw (Jan 4, 2010)

Sugar said:


> I still haven't paid $9.99 for a book,the highest I've paid has been $5.
> My absolute price point max is $9.99 and I will not go beyond that no matter what.
> Consumers really are who will truly set the price of books, irregardless of what publishers may think.


Same as above. I enjoy reading on the Kindle, but I'm very frugal when it comes to the prices. I love local used book stores and have a great public library, so sometimes I read on the K and sometimes I read books. Works fine for me.


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

I don't hold the $9.99 price as a total deal-breaker.  For me, the Kindle version must be less than the current print run of the book.  And I will not go out and purchase the print book if there is no Kindle version - I'll get it from the library.  I want those publishers to know that holding the electronic versions is not going to give them more print sales.
This means that I will be facing an interesting dilemma next month.  Both Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark will have new books out and right now, there is still no indication of a Kindle version being available.  Last year, I had already pre-ordered the K versions.  These are two of my instant-read authors and it's going to be hard not to purchase the print books if I get on a long waiting list at the library.


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## Prazzie (Oct 25, 2009)

I've only bought Kindle books above $9.99.  For us international Kindlers, the $9.99 bestsellers cost $11.99.  My last three purchases cost me $11.99, $11.99 and $16.30.  It's still cheaper and more convenient than buying books from the bookstore.


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

I have only bought two books at $9.99 in almost a year and a half.  
Since the MacMillan fiasco I have not bought any MacMillan authors. 
I made a list of the books I had on my shopping list and I went to 
Half-Price books a couple of weeks ago.  I found two hardbacks for
$4.00 each.  
I've been tempted this week to buy a Janet Evanovich e-boo,  The K price is
only $1.00 more than the paperback, but since she is a MacMillan author I think
I'll be getting this one at the library.
deb


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## Jo (Jul 18, 2009)

The most I have paid is $9.99 and that was for a bundle. My range seems to be $5-$7. Lately I have been reading an authors back list books and they have only been in the $3-$4 range. I think in the long run Kindle owners buying habits will speak loud and clear and the prices will come down.


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## Lynn2010 (Jan 2, 2010)

I paid $7.96 for a Kindle book yesterday which is the most expensive one I've bought in the slightly over 2 months I've had my Kindle. 

I also bought several paperbacks this week from a local store.  I'll use the Kindle when the books are reasonable and hit the used book store when they are not. 

Under no circumstances will I pay as much for a Kindle book as Amazon is charging for a paperback or hardback.


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## Flechette (Nov 6, 2009)

Andra said:


> I don't hold the $9.99 price as a total deal-breaker. For me, the Kindle version must be less than the current print run of the book. And I will not go out and purchase the print book if there is no Kindle version - I'll get it from the library. I want those publishers to know that holding the electronic versions is not going to give them more print sales.
> This means that I will be facing an interesting dilemma next month. Both Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark will have new books out and right now, there is still no indication of a Kindle version being available. Last year, I had already pre-ordered the K versions. These are two of my instant-read authors and it's going to be hard not to purchase the print books if I get on a long waiting list at the library.


Pretty much where I am ^ tho I have a cut off of $11.99 for must read, unless I get over-riden by hubby as in Jim Bucher has one coming out and it's $12.61--- that's close enough..

lol strangely enough that doesn't work on him when I try it--- still we both read Jim Butcher so I justify it as one of us saving money for not buying a book ;-}

The next House of Night book is due out later this year-- until very recently it was the same price ebook and print versions $8.50 -- yesterday the print version jumped to $9.71 soo mixed feeling on this one - love the series, is under $9.99, but is MacMillian (I think) and print price close if not the same depending on the time of day


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## JCBeam (Feb 27, 2009)

I haven't paid more than my $9.99 ceiling either, but the majority of my books were free.  I did however, pre-order "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" @ the Kindle price of $10.35; I so badly want to read this the moment it is available, I felt the $.36 over my price limit justified it.  Then again it's published by Knopf.


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## dnagirl (Oct 21, 2009)

I haven't bought anything over $9.99 and I won't.


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## ellesu (Feb 19, 2009)

I've found that $7 is pretty much my limit.  Through the years (before Kindle) I got used to waiting on paperbacks because I rarely was willing to pay hard cover prices, so I can wait for a drop in Kindle prices.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

I have to be completely honest and say that I'm not thrilled about paying more than $9.99, but if there is a book that I really want on my Kindle, I'll buy it. My daughters and I share an account, and if I buy a book that we all 3 want to read, we've certainly saved a good deal of money collectively by not buying two or three copies of the book in hardback or even paperback form. We live 100 miles apart (my daughters are about 4 miles away from each other), and the K2 books allow the three of us to read a book simultaneously on our Kindles and/or Kindle for iPhone or the PC Kindle app.

I don't have a problem paying for the portability of a book that I really want to read, knowing that it's only as far away as my purse. I'm also trying to get rid of books that I've collected (probably 1,000 or more, even after already getting rid of probably 25 bags of books), as I'm in a major simplification mindset and have way too many "things." I'll never get rid of my favorite DTB, but I have a lot that aren't in that category.


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## miksicnarf (Mar 4, 2010)

I'm new to Kindle, haven't taken a price pledge but certainly don't *want* to spend more than $10. Prior to Kindle I used eReader.com on my netbook and thought it was a good deal. At first most books were <$10...then prices rose *but* with each purchase they gave substantial credit toward the next purchase, sometimes making the book effectively free. eReader, however, has increased prices dramatically. I DL That Old Cape Magic (which BTW I thought was OK, not great) last August for $8.20, now it's $25.95! Makes me glad I got a Kindle . 

Kim


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

My price point is roughly 83% of the lowest published pbook price.  On my current wishlist, that puts 69 of 138 allowed for purchase.  For the others, I'll just wait.  I spent $100 on books for my birthday a couple weeks ago and it killed me to not get a few that just aren't within the guidelines, but I resisted.

I'm curious where prices will start moving later this month and next.  Some of the lowest published pbook prices are for unreleased paperbacks that will soon be released ... the current ebook prices are either the same or greater than the upcoming release's price.  ... we'll see where it falls in the end


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## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

I'm with Cindy and a few others. I have paid more than $9.99 for bundles but in general I don't want to spend that much. My average is about $7 but I have purchased a handful of titles at $9.99.


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## Rebekah (Oct 9, 2009)

I haven't spent more than $9.99 for an e-book; and even then only a very select few have been at that price.  Most have been anywhere from $0-$5.  

Why would I want to pay more on my Kindle than I did for paperbacks?

I'm not the type to say "I'd never," but inflation and the cost of books (all mediums) and goods in general would have to skyrocket out of control across the board before I'd pay more than $10.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Rebekah said:


> I haven't spent more than $9.99 for an e-book; and even then only a very select few have been at that price. Most have been anywhere from $0-$5.
> 
> Why would I want to pay more on my Kindle than I did for paperbacks?
> 
> I'm not the type to say "I'd never," but inflation and the cost of books (all mediums) and goods in general would have to skyrocket out of control across the board before I'd pay more than $10.


I would probably feel the same way, but, as I said, I'm able to share an account with my daughter, who read many of the same books that I read. If I were the only person reading the books, I wouldn't usually pay more than the paperback price. (I still think that the de-cluttering issue and the portability of my library make most Kindle purchases worth the money.)


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## pawsplus (Mar 31, 2009)

Unless you are reading mostly trash and romances, you're GONNA pay $9.99 for most books.  I have no problem w/ that and don't expect to get GOOD books for free or cheap. I won't pay $14 though.  I just put it on my wishlist and wait for the price to drop.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

pawsplus said:


> Unless you are reading mostly trash and romances, you're GONNA pay $9.99 for most books. I have no problem w/ that and don't expect to get GOOD books for free or cheap. I won't pay $14 though. I just put it on my wishlist and wait for the price to drop.


I totally disagree. I think if you insist on buying books from major publishing houses, you will pay $9.99. If you are willing to investigate small presses and specialty publishers, you can find a ton of good books--really good books--well under $9.99. I don't think I read trash and I rarely pay $9.99 for a book.

L


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

I don't read trash either, and I have very few romances in my TBR list.  I can find lots of books that I like in the $5 to $7 range.  
deb


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## Addie (Jun 10, 2009)

drenee said:


> I don't read trash either, and I have very few romances in my TBR list. I can find lots of books that I like in the $5 to $7 range.
> deb


Sam here. I read a ton of classics and non-fiction, and I have bought quite a few in that range. For me, I've found price tends to correlate with when the book was released. A recent release usually has a higher price attached to it.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Agree with Leslie, et al. . . . .check out the Book Bazaar for a LOT of books for well under $9.99.  Many are quite good. . . . I've read several that I'd give 4 or 5 stars.


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## nelmsm (Dec 24, 2009)

So far most of my purchases have been less then $9.99 but I'm eying some military histories that are either that price or higher that I suppose I'll pull the trigger on someday.  However they are down my list at the moment hoping that the price drops when I finally do decide to buy.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

pawsplus said:


> Unless you are reading mostly trash and romances, you're GONNA pay $9.99 for most books. I have no problem w/ that and don't expect to get GOOD books for free or cheap. I won't pay $14 though. I just put it on my wishlist and wait for the price to drop.


I have to disagree, as well. My daughters and I have many books that we've purchased, and I don't think very many were $9.99. Most were quite a bit less expensive, and many were free, and I'm sure there aren't any trashy or romance novel to be found in our purchases.


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## JennaAnderson (Dec 25, 2009)

Since I love the classics I have plenty titles to read for free. I think my max will be around $5. There are just too many available under this price.

A friend of mine just published a book on Kindle and it is currently $6.99. She will be my exception.  

It is kind of odd that Amazon offers so many for free each month - but the genres seem limited. Maybe that is another discussion. 

Jenna


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

I think the only books I have purchased that were over $9.99 were actually boxed sets or trilogies, so still well within the limits.

I do have a book on pre-order though that is $10.26 (the new Sookie) but so far, I think that is the only one I have splurged on so to speak. 

One of the advantages for me for even buying the Kindle was the fact that I would no longer have to spend $20 plus for books from my favorite authors when they were released. And while it still isn't $20 for some of the new released, I still don't want to spend $15 on an e-book that I know in a few months time will decrease. 

I have so much out there that thanks to my Kindle, I have discovered, I really am not too concerned now about getting one of my favorite author's books right sway, especially at an inflated price.


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## Rebekah (Oct 9, 2009)

pawsplus said:


> Unless you are reading mostly trash and romances, you're GONNA pay $9.99 for most books. I have no problem w/ that and don't expect to get GOOD books for free or cheap. I won't pay $14 though. I just put it on my wishlist and wait for the price to drop.


Nope. I disagree with that. My tastes vary widely; I don't read any "trash" and I definitely read more than just romances. A lot of good classics are public domain and free. There are a lot of modern day literary books that are less than $9.99 as well. There's a lot of good genre fiction under $9.99 as well. Most books that are at least a few years old fall in price.


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

pawsplus said:


> Unless you are reading mostly trash and romances, you're GONNA pay $9.99 for most books. I have no problem w/ that and don't expect to get GOOD books for free or cheap. I won't pay $14 though. I just put it on my wishlist and wait for the price to drop.


I guess I don't understand what you are classing as "trash". Most classics, Twain, Dickinson, Austen are all well below $9.99.


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

There's a fairly short list of new releases coming out this year that I'll pay more than $9.99 for.  A couple of those are the types where I'll likely buy them on the day of release or preorder when available; the rest of that list I'll probably watch for a week or two to see if the price dips before I'm willing to buy.  Would I like them to be $9.99?  Sure.  But it's not the end of the world if they don't end up that way.  I am, however, pretty solidly planning on keeping a careful eye on MacMillan's nonsense.  If they're consistently more expensive than the other publishers, I'll be getting their stuff from the library, the used book store, or not at all.  Luckily none of my current must-haves is theirs!

The rest of my upcoming reading list is all under $7 each, some significantly so; these are mostly older books or those coming out this year in paperback.  I draw the line at paying more for the ebook than I would the paperback if the pb is already released.  That's just irritating to me; the ebooks are never formatted perfectly and the editing is subpar on most, so why should I pay more?  I fully expect to see MacMillan doing a lot of this as they've consistently set their digital retail prices at hardcover levels even on books that are 10+ years old or more and available in paperback for $6.


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## Moosh (Dec 22, 2009)

Well the publishers (and Amazon) won't be getting $17 from me for the latest Kathy Reichs. 

I can buy it here in paperback for less.


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## BK (Feb 5, 2009)

Moosh said:


> Well the publishers (and Amazon) won't be getting $17 from me for the latest Kathy Reichs.
> 
> I can buy it here in paperback for less.


THAT is something I've found upsetting! When I check the prices for my Book Club's reading list, I find lots of Kindle versions priced above the cost of the paperback -- or just 20 cents less. It just doesn't make sense to me to buy the digital version when I can get the physical book for the same price or less. I wouldn't want to take the DTB on an airplane trip, but I could lend it to friends and family members after reading it.

That being said, I just borrowed Pat Conroy's new book -- South of Broad -- from the library, and I really missed the Kindle's dictionary feature... I had to get up and thumb through a dead-tree dictionary a few times!

I don't buy Kindle books that cost more than $9.99 except for a collection or bundle, and in most cases, I don't pay more than (or only slightly less than) the cost of the paperback.


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## luv4kitties (Aug 18, 2009)

I've not bought any Kindle books for more than $7.00.  I definitely won't pay more than $9.99.  I got George R.R. Martin's book, A Game of Thrones for $1.90 and really enjoyed it.  When I finished it (a couple of days ago), I got the rest of the series (3 more books) for $6.39 each.  I also got Elfhunter (C.S. Marks) for $0.99 yesterday.  I've downloaded a bunch of free books this past week as well (and I still have all the free ones from Baen.com that I haven't had a chance to read yet).  So, I'd say I'm doing great with "price discipline."  If there's an e-book I just have to read and it's more than $9.99, I'll just go to the library or used book store.  Oh, and I also won't buy a Kindle book unless it's less than the paperback version. 

Edit:  Just in case anyone's interested, you can buy two George R.R. Martin books (first two in the series--A Game of Thrones/A Clash of Kings) bundled together right now for $6.39 (two for the price of one!).


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I have purchased books from Fictionwise for my nook that were over $9.99, but all had rebates and most were fully rebated. Combined with other discounts, the average price paid for all of my Fictionwise purchases is far below $9.99 each.

I have not paid more than $9.99 for a Kindle book. I keep track of the books I want on my wishlist and try to keep my single book purchase price below $6.


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## kdawna (Feb 16, 2009)

I haven't really limited myself in buying books on the Kindle because I love to read so much. The free and bargain books are great, but I seem to find myself reading those I paid more for, by familiar authors whose new books I want to read. I have paid around $12 for a book on my kindle and the other day I just bought a  bundle of three the other day for around $18. Some of the fiction DTB's I have bought in the past that were expensive soft covers, cost me more than my Kindle books.(ex Jeffery Archer books I bought at Target) I am kind of addicted to that instant ability to buy a book by the push of a button. 
Brenda


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## chipotle (Jan 1, 2010)

I wonder if the price of That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo went up - I downloaded a sample a while back and I
don't remember it being above $9.99. 

I'm not sure if I'll pay more than $9.99 but I prefer not to pay more than other versions of the book. There is a Sarah 
Strohmeyer Kindle book I've been keeping an eye on that is even more expensive than the hardcover last time I looked.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

I only bought one book for more than $9.99 and it was "The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest" from the UK.  I just couldn't wait for the US release.  But I have no intention of paying more than $9.99 for anything else.  With about 170 books on my Kindle, probably 70% of them still unread (!) - there's no rush.


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## akpak (Mar 5, 2009)

I haven't bought anything over $9.99 (and I think everything a lot less), but I might make an exception for Lord of the Rings... it is three books, after all.


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## Taborcarn (Dec 15, 2009)

Yesterday I was looking for two recent Amazon Editor's monthly picks, Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem and A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore. I know these were recently $9.99, but are now both over $14. Since I still have a large backlog of books to read I will hold off until the price does drop again. Unfortunately since the paperback releases aren't until after August, I may have to wait until then to see the drop.


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Jonathan Lethem is a MacMillan author, which explains the $15.37 price tag on Chronic City.  
Lorris Moore is not a MacMillan author, even though her book, A Gate at the Stairs, is over $14.
deb


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## Selcien (Oct 31, 2008)

drenee said:


> Jonathan Lethem is a MacMillan author, which explains the $15.37 price tag on Chronic City.
> Lorris Moore is not a MacMillan author, even though her book, A Gate at the Stairs, is over $14.
> deb


_Chronic City_ is published by Doubleday, _A Gate at the Stairs_ is published by Knopf, both are Random House publishers.

So, not only have you blamed Macmillan for a book that is not theirs, but you blamed them at a time when retailers are still capable of setting the prices on Macmillan's e-books (the agency model, Macmillan's control of the pricing on their e-books, does not start until the end of this month).

I get people not being happy with Macmillan but I do not get people blaming them for things that aren't their fault.

The fact of the matter is that the old system isn't perfect as these false complaints against Macmillan demonstrate, that outside of bestsellers Amazon wasn't willing to take a loss, so, as of now, the only prices that we know for sure will be going up are the bestsellers.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't care about some arbitrary number, no matter who picks it.  I do care about what I'm willing to pay, which is the same as before the MacMillan flap.  I've always been a paperback kinda gal, so $7 or $8 right now is my max, although I've been paying far less.  I think based on my average price paid, I'm actually paying the paperback price from about twenty years ago, LOL!  

On a rare occasion, I've paid $9.99 for a Kindle book, and once I think I paid $15, but on average $7 or less.

If Amazon hadn't picked $9.99 for their business model, what would you be willing to pay?

Betsy


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Selcien said:


> _Chronic City_ is published by Doubleday, _A Gate at the Stairs_ is published by Knopf, both are Random House publishers.
> 
> So, not only have you blamed Macmillan for a book that is not theirs, but you blamed them at a time when retailers are still capable of setting the prices on Macmillan's e-books (the agency model, Macmillan's control of the pricing on their e-books, does not start until the end of this month).
> 
> ...


I was NOT blaming anyone. I looked up these books and authors on the MacMillan site. I am very very careful about what I say. 
deb


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## Angel1948 (Jan 22, 2010)

I think I have bought 1 book over the $9.99 and there are a couple more I want, but am waiting for the price to go down.


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## Selcien (Oct 31, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> If Amazon hadn't picked $9.99 for their business model, what would you be willing to pay?
> 
> Betsy


I'm not really sure. Most, if not all, of the e-books priced over $9.99 at Amazon, at least the kind you'd read for entertainment, are new/recent releases which requires a person to have some investment in a particular author/series. I mean, you're not just going to randomly by a new release that catches your interest if it costs a premium, unless you have money to burn.

The Wheel of Time series is the only ongoing series that I'm caught up in (not counting the not yet released e-book version of the new book), but I've made up my mind to reread the series from the beginning so a new release is not of any importance (especially since I haven't even gotten around to starting the reread). So lacking the things that would motivate a person to buy a new release (the hunger of needing to continue a story, the hunger of getting more from a favorite author), I cannot honestly say how much I'd be willing to pay.

On the other hand, Mary Higgins Clark is one of the very few authors that I know for certain that my mom likes, I could see myself paying $15 for _The Shadow of Your Smile_ so that she'd have it to read, but she's currently occupied with Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove Series that I bought her, so it could be quite a while before she needs a new book (the collection has six books and she's still on the first one).



drenee said:


> I was NOT blaming anyone. I looked up these books and authors on the MacMillan site. I am very very careful about what I say.
> deb


You said that Jonathan Lethem being a MacMillan author explains the price tag on _Chronic City_ when the one thing has nothing to do with the other. Amazon set the consumer price, not Macmillan.

As for you being careful, you were clearly not careful enough. A check on Macmillan brought up the author (something published by Tor, don't remember the title) but not _Chronic City_. A check on Random House confirms the info that Amazon has, in addition to what I've already posted the paperback version of both titles will be released by Vintage, a Random House company, but somehow I doubt you'd say "Jonathan Lethem is a Random House author, which explains the $15.37 price tag on _Chronic City_."

This is nothing personal, it's just that I'm sick of the anti-Macmillan sentiment that I see, you know, people indicating that Macmillan, or a Macmillan author, is to be blamed for a price that they have no control over. Can't people at least wait until Macmillan actually has control of pricing for their e-books?


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## raven312 (Jan 12, 2010)

So far, the most I've paid is $8.  I have so much yet to read that I can afford to wait until those on my list come down below that.  The price war really hasn't affected me that much - yet.


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## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> If Amazon hadn't picked $9.99 for their business model, what would you be willing to pay?
> 
> Betsy


I'd probably still be paying $14 or $15 at Costco... if they hadn't picked the $9.99 price point, I probably wouldn't have ended up buying a Kindle in the first place. I used that ~$5 price difference as justification for buying a $300 (at the time) device.



Selcien said:


> Amazon set the consumer price, not Macmillan.
> <snip>
> This is nothing personal, it's just that I'm sick of the anti-Macmillan sentiment that I see, you know, people indicating that Macmillan, or a Macmillan author, is to be blamed for a price that they have no control over. Can't people at least wait until Macmillan actually has control of pricing for their e-books?


I'm not so sure that Macmillan has "no control over" their price... I'm guessing that Amazon bases their non-NYT Bestseller prices on what they pay for the book. If that's true (admittedly, I'm not sure it is), then the high prices that Macmillan charges Amazon for e-books carries over to us, the consumers. I also find it hard to believe that you can't understand the indignation Kindle users feel toward Macmillan for starting this whole price drama. They treat their customers as an annoyance who need to be led by the nose to the "correct", read DTB, version of their books.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I'm confused, I thought that under the new agency model, MacMillan was setting the prices Amazon (and presumably other vendors) were allowed to charge for MacMillan books.  I thought this started March 1, am I misinformed?


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## Rebekah (Oct 9, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I don't care about some arbitrary number, no matter who picks it. I do care about what I'm willing to pay, which is the same as before the MacMillan flap. I've always been a paperback kinda gal, so $7 or $8 right now is my max, although I've been paying far less. I think based on my average price paid, I'm actually paying the paperback price from about twenty years ago, LOL!
> 
> On a rare occasion, I've paid $9.99 for a Kindle book, and once I think I paid $15, but on average $7 or less.
> 
> ...


I wouldn't own a Kindle if the prices for all or most books were that high ($9.99). $10 is too much for me to pay for most books, even DTBs.

When I first looked into the Kindle, _even the $9.99 seemed too high_, but after much discussion and research, my husband bought me one for my birthday last year. Like you, I paid mostly discount paperback prices, $4-7 from the PX, Costco, Sams, or with the B&N discount card. I always knew the fine print from Amazon was originally $9.99 "for _most_ NYT bestsellers" but I honestly didn't plan to buy many of those at that price, and still haven't. I had planned to fall back on reading public domain classics, but fortunately this board has helped me find all the books I can read for little to no cost.


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

The Hooded Claw said:


> I'm confused, I thought that under the new agency model, MacMillan was setting the prices Amazon (and presumably other vendors) were allowed to charge for MacMillan books. I thought this started March 1, am I misinformed?


A fast search doesn't reveal an exact date, though I'm sure someone digging harder may be able to come up with one. MacMillan's original statement on Publisher's Lunch the day the books were removed states that the agency model would begin in "early March".


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## brainstorm (Dec 8, 2009)

The max I've paid is $9.99. I don't love any author enough to pay a premium for his/her books. I'm not as into the Kindle as many; I'm alternating between books on CD from the library, clearing out a dozen or so books on my bookshelf, and the Kindle. A book is a book is a book in my book.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

$9.99 is my current top price.  I turn to the library ebooks or paper books if I want badly enough to read something that is $15.  Before I bought my Kindle, I was paying $10.20 for $15 paperbacks at Amazon.  I could live with that.  But paperback list prices have gone higher, with many at $16 or more.  Why should I give them more when my income took a deep dive during 2009-2010?  Too many other things have gone up in price for me that I HAVE to pay:  rent, Con Ed, Time Warner, mass transit, and now NJ Transit is saying they will raise ticket prices 25% and do away with off-peak rates.  

Enough is enough!  I have enough books to keep me reading for years.


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## Selcien (Oct 31, 2008)

911jason said:


> I'm not so sure that Macmillan has "no control over" their price... I'm guessing that Amazon bases their non-NYT Bestseller prices on what they pay for the book. If that's true (admittedly, I'm not sure it is), then the high prices that Macmillan charges Amazon for e-books carries over to us, the consumers.


I don't know how older releases are handled but the new releases are half of what the hardcover list price is, however, I've seen nothing to indicate that Macmillan charges any more money than any of the other major publishers do using the wholesale model.



911jason said:


> I also find it hard to believe that you can't understand the indignation Kindle users feel toward Macmillan for starting this whole price drama. They treat their customers as an annoyance who need to be led by the nose to the "correct", read DTB, version of their books.


I expect the price of bestsellers to go up at Amazon, B&N, and Sony, but for the prices of those bestsellers to go down at most, if not all, of the other retailers. The price of regular new releases should remain the same or decrease. The older releases are where it gets really convoluted with no way of saying whether the change is going to be good or bad.

What bothers me about the move to the Agency Model is the idea of a publisher dictating to a retailer what they can sell their e-books at, it's a direct attack to the free market we have, on the other hand, it will result in a level price across all retailers which means that a person can buy a Macmillan e-book for their e-reader without worry that someone else with a different e-reader is getting a better price.

I also feel that there is a potential for a more stabilized pricing structure. I cannot stress how much bouncing prices annoy me, give me a nice predictable structure, and that seems to be exactly what Macmillan is offering.

I will admit that I do stand a chance of gaining something by the change in pricing models, which is that I'm hoping that this move will produce even better prices at Fictionwise (I have a Sony Reader Touch). Lower prices, by their standards anyway, combined with 100% Micropay Rebates should make for some nice prices. However, whether Fictionwise can maintain their rebates with Macmillan e-books after the switch is an unknown, I await the changeover with baited breathe.

With that said, even if I do not benefit from this as I hope, I've seen some truly ridiculous prices on e-books (some retailers have the nerve to sell some e-books at list price, Fictionwise being one of them). The knowledge that publishers switching to the Agency Model will make those prices go away far outweighs the $3 increase that three stores are likely to see with bestsellers.

EDIT: It might be a good idea for me to explain where I got the $3 amount from.

Fifth paragraph in the article that I linked to, "E-book editions of New York Times hardcover bestsellers will be priced at $12.99 or lower while they are on the printed list."

And of course, by saying "publishers" I'm assuming that other publishers will have a price range that is comparable to Macmillan's.



The Hooded Claw said:


> I'm confused, I thought that under the new agency model, MacMillan was setting the prices Amazon (and presumably other vendors) were allowed to charge for MacMillan books. I thought this started March 1, am I misinformed?


http://blog.macmillanspeaks.com/macmillan-ceo-john-sargent-on-the-agency-model-availability-and-price/

Second paragraph, key words being "Starting at the end of March," and "We will make this change with all our e-book retailers simultaneously."

Even if you forget, just run a price comparison between Fictionwise (usually one of the more expensive retailers if you ignore their 100% Micropay rebates) and Amazon, the day the prices on the Macmillan e-books match is the day that the Agency Model has gone into effect.


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## luv4kitties (Aug 18, 2009)

In answer to a previous question, I guess I've been a little influenced by Amazon's $9.99 business model.  If I'd never heard anything about $9.99, I wouldn't even consider paying that much for an e-book.  About $7 would have been my upper limit.  I haven't spent more than $6.50 for an e-book so far, but because of hearing so much about the $9.99 price point (and largely because of the inherent attractiveness of the number too, I think), I guess I've been influenced to the point where I would consider it for one of my two favorite authors.  I definitely wouldn't pay more than $9.99.

Of course, I'd never pay more for an e-book than a paperback (or hardcover).


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> I'm confused, I thought that under the new agency model, MacMillan was setting the prices Amazon (and presumably other vendors) were allowed to charge for MacMillan books. I thought this started March 1, am I misinformed?


I have nothing to base this on, but I would guess no later than April 3rd.
deb


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

I haven't bought anything over $9.99 since I first bought my first Kindle..I'm on my second.  In fact - with all the free books listed lately - I've paid less for my books than in the past.  Boo!! MacMillan!!


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## pawsplus (Mar 31, 2009)

Leslie said:


> I totally disagree. I think if you insist on buying books from major publishing houses, you will pay $9.99. If you are willing to investigate small presses and specialty publishers, you can find a ton of good books--really good books--well under $9.99. I don't think I read trash and I rarely pay $9.99 for a book.


That's great. But recently published, well-reviewed literary fiction simply costs $9.99 and up on Amazon! I'm not sure what "small presses" have to do w/ it -- if the book is not self-published or something, it is going to be in the upper price range at least for 5-6 mos. (And I have yet to see anything self-published that I considered good lit). I sometimes wait until the prices go down, but often I don't.

I suspect that we all have different definitions of "trash," however.  Hence the confusion. If it's working for you, great! I have NO problem, however, paying $10 for books I want to read and know are going to be good.


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## pawsplus (Mar 31, 2009)

MLPMom said:


> I guess I don't understand what you are classing as "trash". Most classics, Twain, Dickinson, Austen are all well below $9.99.


I'm not really counting the books that are in the public domain. Of course they're inexpensive. I'm talking non-public domain literary fiction.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

pawsplus said:


> That's great. But recently published, well-reviewed literary fiction simply costs $9.99 and up on Amazon! I'm not sure what "small presses" have to do w/ it -- if the book is not self-published or something, it is going to be in the upper price range at least for 5-6 mos. (And I have yet to see anything self-published that I considered good lit). I sometimes wait until the prices go down, but often I don't.
> 
> I suspect that we all have different definitions of "trash," however.  Hence the confusion. If it's working for you, great! I have NO problem, however, paying $10 for books I want to read and know are going to be good.


It seems as if your definition of trash is pretty clear. If it's not "well-reviewed literary fiction" that costs $9.99 and up, it's trash. Believe that if you want but it reminds me of those (nasty) librarians who used to tell me not to read Nancy Drew because it would rot my brain. Or other people who would tell me to read "this" or "that" because it was good for me. When did reading become castor oil?

I read in a very wide-ranging and diverse way, books that range from in price (if that is a gauge of quality) and genre (if that is another gauge of quality). If I limited myself to well-reviewed literary fiction I probably would have quit reading years ago because I would have run out of stuff I want to read.

L


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

I've read some books that were $9.99 that were absolute garbage and I've read free books that were excellent. Price isn't a good indicator of whether the book is good or not. Neither is whether it's self published or from a major house.


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## mitch1945 (Mar 16, 2010)

Hi, new Kindle owner from Australia. In regards to price it is really annoying to go through some of the special prices from links here (and elsewhere) which jump to the Amazon page. I then find that the price is always dearer for international users. For example so called "free" zero price books become $2 and low cost books say $2 become $4. I cannot understand why this is so. We all use wireless download but for some reason international are being penalized. I know we are talking about very low cost books but then add an increase for the exchange rate difference and the price jumps again as well as our banks charging a bit more for a 'foreign exchange' transaction. 

mitch1945


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I agree that there are a lot of books that are highly marketed and hit the bestseller lists that are absolute trash.  I'm thinking particularly of certain political books, by both pundits and politicians.  Will not name names here, but if you know me, you the type of books I'm thinking of (shhhh!).

Then again there is some good literature and very well researched history literature that are usually 9.99 and up.

There are so many good authors (including authors on our boards here) with low-priced or free kindle-books who never get a contract with a big publisher but produce very well-written, imaginative, interesting books.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

luvmy4brats said:


> I've read some books that were $9.99 that were absolute garbage and I've read free books that were excellent. Price isn't a good indicator of whether the book is good or not. Neither is whether it's self published or from a major house.


Agree 100%. . . though I will admit that if you'd asked me the question several years ago. . . .before Kindle. . . .I might not have said the same. I learned via KindleBoards that there are a lot of good low priced books out there!



mitch1945 said:


> Hi, new Kindle owner from Australia. In regards to price it is really annoying to go through some of the special prices from links here (and elsewhere) which jump to the Amazon page. I then find that the price is always dearer for international users. For example so called "free" zero price books become $2 and low cost books say $2 become $4. I cannot understand why this is so. We all use wireless download but for some reason international are being penalized. I know we are talking about very low cost books but then add an increase for the exchange rate difference and the price jumps again as well as our banks charging a bit more for a 'foreign exchange' transaction.
> 
> mitch1945


Amazon would love to charge the same prices all around the world I'm sure. But in order to sell internationally at all, they must comply with import/duty/licensing requirements in the other countries. That and the fact that they pay more for the 'always on no _additional_ charge wireless' is what makes them have to charge more. They elected to wrap all those extra fees into "overhead" and simply price the book higher rather than keeping the book price the same but having to add on taxes/fees/etc. to every overseas book purchase.


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## PaWildWoman (Apr 15, 2009)

I have not purchased any eBooks over $9.99.  And really only a few at $9.99....Kindle has opened my reading up to several new genres and I rarely pay more than $5 for eBooks.

Sorry McMillions but I'll get your books at the library or used book store before I pay more than $9.99.....you lost my sale due to your greed!


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## pawsplus (Mar 31, 2009)

Leslie said:


> It seems as if your definition of trash is pretty clear. If it's not "well-reviewed literary fiction" that costs $9.99 and up, it's trash. Believe that if you want but it reminds me of those (nasty) librarians who used to tell me not to read Nancy Drew because it would rot my brain. Or other people who would tell me to read "this" or "that" because it was good for me. When did reading become castor oil?


I actually read about 10% trash, by my definition.  Heck, I read all 4 _Twilight _ books! I have nothing against a good trashy book. And I don't judge those who read MOSTLY that kind of book. De gustibus non est disputandem.

But you guys DO judge those of us who prefer to read literary fiction and who, therefore, pay $9.99 pretty regularly. I don't understand why folks are up in arms about that. If I am willing to consistently pay $10 (and occasionally more!) for books I want to read, why is the implication that I'm "undisciplined" as to price or somehow letting the Kindle side down?

When did reading become something that is supposed to be CHEAP?? I was happy to pay for DTBs when they were what I read; now that I read 90% Kindle books, I'm still happy to PAY for them. My goal is not to read the cheapest books possible, and honestly, that seems to be the goal of many here.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Exactly. The idea of "price discipline" as groupthink bothers me, hence my earlier post. Actually, just about anything as "groupthink" bothers me  (except the idea that KindleBoards should be safe haven for book lovers). I think price discipline is a personal choice, just as the actual books we read are a personal choice. We all have our own price points at which it's reasonable to pay for what we get. THAT's the price discipline that we should be using. For some, it MAY be $9.99. That's fine. For some (like me), it's less. For others, more is OK. That's fine, too. It isn't an act of treason to be willing to pay $15 or more for a book, no matter the quality or genre, if that works for you. (Of course, if you're spending the kiddies' milk money on books, that's a whole 'nother thing.)

Betsy


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## loca (Jan 3, 2010)

My only rule is not to buy the book right after release, as prices are usually about 30-40% higher than what they will be 2-3 weeks afterwards.  Other than that, I dont' have much discipline


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## BlueEyedMum (Nov 26, 2009)

I haven't paid more than $9.99 for a Kindle boook but only because the books I read are below that. If I found a book I really wanted to read for more I'm sure I would buy it.


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## Whidbeyislandgirl (Apr 19, 2009)

Sorry, I buy what I want to read, regardless of the price or who it's from. This is my only vice, I'd rather spend $15 on a kindle book than on a couple of drinks in the bar on a Friday night. I honestly don't look at the price, if it's a book I want I click and get it. Probably not a good habit, but oh well! I'm not going to limit myself to a dollar amount.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

pawsplus said:


> But you guys DO judge those of us who prefer to read literary fiction and who, therefore, pay $9.99 pretty regularly. I don't understand why folks are up in arms about that. If I am willing to consistently pay $10 (and occasionally more!) for books I want to read, why is the implication that I'm "undisciplined" as to price or somehow letting the Kindle side down?


I think I sort of disagree with this. . .yes, there are a lot of really vocal "don't pay more than $9.99" and "don't pay _even_ $9.99" people. . . .I pretty much ignore that sentiment and spend what _*I*_ think is fair. For the record I agree 100% with Betsy's analysis of "price discipline".

But I don't see that people are at all judgmental about folks who do buy more expensive books. Though I guess I can see how the vocal proselytizers could seem that way. I guess I'd say "don't take it personally; make your own decisions." 

But I especially don't see any judging about the types of books people buy. I think most of us here read all sorts of books and accept that others may read different sorts and that's o.k. I would maybe take exception to the assumption that "literary fiction" only comes at a price of $9.99 or higher. . . .I think I'd actually put some of our Indie authors in that category and their books are, for the most part, well below that.

I do understand your point, however. . . .sometimes a book is just not going to be cheaper than that. I do tend to really like books that, for whatever reason, never make NYT bestseller. . . .so my choice is to pay the going rate at release -- usually something around $14.00 -- or wait until it goes to paper when the price usually drops. Depending on the strength of my desire to 'read it now' I will buy or wait. And that's MY decision. . . .and, frankly, no one else's business. 

I do think that there are some folks who really haven't given the indies a try. . . . .or, maybe they tried one and it was horrible so they're running scared. . . .but for anyone who has NOT checked out the Book Bazaar, I urge you to scan a few threads. There are quite a few authors who are really very good . . . .in many different genres. . . .and at bargain basement prices.


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## chipotle (Jan 1, 2010)

In the most recent Macmillan blog by John Sargent, he talks pricing. If I'm reading it correctly, it looks
like Macmillan ebooks are going to be priced under the hardcover but above the mass market
paperback after the initial 1 year period. I might buy an ebook that is more than a MMPB occasionally 
but probably not on a regular basis.

http://blog.macmillanspeaks.com/answers-to-some-questions-from-the-comments/


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## Selcien (Oct 31, 2008)

PaWildWoman said:


> Sorry McMillions but I'll get your books at the library or used book store before I pay more than $9.99.....you lost my sale due to your greed!


They, in turn, could say that they lost your sale due to your impatience 'cause just like the paper books, they plan to scale the prices of the e-books down over time, even if a paperback version is not released, so it's not like they're going to stay above $9.99 forever, you just have to wait, or, get it from the library, buy it used.

It's cool to not want to pay more than $9.99, I mean, it is a pretty good price point, but what's not cool is targeting Macmillan as if all of the other major publishers aren't releasing e-books that cost more than $9.99, they're all guilty of it.


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## MAGreen (Jan 5, 2009)

pawsplus said:


> But you guys DO judge those of us who prefer to read literary fiction and who, therefore, pay $9.99 pretty regularly. I don't understand why folks are up in arms about that. If I am willing to consistently pay $10 (and occasionally more!) for books I want to read, why is the implication that I'm "undisciplined" as to price or somehow letting the Kindle side down?


I never even thought of it like that. I was only considering the "price discipline" for myself and the limits I set. I don't like paying high prices for anything! Every book I buy is weighed on a price vs. desire/need basis. If I really want it or need it, then I buy it. so far that hasn't happened with anything that I couldn't wait until the price came down. I have ordered several books for my daughter that were $7-8 that I hated spending the money on, but they were reading them in class and she wanted to have her own copy. They were "popular" books that will be much cheaper in a year or two, but they are reading them now, so I got them for her. 
The $9.99 price limit is too high for me personally, but I have so many things to read, I don't the NYT Bestsellers as soon as they come out. 
I would never judge anyone for what they pay for books, that just seems silly! We are all book lovers here, so who cares? Can't we all just get along?


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## dnagirl (Oct 21, 2009)

"Price discipline" in my opinion is a very personal thing.  I won't buy anything over $9.99, but if anyone else wants to purchase an ebook for $15 or even $25, then that's their preference and it certainly doesn't bother me.  Each person has their maximum price and the "discipline" part is sticking to the max that they choose for themselves.


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## Rebekah (Oct 9, 2009)

pawsplus said:


> I actually read about 10% trash, by my definition.  Heck, I read all 4 _Twilight _ books! I have nothing against a good trashy book. And I don't judge those who read MOSTLY that kind of book. De gustibus non est disputandem.
> 
> But you guys DO judge those of us who prefer to read literary fiction and who, therefore, pay $9.99 pretty regularly. I don't understand why folks are up in arms about that. If I am willing to consistently pay $10 (and occasionally more!) for books I want to read, why is the implication that I'm "undisciplined" as to price or somehow letting the Kindle side down?
> 
> When did reading become something that is supposed to be CHEAP?? I was happy to pay for DTBs when they were what I read; now that I read 90% Kindle books, I'm still happy to PAY for them. My goal is not to read the cheapest books possible, and honestly, that seems to be the goal of many here.


I don't see anyone judging people for how much they spend on books; perhaps I've not read those threads. And while I have enjoyed less expensive books, it's certainly NOT my "goal" to read the "cheapest books possible." I read what I enjoy, which includes a wide variety of books; it just so happens that I DO like classics (most of which happen to be free), as well as others. But I certainly do not download a book just because of its price or lack thereof. There are plenty of free books that don't interest me.

Even before Kindle I kept myself to a reading budget, which has nothing to do with the genres of books I read.

I don't care what others pay for their reading material; just that they enjoy the books they read.


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## JCBeam (Feb 27, 2009)

What Ann and Rebekah said.


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## pawsplus (Mar 31, 2009)

Rebekah said:


> I read what I enjoy, which includes a wide variety of books; it just so happens that I DO like classics (most of which happen to be free), as well as others. But I certainly do not download a book just because of its price or lack thereof. There are plenty of free books that don't interest me.


Well, since I have a Master's in English, I've already READ most of the classics.  I did download a lot of freebies of my faves early on for re-reading, and a few I'd never read (Eliz Gaskell, for instance). The non-classic free books . . . I always check them out, but have only found a few that turned out to be worth reading. That's a matter of taste--I've just found it not usually worth the time it takes to hunt them down. But I do check the lists quickly just in case. I wouldn't have found Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars books or my own personal guilty pleasure, the "Fever" series by Karen Marie Moning ( ) otherwise.


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## loca (Jan 3, 2010)

pawsplus said:


> Well, since I have a Master's in English, I've already READ most of the classics.  I did download a lot of freebies of my faves early on for re-reading, and a few I'd never read (Eliz Gaskell, for instance). The non-classic free books . . . I always check them out, but have only found a few that turned out to be worth reading. That's a matter of taste--I've just found it not usually worth the time it takes to hunt them down. But I do check the lists quickly just in case. I wouldn't have found Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars books or my own personal guilty pleasure, the "Fever" series by Karen Marie Moning ( ) otherwise.


I think its worth the time to hunt them down, as long as they are available of course. Getting a free title you want to read for 15 minutes of time is worth it in my book


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## Rebekah (Oct 9, 2009)

pawsplus said:


> Well, since I have a Master's in English, I've already READ most of the classics.  I did download a lot of freebies of my faves early on for re-reading, and a few I'd never read (Eliz Gaskell, for instance).( ) otherwise.


We have something in common, then. I have completed the coursework 30+ hours toward a Master's in English, but my emphasis is linguistics/ESL, so not so much classics. 

I'm trying to get through Elizabeth Gaskell's _Cranford_ right now, but I'm not enjoying it as much as I'd hoped. It will probably be put aside for later.


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## ayuryogini (Jan 3, 2010)

I've paid $14 for a more technical or scientific book that I was pretty sure wasn't going to come down to $9.99; most other books, I'll put in my cart and just check the price to see if it's come down. If I want a book right away, I'll pay up to $14 for it, buy I have so many books on my Kindle, I can usually just wait and watch; I think it's all offset by the many wonderful free or less than $5 books; it's pretty amazing to actually get the books for free!


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