# What is the most you will pay for an ebook?



## pamclaughton (Feb 21, 2011)

I just paid $12.99 for an author that I've never read before, GONE GIRL, by Gillian Flynn, which is #12 on the overall Kindle list and interesting the book is a pre-order, it's out in a few days. The description of it just sounded so good and different.

It got me wondering, especially as this book is selling so well at such a high price, maybe we can charge more than we think?

While I'm happy to pay 2 or 3.99 for a good book, I don't mind paying more. 

What's the most you'll pay?


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## Kay Bratt (Dec 28, 2011)

I almost bought that book! 

But then I didn't. Just too much for me to pay for an author I don't already know I love. But I did buy a book for $7.99 after I declined that one. Usually I stay within the 3.99 or less range. I'm trying out a lot of indie books. If I'm going to pay more than $8 for a book, I want a print copy.


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## GPB (Oct 2, 2010)

I have to assume there are plenty of people unlike me, or this would be a tremendously depressing endeavor. I'll pay hardcover prices for authors I love. I'll pay paperback prices for authors I like. I'll pay next to nothing for authors I've never heard of before. An author needs to be talked about and reviewed well before I'll buy his or her books. This is a matter of time and choices rather than money.


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## Terrence OBrien (Oct 21, 2010)

For novels, I don't value the print book at more than the eBook. At any price level, I'll take the eBook over the print. I want the eBook. i don't want the print. I'm willing to pay more for the eBook.


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## BrianKittrell (Jan 8, 2011)

I will usually pay more for non-fiction than fiction, and it's not because non-fiction is necessarily harder to write. Usually, non-fiction is written off as a business expense because I'm using it as a tool to better my own commercial work, so I can really purchase those at any price if I think they will be a good help.

For fiction, free samples help, low priced loss leaders help. I will go as high as $9.99 for an ebook that really excites me (and, I mean, jumping-up-and-down-thrilled, no pictures, please.), but this is few and far between. I tend to stick to under $5 for most fiction.


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

I think I've paid around $15 for an ebook once or twice. But I usually only pay that for stuff like nonfiction reference books. I think the key is it has to be something people really, strongly want. I'm not likely to pay above $5 for an ebook I haven't heard of by an unfamiliar author. But I think little of paying twice as much for favorite authors on my auto-buy list.


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## Lynn McNamee (Jan 8, 2009)

I pre-ordered that same book. However, I have read two other books by that author, so I am biased.  

I don't mind paying that much for a book by an author that I've read and enjoyed in the past.


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## Jill James (May 8, 2011)

The most I've paid for an eBook so far is $9.99 and I was not a happy camper. But I had to have that book, so I paid. I mostly go up to $4.99 as my limit.


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## Judi Coltman (Aug 23, 2010)

If there is a book that I want to read, I will pay as much as $15 for an ebook.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Most I pay is 7.99 and I pay that on a regular basis for the new releases. The paperback is also 7.99. These are books that only come out in paperback. I did pay 9.99 once for the last in the Fever series, but I had too, as the book before ended in a cliffhanger and I was .. well hanging  . 

I make up for the higher priced stuff by snapping up sales and backlist stuff that is usually 2.99-3.99. 

So my most is 7.99 with the very rare exception.


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

I have paid $12.99 quite frequently but not over that (so far), but I just noticed today that the next book in a series I read is almost $14 (still less than the hardcover) so I guess I will be paying that for the first time but I don't plan on making it a habit. I love books that are less of course but I don't have a problem at all paying $9.99 and $10.99 for new releases. The only time it bothers me is if the e-book is more than the hardback release or paperback if it comes out that way first. 
I use to buy hardcovers all the time and paid $20 plus for them so I really can't complain paying $10 for an e-book when I could be paying the $20 still, at least that is how I look at it.


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## charlesatan (May 8, 2012)

No set limit, it really depends on the content, the author, the genre, etc.


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## TerryS (Mar 29, 2011)

9.99 if I REALLY LOVE the author.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

It depends. I probably wouldn't pay $12.99 for an author I haven't read anything from before, unless it's non-fiction. I expect non-fiction to cost more than novels.

It looks like "Gone Girl" is only out in Hardcover so most likely, the ebook price will come down when the paperback is released. For an author I haven't read yet, I'd wait for the price to come down. But if it's from an author I love and can't wait to read it, I'd probably pay up to about $14.99. If I'd been up to date with the Song of Ice and Fire series when Dance with Dragons was released, I probably would have bought it at it's currently price tag for $14.99. But since I was still getting caught up, I figured I'd wait for the paperback when the ebook price would drop, which is in August.


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## RikNieu (Jun 2, 2012)

I paid $9.99
Won't do it again.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Traditionally, I've bought at the paperback price, ~$7.99, both pre and post Kindle ownership. I have gone above that on a very few occasions. My average price is way below that, as I've been buying a lot of indie authors and taking advantage of freebies and Kindle Daily Deals.

I _think_ the most I've paid is $12.99 for one or two books. Then another group at $9.99, but the rest of my 1000+ books have been $7.99 and below. Way below.

Betsy


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## KM Logan (Jun 2, 2012)

I love freebies, it's very seldom I buy fiction, unless it's for my kids.  However, non-fiction is another story.  The most I've paid for an eBook is $30 because I felt the book had the value to help my career, which it did.  (31 days to a better Blog, in case anyone is interested)


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

It depends.  Right now I'm in a real dry spell where nothing I start suits.  I finished the Robert Crais (which I paid 9 dollars for in paperback, but it was part of the 4 for 3 deal so I didn't pay the full 9.)    When I'm like this, I'm BARELY likely to pay 2.99 even after liking a sample because I have to REALLY like a sample.  All 6 of the books I've started I've made it about halfway and just lost interest.  Two were Kindle (one of which was a borrow) and the other four were paperbacks.  

When I'm like this my price starts at about 10 dollars.  It gradually goes down as I lose all confidence that there is any book out there that I want to read.  I'm sitting at about "I'm not spending anymore money on this terrible habit."  If the next book fails me, I may have to be paid to read.

(Yeah.  I get depressed when I can't find a good book that suits.)


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

The most I will pay is whatever I think it's worth.  So if it's priced at $xx and I think it's worth that, or more, I'll buy it.  If I don't, I won't.  

I don't think there's a number in my mind that's a brick wall where I'd say "NO book is worth that much." So I never say 'never'.  

Historically, however, most of what I buy is between $3 and $10 though I've probably paid more for a couple dozen kindle books. And I did pay full price for the latest King, which was something like $17 -- well, actually, my brother who shares my account paid for it.


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## Krista D. Ball (Mar 8, 2011)

~~international note~~

Print books cost different in different countries (I've never see a $7.99 paperback in this century), so some people's upper limit is automatically higher for no other reason than they are comparing with their print costs locally.

~~end international note~~


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## Joel Arnold (May 3, 2010)

I couldn't see myself paying more than 10 bucks for an ebook, and that would be only if I really liked the author.


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## Seleya (Feb 25, 2011)

Any amount I feel like paying for the specific book if I can afford it at the time, that's to say I don't have a set upper limit for ebooks.


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

I wanted to buy Gone Girl, and also Defending Jacob, but not at $12.99 for an eBook. I bypassed them both. I'd pay that and more for a paperback or hardback, but no more than $3.99 or thereabouts for an eBook.


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

MariaESchneider said:


> It depends. Right now I'm in a real dry spell where nothing I start suits. I finished the Robert Crais (which I paid 9 dollars for in paperback, but it was part of the 4 for 3 deal so I didn't pay the full 9.) When I'm like this, I'm BARELY likely to pay 2.99 even after liking a sample because I have to REALLY like a sample. All 6 of the books I've started I've made it about halfway and just lost interest. Two were Kindle (one of which was a borrow) and the other four were paperbacks.
> 
> When I'm like this my price starts at about 10 dollars. It gradually goes down as I lose all confidence that there is any book out there that I want to read. I'm sitting at about "I'm not spending anymore money on this terrible habit." If the next book fails me, I may have to be paid to read.
> 
> (Yeah. I get depressed when I can't find a good book that suits.)


You can look through my lending list Maria and let me know if you find anything you like!! At least that way if you don't like it, you didn't buy it LOL!


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## Verbena (Sep 1, 2011)

I've paid $9.95 for a mytery book.Cavern of the Blood Zombies.


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## Rags Daniels (Jun 5, 2012)

I read a particular genre, and if I like what I read on the sleeve I will purchase it, irrelevant of the price. And having just purchased a Kindle touch via Amazon for my daughter, not only has a whole new world opened up for her, the drain on my wallet has been phenomenal.


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## Guest (Jun 5, 2012)

I just spent $20 on a PDF, because the book is out of print and used copies are selling for $70. So getting the book for $20 in PDF format was a bargain.


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## Margo Karasek (Feb 29, 2012)

I usually don't like to pay more than $5 but, of course, I have. And every time I finish the more expensive book, I read a cheaper equivalent (which is often better) and kick myself for spending the bucks. I can just see all those other books I could have purchased instead . . .


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## planet_janet (Feb 23, 2010)

It depends on the how badly I want to read the book, but I generally don't like to spend more than $9.99.  I did just purchase a Kindle book last week that was $12.99--and it was a short read, only 2998 locations--but it was a phenomenal book and worth the money for the convenience of just being able to download it and start reading it while I was sitting by the pool.    I balance out my Kindle purchases with Kindle books borrowed from my library (which, thankfully, has a pretty decent selection of Kindle books available).


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## Dragonfly Editing (Janet) (May 29, 2012)

I read so much that I try to be as frugal as possible and start with free or $.99 for an author unknown to me. After that, if I like the author I'll go as high as $7.99 usually.


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## 31842 (Jan 11, 2011)

I ponied up $14.99 for the latest George R.R. Martin book (shakes fist at the sky), but usually I cap my purchases at $3.99 for indie and $7.99 for traditionally published.  But if it is an author I adore, I'm happy to open up my wallet and pour all my money into their coffers.


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

I don't bother to set an artificial cap on what I'll pay on any book. If I want to read something bad enough, I'll pay the price it's going for.  If I don't, I'll put it on my price watch wish list and see if it gets any cheaper or else forget about it altogether. It's pretty much a case by case basis rather than any hard and fast 'rule'.


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## Dracula (Jun 2, 2012)

Yeah, I agree with Steph.  If a book looks good, regardless of whether it's an ebook or a paperback or a hardcover or written by an author I love or an author I don't know or an author I hate, I'll buy it.  Why not?


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

MLPMom said:


> You can look through my lending list Maria and let me know if you find anything you like!! At least that way if you don't like it, you didn't buy it LOL!


Thanks MLP! I have quite a few more samples on my Kindle. It's just been one of those spells. I did finish Skinwalker (Faith Hunter) but it wasn't that good. Oh, it was probably a 3 star except for the parts where she just dropped characters out of the picture temporarily because it was convenient. I probably wouldn't have finished it except I was reading it for a bookclub that I'm on over at GR. I just want a POUNDING good novel that takes my breath away!!!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I paid $14.99 one time for a nonfiction book I really wanted. I usually try not to pay more than $9.99, but I have gone over that amount by a couple of bucks for nonfiction a few times.

For fiction I have a hard limit of $9.99, and have refused to break that even for books I really want. As mentioned recently on my eighty books thread, I balked for more than a year at buying two detective novels that I wanted because they were priced at $11.99, but bought them both on the spot when I saw they were down to $6.99. My preference for fiction is to pay less than ten bucks, actually.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


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## Beatriz (Feb 22, 2011)

pamclaughton said:


> I just paid $12.99 for an author that I've never read before, GONE GIRL, by Gillian Flynn, which is #12 on the overall Kindle list and interesting the book is a pre-order, it's out in a few days. The description of it just sounded so good and different.
> 
> It got me wondering, especially as this book is selling so well at such a high price, maybe we can charge more than we think?
> 
> ...


I have paid up to 14.99 for an ebook I really wanted. It is still a lot cheaper than the physical books which are priced at 20 and up so readers should stop equating ebooks with bargains.


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## LaraAmber (Feb 24, 2009)

I don't have a price limit, it's more like a format limit.  If the book is still only available in hardback I know it's likely the ebook price is artificially inflated.  So I wait until it's out in paperback unless they have the ebook at a sale price below $10.  If the paperback price and the ebook price are close, I will purchase.  If the ebook price is higher than the paperback by several dollars, I won't purchase, especially if I see that Penguin is the publisher.    

I've got a wish list with Amazon that I check frequently to see if prices dropped for books I like.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

For me, it's all about the author and how much I want to read the book.  I am probably going to end up paying $12.99 for Joe Hill's book "Horns," for example.  I have paid $8 for some books - like the Michael Harvey book I just read.  But, those are authors I know and trust to do good work, so feel it is OK to pay more for their work.  On someone I have not read before...much less is more likely.


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## KTaylor-Green (Aug 24, 2011)

charlesatan said:


> No set limit, it really depends on the content, the author, the genre, etc.


And this would be me. If I want to read it badly enough, I will pay the price.


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## Alpha72 (May 9, 2012)

I've seen the pay structure for Amazon, so I'm surprised an author would charge 12.99. That would actually get them (or the publisher) less than charging 9.99.

But to be honest, when it comes to ebooks, I'm all about the content. I have no problem paying more, so long as I really want the story and/or information.


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## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

I don't think I've ever paid more than $13.99 for an ebook (I am in the U.S.), and only because I already own a hardcover and wanted an ebook version for traveling. If I wanted something more expensive I would prefer getting a hardcover or paperback that could be easily shared or gifted. Also, quite frankly, I value ebooks a bit less. My Kindle is for mostly for books I will read only once (there are a few exceptions, though!). There is no rational explanations for that.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Alpha72 said:


> I've seen the pay structure for Amazon, so I'm surprised an author would charge 12.99. That would actually get them (or the publisher) less than charging 9.99.
> .


Most of the books priced that high are from major publishers. Authors who are able to price their own books usually do so at between $3 and $6.


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

I pay $12.99 often enough to lose count; I even try new authors at that price too.  I've bought a half dozen or so at $14.99 and one that cost more.  I've got my eyes on a Van Gogh biography at $19.99 but I'm holding off until the next generation of the Kindle Fire because the book contains color pictures.

I guess I'm not all that worried about price in the long run.  $12 bucks a books a few times per month will not bust the budget.  I spend more on lunch.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Alpha72 (May 9, 2012)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Most of the books priced that high are from major publishers. Authors who are able to price their own books usually do so at between $3 and $6.


Do the major publishers get a different pay structure? If they're dropped down to a 35% return, it seems a bit silly (unless they're primary concern is to make the ebook competitive with the print edition, which also seems a bit strange considering how much less efficient traditional print books have become).


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

The major publishers agreements with Amazon are completely different than independent authors' agreements, yes.  I don't know the details of either -- though if you are really interested you might ask in the Cafe.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Alpha72 said:


> I've seen the pay structure for Amazon, so I'm surprised an author would charge 12.99. That would actually get them (or the publisher) less than charging 9.99.
> 
> But to be honest, when it comes to ebooks, I'm all about the content. I have no problem paying more, so long as I really want the story and/or information.


Alpha, the pay structure for the big publishers is different than the structure for backlist and indie authors uploading via their KDP program. It is also different for authors who sign with Amazon and yet different again for smaller publishers. Each publisher has a contract with Amazon. The indies and backlist authors have a single contract and that is the one you're thinking of--I'm guessing the publishers still make more at the 12.99 than they would at 9.99. But they are publishers and ... business is not always logical!


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## Ann Chambers (Apr 24, 2011)

I've paid $14.99 a couple of times for books I REALLY wanted but I was pretty grumpy about it. I usually try to stay under $9.99 and am much happier buying at $5 and below. But I am a bargain shopper in most areas of my life. 

I remember getting excited when Amazon had a huge sale of paperback books for less than $5 several years ago (pre Kindle days). I snatched up a cartful and cashed in on that free shipping for over $25 purchases. Lol. So $5 and under has been my happy little comfort zone for a while.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

For the most part, $9.99 or the cost of the paperback on Amazon if that's below $9.99.

Only time I've gone over is paying $14.99 for A Dance with Dragons as I wasn't willing to wait for the paperback to come out and the e-book price to drop.


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## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

I don't have a limit. I buy what I want to read. If a price seems high, $14-15 range, I'll see if available at an e-library, which it almost always is. I tend to not buy paper instead of ebook because of price. I buy paper books but those on ones I want in paper, for one off reads I do ebooks.


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## Meka (Sep 8, 2011)

So far the most I've paid is $16.99   for Stephen King's "11.22.63" , I guess I don't have a limit if it's something I really want to read.


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## brooksjones (Jun 6, 2012)

KateDanley said:


> I ponied up $14.99 for the latest George R.R. Martin book (shakes fist at the sky), but usually I cap my purchases at $3.99 for indie and $7.99 for traditionally published. But if it is an author I adore, I'm happy to open up my wallet and pour all my money into their coffers.


LOL, I started to read _A Dance With Dragons_ as a library book (on the Kindle) but couldn't finish--got bored. I may check it out again to finish, but I darn well won't pay full price for it, especially since I did for _A Feast for Crows_, which wasn't worth it.

The only time I ever pay more than $9.99 for an ebook is if I have a gift card in hand. Otherwise, nope. I can count the >$10 purchases on one hand (I think, anyway).


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## Simon Haynes (Mar 14, 2011)

$4.99.  Above that I'd rather find a second hand print copy.


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

Terrence OBrien said:


> For novels, I don't value the print book at more than the eBook. At any price level, I'll take the eBook over the print. I want the eBook. i don't want the print. I'm willing to pay more for the eBook.


Same here. Since I prefer reading on my Kindle (or my Sony), that is the form I want books in and pay what I feel the book is worth. Sadly, few of the books I use for research are available in digital form so I mainly buy fiction. I rarely pay more than $9 but occasionally, if it's GRR Martin, then I do.


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## Krista D. Ball (Mar 8, 2011)

JRTomlin said:


> Same here. Since I prefer reading on my Kindle (or my Sony), that is the form I want books in and pay what I feel the book is worth. Sadly, *few of the books I use for research are available in digital form* so I mainly buy fiction. I rarely pay more than $9 but occasionally, if it's GRR Martin, then I do.


I was discussing this with some academics. I would pay a small fortune if some of my favourite peeps combined their research articles into individual or 5-article collections and sold them at $5 each. I could also see universities and students buying up a lot of them, too.


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## gina1230 (Nov 29, 2009)

I set a low price point of $3.80 just to keep my buying frenzy to a minimum.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Seems as though someone asks this question every week...

My answer is that I have no set price to pay for an ebook (or indeed for most other items). I judge the price I will pay on the value I expect to get. I have paid $20 for an ebook, but the paperback price was $40 (it was a flight instruction book).

Many ebooks I see are overpriced at $0.99, in my opinion.   

Setting an arbitrary value seems pointless to me.


Mike


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I've paid $14.99 for one nonfiction book that I really wanted.  In general, I try to hold the line at no more than $9.99 for nonfiction, but I've broken that rule several times.  For fiction, I prefer to pay five to seven dollars, but will go to $9.99 for fictional books by known authors that I am convinced will be excellent.  So far I've been good about not breaking the $9.99 barrier for fiction books, I held off for over a year buying the last two books in a mystery series I like very much because they were $11.99 each, but when the publisher dropped them to $6.99 I bought both of them within seconds of seeing the drop.


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