# Is it right for an e-book to be more expensive than it's paperback version?



## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

i was going through amazon store this morning looking for a book to purchase. however, i was disappointed to see an e-book going for $17 while its paperback version going for $9...i think this is not fair for me as a buyer!


----------



## purplesmurf (Mar 20, 2012)

I would NEVER pay more for an ebook than a paperback. I love my kindle but if it was something I really really really wanted to read i'd go paperback if that were the case, or just say forget about it because of the ridiculous pricing.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Here's the thing:  if the book is distributed by a publisher with an 'agency pricing' contract, they get to set the price and Amazon is not allowed to discount.  PAPER books are not distributed that way -- in that case, Amazon is considered a retailer: they buy the books wholesale and sell them at whatever they deem to be market price.  The publisher may specify a 'list price', but Amazon can put any price on them that they want, and often discount them to where they hardly have any profit.

So, the Publisher specifies $20 as the list price for a hardback and $15 as the list price for the ebook.  Amazon can discount the paper book down to $11 or $12 if they want -- even if they paid $13 for it.  But they're not allowed to discount the eBook.  So, practically speaking, the ebook is priced higher, though the publisher would argue that they priced it lower and it's Amazon's fault if you have to pay more.  This doesn't fool anyone, of course, but they like their little fictions. 

Presumably, what they are hoping is the people who say "I would never pay more for an ebook than a paper book" will go ahead and buy the book in paper.  What they don't realize is that, more often, those people say, "I want it in e-form but won't buy it at all until it's cheaper."  Or they go borrow it from a library -- that's probably also in paper form, but free to them. 

Though, of course, there are those who feel the kindle edition is so much more convenient that it's worth the extra buck or two.  The ability to re-size font makes it really valuable for those who need 'large print' because paper editions in large print are really expensive and not usually produced except for those books that are best sellers.  And they don't usually come out at the same time as the regular hard bound editions.  With a Kindle, a person could get a 'large print' version at the same time as everyone else and for less than the paper large print version is eventually going to cost -- if it's even produced.

I personally don't compare kindle prices to paper prices, I just decide how badly I want to read the book.  They do usually come down over time, though some popular titles stay at their original prices even when the paperback versions are released.


----------



## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

No.  I'll never pay more for an e-book than the cheapest print version on Amazon.  I have no problem paying the same price personally--the author did the same amount of work, and I can deal with the publisher making a little extra from not having printing/shipping costs associated with the e-book.  But I can't stomach paying more, that's just far too much greed from the publisher for me.  Plenty of books I want to read, so not a big deal to skip something I feel is overpriced.

E-books are indeed more convenient since I can read them on all my gadgets, don't get stuck with a paper copy of a book I'll probably never read again etc.  But for me personally that's not enough to consent to the publisher greed and pay more than the paperbook.  I'll wait for a price drop or check the e-book out from the library if available or get the paperbook from the library maybe.


----------



## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

Many ebook users refuse to pay more for the ebook than the (new) print version. Hopefully with the publishers getting sued for conspiracy to raise ebook prices and some of them already agreeing to settle, we will start seeing prices go down soon.



Ann in Arlington said:


> Presumably, what they are hoping is the people who say "I would never pay more for an ebook than a paper book" will go ahead and buy the book in paper. What they don't realize is that, more often, those people say, "I want it in e-form but won't buy it at all until it's cheaper." Or they go borrow it from a library -- that's probably also in paper form, but free to them.


Yep - if the price is significantly higher than the print version (a few cents isn't a big deal), I just put it on my ereaderiq price drop tracker and forget about it until the price goes down. If it never goes down, I'll probably never buy it. There's so many other good books out there to read in the meantime and there are very few books I HAVE to have regardless of price.


----------



## henryandhenrybooks (Sep 6, 2011)

I agree with purplesmurf.   Like everyone, I love Kindle but if it's a book I really want and the Kindle version is more $ then I go for the paperback.
It is sad to see the kindle versions increasing in price...


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Katharina said:


> Perhaps the author is making the paperback cheaper to ease the significant cost of postage
> any potential reader will have to pay? If you want to have your paperback fairly quickly, you
> have to pay a pretty hefty postage. That way you even out the price between e-books and
> print books.


This doesn't make a lot of sense to me as a good reason. 

Most books where the price is higher for E than for Paper are traditionally published. Many independent authors don't even publish in paper. Small presses seem to usually charge less for E than Paper.


----------



## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

They can charge what they want.  Doesn't mean I'm going to pay for it.  Most of the time when I see that kind of pricing, it motivates me to check the library for a copy.


----------



## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I don't look at the paper price, in general. I look at the Kindle price, and if it seems within reason for my personal expectations as to how much enjoyment, education, or whatever I'll get out of the book, I'll buy it. I'm not on a crusade to punish Amazon, Random House, or whomever else for how they price versions I'm not going to read; I only care about the version _I_ am going to read.


----------



## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

Katharina said:


> By lowering my paperback price, I could in theory give my customers free postage and make it just as likely for
> them to chose the print book as the e-book. Some, older, readers still prefer the feel of a print book.
> I don't do this because I agree that e-books should cost less than print books.


Not sure how it is in Denmark, but it's pretty easy to buy most anything you want online with free shipping these days in the US.

Not just with pay services like Amazon Prime, but Amazon and other sites tend to offer free shipping on orders over $25, lots of sites have free shipping coupons pretty regularly etc.


----------



## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

I've got a lot of information on this subject that i did not know. what i don't understand is that; as Ann said it, amazon do discount the paperbacks. why should they do it even when they are not profiting?


----------



## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Ciuri Di Badia said:


> I've got a lot of information on this subject that i did not know. what i don't understand is that; as Ann said it, amazon do discount the paperbacks. why should they do it even when they are not profiting?


They may be making profit, albeit a smaller per-unit profit. They may simply be trying to embarrass those publishers using the agency model to price e-books above the "magic" $9.99 price point. They may feel they can sell more units that way at a small profit for an overall better total profit. They may feel they'll get more of your business that way on other products with higher margins. Or, more likely, some of each.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Ciuri Di Badia said:


> I've got a lot of information on this subject that i did not know. what i don't understand is that; as Ann said it, amazon do discount the paperbacks. why should they do it even when they are not profiting?


Because they figure people will buy more stuff if it's cheaper. Even if the profit is only 10 cents you can make a boatload of money if a million people buy the thing. PLUS it gets customers to the site and, while they're there, they might buy _other_ things that have a bit more markup. It's worked, too. I know a lot of people who go to Amazon first for almost anything they're looking to buy. So they started over 15 years ago with super cheap prices on books and great customer appreciation and service. . . . and have got extremely loyal customers because of it.

Physical store retailers do this all the time. . .the big weekly ads have sales on specific stuff which the store is basically selling at a loss. But if you can get mom in to buy hamburger for a lot less than anywhere else in town, she might go ahead and buy your overpriced milk too, rather than stopping to make another trip, rationalizing that, over all, she's still saved money.



mooshie78 said:


> Not sure how it is in Denmark, but it's pretty easy to buy most anything you want online with free shipping these days in the US.
> 
> Not just with pay services like Amazon Prime, but Amazon and other sites tend to offer free shipping on orders over $25, lots of sites have free shipping coupons pretty regularly etc.


I'd agree with that. . . .shipping, for better or worse, is really not even a little bit of an issue here in the US. You really only pay a premium if you need it NOW and/or it's an extremely bulky item. Specifically from Amazon, the Prime membership means you don't pay extra for 2 day shipping ever, and can get 1 day shipping for just $4. Or, you can get most items shipped free as long as your total order is at least $25. And lots of other on line retailers have similar programs.

This is, by the way, a topic that comes up with some frequency and regularity. There are a bunch of threads here in the Corner where the discussion is from the readers/buyers point of view, as well as many in the Writer's Cafe where the discussion is rather from the authors/sellers point of view.


----------



## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

Yeah, you can make more money selling more units at a lower per unit profit sometimes if the lower price generates enough extra sales.

Also, Amazon is trying to kill off the competition.  They're ok shrinking profits if it's driving main competitors out of business as that's more long-term profits for them.  It's the online equivalent of what Wal-mart did/does in the brick and mortar retail arena.  Sell stuff cheap sacrificing short-term profit margins to kill competition and then you can raise prices.  Definitely happened in my parents small town as the Super Wal-mart's prices started rising after they killed off 3 of the 4 grocery stores and both of the hardware stores.


----------



## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I would think that you would always find the ebook cheaper.  I mean, the expense of creating the book in paper alone would account for an increase in the price.  Weird.


----------



## PhillyGuy (Dec 18, 2010)

balaspa said:


> I mean, the expense of creating the book in paper alone would account for an increase in the price.


Why should the cost of production have anything to do with the price?

This web site is testimony that for a lot of people, the eBook is more valuable that the paper version.

If it was up to me, I would charge as much as the market will bear. If by chance this results in great profits, I'd hopefully give a lot to charity.

Be patient. Ten years from now, paper books may be an expensive niche item, such as vinyl records are today. eBooks will then seem cheap by comparison.


----------



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

PhillyGuy said:


> Why should the cost of production have anything to do with the price?


I've pointed this out a number of times here. Nobody has yet tried to argue the point, other than saying "It's just not right."  

Mike


----------



## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

It's simply a value judgement that's going to vary from person to person.

To me a book is just words that tell a story.  I don't care about the delivery format, I'm paying to read the story.

So the value judgement two me is two fold:

1.  How much reading a particular story is worth to me independent of format.

2.  The cost of the delivery format, I expect a hardback to cost more than a paperback as it costs the publisher more to produce and ship the hardback.  And I expect the paperback to cost more than the e-book since the e-book doesn't have printing or shipping costs.

For some people they only care about number 1, and thus number 2 is irrelevant to them.  I care about both so I factor both into my purchases.  Others probably have more than those two that they consider.  Everyone has their own principles for how they judge the value of an item to them.


----------



## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

jmiked said:


> I've pointed this out a number of times here. Nobody has yet tried to argue the point, other than saying "It's just not right."
> 
> Mike


I'm sure I've pointed out before that typically, hardcovers are more expensive than paperbacks, in part because the production cost is higher. I hate hardcovers because they're so heavy and the jacket is annoying. I know I'm not the only one. So by your theory, that should make the paperback more valuable to many people and thus, more expensive. But it's not. Mass market paperbacks are sold cheaply because they are produced cheaply. It's true Amazon may sell things at a loss at times and make it up in other ways. But to claim that production cost never has anything to do with the retail price (and then try to claim no one has ever come up with a valid disagree to this) is pretty ignorant, if you ask me.


----------



## PhillyGuy (Dec 18, 2010)

history_lover said:


> I hate hardcovers because they're so heavy and the jacket is annoying. I know I'm not the only one. So by your theory, that should make the paperback more valuable to many people and thus, more expensive.


If you are the typical person, certainly. But you are not. If you were, the paperback would come out first and be more expensive.



> Mass market paperbacks are sold cheaply because they are produced cheaply.


They are sold cheaply because the publisher is divvying up the market. The hardbacks are sold at the highest price to people who want immediate availability and the appearance of a luxury item. At least in the old days, next comes, subtly cheaper _looking_, the book club version. Then, various paperbacks. The goal is to get customers willing to pay the most to do so, without losing the customers who can't afford the higher prices.

Who remembers when hardcover bindings were sewn? Back then, the hardback really was a superior physical item.



> But to claim that production cost never has anything to do with the retail price (and then try to claim no one has ever come up with a valid disagree to this) is pretty ignorant, if you ask me.


So much for the idea of the nice friendly board.

Of course production cost has something to do with the price. If the publisher routinely prices below production cost broadly considered (including contracted royalties, cost of financing, etc.), the firm goes out of business. And if they charge too much, they can't cover their fixed costs from the low volume and also go out of business. But that's not a moral argument why the firm should or should not charge any particular price on an individual item. It's just a here's-what-the-publisher-could-do-to-maximize-profits argument.


----------



## scottnicholson (Jan 31, 2010)

I haven't bought (at retail) a single paper book since I got my Kindle, aside from gifts. I also haven't paid more than $2.99 for a Kindle book personally, although I have bought more expensive ones for my wife and daughter.

I know I am not typical, but it works for me!


----------



## scottmarlowe (Apr 22, 2010)

I've paid at most $7.99 for an eBook when it's by an author I know and love, but it's ridiculous when an eBook is priced higher than a paperback. In those cases, I'll buy the paperback over the eBook.


----------



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

history_lover said:


> But to claim that production cost never has anything to do with the retail price (and then try to claim no one has ever come up with a valid disagree to this) is pretty ignorant, if you ask me.


I'm pretty sure I have never claimed that production never has _anything_ to do with retail price. But I have asked the question.

Mike


----------



## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

PhillyGuy said:


> If you are the typical person, certainly. But you are not. If you were, the paperback would come out first and be more expensive.


Okay, so apply that logic to ebooks - from what I read, most ebook buyers feel that, although they love their ereaders, an ebook should cost less than print. Some feel their convenience means they hold more value but personally, I think these people are in the minority. Maybe not, maybe I'm wrong... but I can only go off my perception. If, by your own admission, the majority rules and the majority think they should cost less than print...



> So much for the idea of the nice friendly board.


I'm entitled to my opinion and I don't believe I've broken any forum rules. I do have a blunt honesty but that doesn't mean I'm mean and nasty.



> Of course production cost has something to do with the price.


Which is why I think the ebook price should reflect the production cost. If you can accept there is a relation, why is it so hard to accept that there is good reason to believe ebook prices should reflect the related production cost?

Hardcover = most expensive to produce, most expensive to buy
Paperback = next to most expensive to produce, next to most expensive to buy
MMP = cheapest print edition to produce, cheapest to buy
ebooks = cheapest of all to produce... MORE expensive to buy? Sorry, I just don't follow the logic...


----------



## Craig Halloran (May 15, 2012)

EBooks are overpriced by major publishers. I think it's ridiculous. eBooks are WAY cheaper to produce, as well noted above. Ebooks have almost zero printing and distribution costs. That's 75 percent of the cost of a paper book.

That being said, I am sure there are many impulse buys when new books from favorite writers come out. 
If you really want to learn about these items to go 
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/
He really lays it out.

Anyhow, let them keep charging too much, it's good business for writers like me.


----------



## Boatie (May 8, 2012)

scottmarlowe said:


> I've paid at most $7.99 for an eBook when it's by an author I know and love, but it's ridiculous when an eBook is priced higher than a paperback. In those cases, I'll buy the paperback over the eBook.


I do the same thing! Eight dollars is my cut off (with limited exceptions) for an eBook, but if it goes any higher I just buy the paperback. I feel strongly that the eBook should be lower in price.


----------



## Neil Ostroff (Mar 25, 2011)

Any publisher that charges that much for an e-version that costs nothing to make is looking to rip off readers.


----------



## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

G g. 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

It is a matter of principle. If a e-book costs more than the paperback, despite costing less to produce and distribute, I'm not buying it. There are plenty of other books out there for me to choose from. They can set the price where ever they want, that doesn't mean it is a reasonable or rational price, and doesn't mean I have to buy the book.


----------



## sheiler1963 (Nov 23, 2011)

Is it right for an e-book to be priced higher than a printed book? I suppose it isn't, however it's my money and nobody is forcing me to spend it. If I think the price is too high or the product not worth the expense.......NOBODY DIES! If I want the product enough despite it being priced too high......I buy it. Because again, it's my money and if I pay too much.....NOBODY DIES!
Then again I'm easily amused and reading the back of a cereal box or the SkyMall magazine on a plane will do in a pinch.


----------



## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

There is, as I see it, almost a cult forming around ebook prices and the demand for lower prices.  People with very little inside knowledge of the industry and the true costs to produce physical and ebook versions  and have all sorts of self imposed rules on how or when at what costs they should pay for ebooks.  At times when I read about ebook prices, I get this image of someone banging a shoe and proclaiming "I will not pay a lot for this ebook!"

Should an ebook cost less than the paperback?  Yes, I think so, but that does not mean it should always cost less than the discounted price that some retailer sells somewhere.  There are just too many variables to account for to make hard and fast rules about what to pay.

I think $12.99 for an ebook of a new novel out in hardback is not unreasonable.  $14.99 for non-fiction and big novels can be justified.  The price should probably drop to the same as or lower than the paperback in time, but pricing flukes happen.  Publisher greed is possible, but keeping prices closer together is more likely the case.

Also, from what I've heard, the cost to produce a hardcover and trade paperback are very close, and publishers make a bigger profit from hardcovers.  It is not a case that price is reflected on higher production costs.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## jaimee83 (Sep 2, 2009)

It is quite unnerving To see a Kindle book for $14.99 and right below that price it says used for $.01.  A couple years ago I held books on my wishlist for a couple months and the prices fell.  I've had books on the wishlist for >a year and no price changes.  I think the whole process is a scam.  Once the book is forematted electronically, there is no more cost, e books should a couple bucks.  Amazon blames the publisher and walks away leaving us with the bill.  Its all a scam and we keep supporting it. Think I'll download a couple more books...


----------



## PhillyGuy (Dec 18, 2010)

history_lover said:


> If you can accept there is a relation, why is it so hard to accept that there is good reason to believe ebook prices should reflect the related production cost?


There certainly are reasons that are good for you, I just don't find them convincing. Some people will always believe the just price theory (my perhaps unfair summation of your views here), and some people always won't.



jaimee83 said:


> It is quite unnerving To see a Kindle book for $14.99 and right below that price it says used for $.01.


No more unnerving than knowing I can't afford a Rolls Royce. My buying a Rolls is just as likely my paying the $14.99, but if either Rolls Royce or Hachette can get their asking price, that's fine with me.

It is nice for the designers, and craftspeople, at Rolls Royce that some people can afford a new Rolls. And it's nice for me that I can get almost every book I want to read at Project Gutenberg or the public library, usually as an eBook, but sometimes paper only.

Authors don't make much. And, compared to the likes of Amazon, publishers don't make much either. Given that public libraries are a guarantee of my freedom to read, so I have no real need for new books, I'd rather see pricing set to maximize incomes for authors and editors. Neither one is a wealthy group.


----------



## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

I feel you guys. I like what sheila has said. its her money and she gotta do whatever she want with it. many people are becoming conscious of how books are being priced. however, it is important for all of us to understand the rationale behind it.


----------



## Guest (May 24, 2012)

An E-Book shouldn't be more expensive than it's paperback edition. But its also good if authors give some value to their work instead of giving their full length books away for $0.99 or even $2.99, which is also a joke, especially when the author is working on it for years.


----------



## Craig Halloran (May 15, 2012)

Here is one school of thought.

When a new movie comes out, in 3D, which I don't really care for, and you want to go see it, you pay the max price. You have to go see that movie if you are a fan, but you can always wait for the DVD to rent. But can you wait that long. Most people can't, they have to have it now. Like a Harry Potter book or Movie. Whatever venue they can get it in, the fastest, they will pay for. 

Me, I can wait for the cheaper stuff. DVD, DVR download, netflix or Red Box. Man, Red Box is the best thing. New movies for a buck!


----------



## Nicole Ciacchella (May 21, 2012)

Before I got my Kindle, I hardly ever purchased books.  I usually read around 70-80 books a year, and buying books just wasn't feasible because 1) I don't have unlimited space to store them and 2) I am not independently wealthy (unfortunately), so it simply cost too much.  This means I became a very, very avid user of my local public library.

Now that I have a Kindle, I do tend to buy more books, but not the $9.99 and up that publishers want.  Instead, I follow Kindle Daily Deals on FB and Twitter, and I've snatched up several books through these feeds.  I've also started purchasing indie books that appeal to me, because the prices are reasonable and I like knowing that most of the money goes directly to the author.

I'm also one of those people who estimates cost based on whether it's a physical or digital product.  While I do think that intellectual property has a value (hence why I'm willing to pay for books at all), I don't believe that a digital copy of a book should cost more than a physical object like a paperback.  When I see this price discrepancy, I usually head straight to my library's website and put in a hold request on the book.


----------



## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

thank you Nicole, Craig and Guardian. Also, i think the value of a book should go with its length. the lengthier it is, the more likely that it will be more expensive.


----------



## Craig Halloran (May 15, 2012)

Nicole Ciacchella said:


> Before I got my Kindle, I hardly ever purchased books. I usually read around 70-80 books a year, and buying books just wasn't feasible because 1) I don't have unlimited space to store them and 2) I am not independently wealthy (unfortunately), so it simply cost too much. This means I became a very, very avid user of my local public library.
> 
> Now that I have a Kindle, I do tend to buy more books, but not the $9.99 and up that publishers want. Instead, I follow Kindle Daily Deals on FB and Twitter, and I've snatched up several books through these feeds. I've also started purchasing indie books that appeal to me, because the prices are reasonable and I like knowing that most of the money goes directly to the author.
> 
> I'm also one of those people who estimates cost based on whether it's a physical or digital product. While I do think that intellectual property has a value (hence why I'm willing to pay for books at all), I don't believe that a digital copy of a book should cost more than a physical object like a paperback. When I see this price discrepancy, I usually head straight to my library's website and put in a hold request on the book.


How did you get set up to see the daily Kindle Deals on FB and Twitter?


----------



## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

one thing i love about kindle deals is that it contains books from different genres. there is no monotony and this caters to different people's preferences.


----------



## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

jaimee83 said:


> It is quite unnerving To see a Kindle book for $14.99 and right below that price it says used for $.01. A couple years ago I held books on my wishlist for a couple months and the prices fell. I've had books on the wishlist for >a year and no price changes. I think the whole process is a scam. Once the book is forematted electronically, there is no more cost, e books should a couple bucks. Amazon blames the publisher and walks away leaving us with the bill. Its all a scam and we keep supporting it. Think I'll download a couple more books...


Well, you'll almost always find used books cheaper than a Kindle book. That's why I don't fret too much over the pricing thing. If price were my primary concern I'd never have bought my first Kindle - because I'd been a reader of used books & library books. And frankly it doesn't matter to me what the price is on the paper version - I won't buy it because I won't read it. I just don't enjoy reading paper books these days - these aging eyes have become dependent on being able to change the font size, and my hands don't like struggling with holding open a paperback anymore. That's not to say I don't have my price limits - I do. Those limits just don't have anything to do with the prices of paper versions.

And like it or not, since the agency model, Amazon is correct in "blaming" at least the Big 6 publishers - they DO set the prices - Amazon tried to hold out and customers got up in arms. And Amazon did kind of spoil early adapters with their $9.99-for-most-bestsellers policy, frequently selling them at that price at a loss. It'll be interesting to see how that plays out in the long run.


----------



## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Craig Halloran said:


> How did you get set up to see the daily Kindle Deals on FB and Twitter?


If you're on FB there are lots of pages you can friend/like to get updates on Kindle deals - Pixel of Ink, Books on the Knob blog, and inkmesh are both good ones for free and bargain books. And for the Kindle Daily Deal, friend the Amazon Kindle page. Can't help with Twitter, I have an account but I don't really use it.


----------



## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

I will buy the Kindle book if it is the same or less than the paperback. If it is more, I will buy the book used. The Pub (and unfortunately, the author) get nothing where they would have gotten my money if they had not been as greedy. 

Why they can't see this I don't understand.....


----------



## sheiler1963 (Nov 23, 2011)

Ciuri Di Badia said:


> Also, i think the value of a book should go with its length. the lengthier it is, the more likely that it will be more expensive.


I disagree that the length of a book has much to do with it's monetary value, at least not to me. I've read short stories or even single lines that have had a larger impact and more value to me than any thick and wordy book. Sometimes the saying: 'Less is More' is so very fitting.

I don't let money define value for me. I'm the boss of my money and I define IT'S value. Make sense?


----------



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

A couple of points.

First, when travelling, I will happily, even gleefully, pay more for an ebook of a book that's thick enough to be a weapon. Many historical and fantasy novels are HUGE and you'll get a wrist injury from just holding the thing. I'd happily pay a premium to have it in a non-injuring format.

Also, I shake my head at people who demand $7.99 ebook prices for books that have just released in hardcover. Don't want to pay the premium to read it on release day? Then wait. Isn't that what people used to do before ebooks? They waited until the paperback came out. Didn't want to pay the paperback price? They waited for the next book of the series so that the hardcovers would end up in the $5 discount bin.

Or, you know, you would go to the library.

There is such a huge entitlement with ebook prices and I just don't get it. I don't remember this ever with hardcovers. People just said they'd wait, whereas superfans and collectors bought the books at full price. Others would only ever shop at the used bookstores or garage sales. It's really no different now. Why all the fuss?

ETA: Also, it frankly gets under my skin when people tell me how ridiculous [people like me] are to pay what we do for books we love. I am going to do what I want with my money and there are a lot dumber things to do with $300 than buy a bunch of books by authors I love and know I will love the books. For some people, they don't even think twice to drop that on a Fossil or Coach purse. Or on a weekend at the bar. Or on tickets to a play. Or on clothes. Me? I'll spend it on ebooks, thanks.


----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Is it "right"?  Well, who is to decide what is right or wrong?  Not me.....  Is it fair?  Again, who gets to define fair.

I will usually not pay more than paperback prices for an e-book, but please note the use of the word "usually."  If I want something NOW, I will pay what the market will bear.


----------



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

If I want it RIGHT THIS MINUTE, I might give them one of my kids if I wanted it bad enough


----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Krista D. Ball said:


> If I want it RIGHT THIS MINUTE, I might give them one of my kids if I wanted it bad enough


Um, isn't that illegal?


----------



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

I just used something called humour.


----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Krista D. Ball said:


> I just used something called humour.


gee, and so did I....


----------



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




----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

actually, i used something called humor, not humour....



Spoiler



want a chocolate?


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

*pokes head in door*

Don't make me sit between you two!



Betsy


----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> *pokes head in door*
> 
> Don't make me sit between you two!
> 
> ...


then you get to steal the chocolate!


----------



## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Krista D. Ball said:


> Also, I shake my head at people who demand $7.99 ebook prices for books that have just released in hardcover. Don't want to pay the premium to read it on release day? Then wait. Isn't that what people used to do before ebooks? They waited until the paperback came out. Didn't want to pay the paperback price? They waited for the next book of the series so that the hardcovers would end up in the $5 discount bin.


But now for many books the ebook price never comes down. The paperback comes out and the ebook price stays $15-17 dollars.


----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Chad Winters said:


> But now for many books the ebook price never comes down. The paperback comes out and the ebook price stays $15-17 dollars.


don't remind me.... i'm still waiting for prices to come down on a couple of books. one i MAY buy at the 12.99 price, the other, not gonna get.


----------



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

Chad Winters said:


> But now for many books the ebook price never comes down. The paperback comes out and the ebook price stays $15-17 dollars.


/shrug

Some publishers believe it's the cost of instant purchasing.

So, if it's too expensive, check it out of the library.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I have my limit, just as I did for paper books.  I would almost always wait for the paperback of the books I was interested in, and that's my limit in most cases for e-books.  $8-$10.  If the ebook is more than that, I either do as Krista suggests and get it from the library (as an ebook, if I can get it), from Prime Lending on Amazon, borrowed from a friend if lending is enabled for the Kindle version or buy and read something else.  Lots of books out there....

There's no right or wrong as far as pricing.  Very few items are actually priced solely on cost of production.

Betsy


----------



## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

Ciuri Di Badia said:


> I've got a lot of information on this subject that i did not know. what i don't understand is that; as Ann said it, amazon do discount the paperbacks. why should they do it even when they are not profiting?


It's called a "loss leader". All retailers do it to some extent; Amazon just happens to have the deep pockets and the savvy to do it aggressively. Once someone is in your store, whether a B&M or online store, the chances are they'll buy more items once they begin buying. Hence, your grocery often sells milk or eggs below cost.

The publishers claimed if Amazon kept discounting ebooks, they wouldn't make a profit on them. That was pure bosh. They could sell the ebooks to Amazon at whatever price they wanted. They began their price-fixing cartel with Apple and the so-called "Agency Model" in part because Apple wanted to fight Amazon and in part to try to keep print sales high by keeping people from switching to ebooks.

I expect to see the end of the Agency Model in the near future with the Department of Justice price fixing case. When that happens, we'll see a lot less of this nonsense with overpriced ebooks from major publishers.


----------



## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

Krista; humour and humor are the same thing...one is American the other one is British...but they all denote the same thing...LOL


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Ciuri Di Badia said:


> Krista; humour and humor are the same thing...one is American the other one is British...but they all denote the same thing...LOL


I'm pretty sure she knows that.


----------



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

Ann in Arlington said:


> I'm pretty sure she knows that.


----------



## Ashlynn_Monroe (May 24, 2012)

The old pricing model needs to change!


----------



## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Krista D. Ball said:


> /shrug
> 
> Some publishers believe it's the cost of instant purchasing.
> 
> So, if it's too expensive, check it out of the library.


I disagree, the primary reason the traditional pubs do this is because they do not like and are afraid of ebooks and want to keep people from buying them. They have stated this multiple times. That's why I don't understand why I keep hearing the supply and demand arguments. They are purposefully trying to decrease demand by overpricing. They don't want ebooks to be popular and would prefer to snuff them out of existence.

They have the right to do this with their property of course, and I have the right to buy the book used or buy something else, but I won't pay the inflated price.

I just don't understand why the don't prefer selling a good priced ebook that costs them less and cannot be resold, traded or passed around to all my family and friends.


----------



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

...but that still doesn't invalidate my statement: it's the cost of instant purchasing. Don't like instant? Go to the library.


----------



## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Krista D. Ball said:


> ...but that still doesn't invalidate my statement: it's the cost of instant purchasing. Don't like instant? Go to the library.


I don't see that... I can instantly purchase the hardcover or paperback new or used on Amazon as well. I never go to the library. Normally I avoid buying used because it does not support the author, however it is completely legal and a fair response if the publisher is trying to drive me away from ebooks and towards hardcovers


----------



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

No, you can't instantly purchase the hardcover and have it instantly. You have to drive to a store and find it and wait in line and then drive home. Or, you have to order it online and wait several days for it to arrive.

An ebook you can buy and read within 30 seconds. That's instant.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I think you both have a point. . . FWIW.   The publishers ARE, I think, clinging to a business model that is becoming outdated. . . . but if I want a book NOW, while I'm sitting in my jammies at 8:00 on a Sunday morning, the only way for me to get it -- NOW -- is to order it electronically. 

There are those who feel like ebooks should be cheaper because they don't have all that paper and glue and stuff and you don't need to use any fuel to deliver or ship them. (Of course there are still the costs of development, editing, publicity, etc.; arguably the printing and distribution is just a fraction of that -- but it's what people can SEE so it is what people focus on.)

And there are those who feel like ebooks are more valuable -- so don't mind paying more -- because of the instant purchasing and the personal customization they can do: Eyes tired?  Make the print bigger.  Want to read, but gotta do some other work with your hands (or drive)?  Turn on Text to Speech.  Always losing your paper bookmark?  No longer an issue.

And, frankly, I don't think they're losing too many sales.  Members here notwithstanding, my guess is that most eReader owners haven't much changed their book buying . . . if they used to get a book as soon as it came out for $16 or $18, they still do, just on Kindle.  And may even congratulate themselves that the hardback paper edition a few bucks more.  For those who used to get paperbacks, they're probably still willing to pay $8 or $9 so if the book is priced at that point they'll buy it. . . .and may not notice what the paper version costs -- not if they want it electronic.


----------



## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

Krista D. Ball said:


> /shrug
> 
> Some publishers believe it's the cost of instant purchasing.
> 
> So, if it's too expensive, check it out of the library.


Or wait until the Department of Justice gets done with them.



Ann in Arlington said:


> I think you both have a point. . . FWIW.  The publishers ARE, I think, clinging to a business model that is becoming outdated. . . . but if I want a book NOW, while I'm sitting in my jammies at 8:00 on a Sunday morning, the only way for me to get it -- NOW -- is to order it electronically.
> 
> There are those who feel like ebooks should be cheaper because they don't have all that paper and glue and stuff and you don't need to use any fuel to deliver or ship them. (Of course there are still the costs of development, editing, publicity, etc.; arguably the printing and distribution is just a fraction of that -- but it's what people can SEE so it is what people focus on.)
> 
> ...


The POINT of the whole thing was the intent to lose ebook sales and I suspect they do lose sales.

We're not talking about a company that just happens to have a few high prices but an industry wide price-fixing conspiracy which was begun with the intent of protecting print sales.

Edit: Most people outside the industry have no idea how B&M print book sales work and don't have a clue about the entire "return" mechanism. Taking THAT out of the cost of books alone reduces their cost by a huge factor. Yes, Ann, when you throw in that book stores return rather than pay for any unsold books, it is a fraction of the cost. The thing is that it is a LARGE fraction.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

JRTomlin said:


> Or wait until the Department of Justice gets done with them.
> The POINT of the whole thing was the intent to lose ebook sales and I suspect they do lose sales.
> 
> We're not talking about a company that just happens to have a few high prices but an industry wide price-fixing conspiracy which was begun with the intent of protecting print sales.
> ...


I'm not sure what the return bit has to do with the discussion. . . . 

I guess my feeling is that, yes, the publishers colluded to raise the prices. Partly because they want to hang on to an old business model. But I don't think, specifically, they were trying to NOT sell ebooks. I think they were smart enough to know that _a certain percentage would go ahead and pay the higher price_. And they probably resent Amazon's success. They couldn't do anything about the paper book pricing/selling model, and Amazon's tendency to discount them heavily -- it's too ingrained. But they decided to do what they could about the eBook model. It's about control. It's silly -- because by all accounts they make less money under agency pricing -- but they have control and that makes them happy. 

And I don't think they're losing many ebook sales -- obviously I have no statistics but I'd say that the total sales of a big name best seller are consistent -- just some are ebooks and some are paper where as before they were all paper because that's all there was. Again, members here are a savvy bunch and do avoid what seem to be artificially high priced ebooks, but my feeling, based on talking to non KB member kindle owners -- of which I know about a dozen -- is that they do NOT compare eBook price to paper price. They buy authors they like in their preferred format. And even if it's a buck or two higher, they may consider that a fair price to pay for convenience.


----------



## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I'm not sure what the return bit has to do with the discussion. . . .
> 
> I guess my feeling is that, yes, the publishers colluded to raise the prices. Partly because they want to hang on to an old business model. But I don't think, specifically, they were trying to NOT sell ebooks. I think they were smart enough to know that _a certain percentage would go ahead and pay the higher price_. And they probably resent Amazon's success. They couldn't do anything about the paper book pricing/selling model, and Amazon's tendency to discount them heavily -- it's too ingrained. But they decided to do what they could about the eBook model. It's about control. It's silly -- because by all accounts they make less money under agency pricing -- but they have control and that makes them happy.
> 
> And I don't think they're losing many ebook sales -- obviously I have no statistics but I'd say that the total sales of a big name best seller are consistent -- just some are ebooks and some are paper where as before they were all paper because that's all there was. Again, members here are a savvy bunch and do avoid what seem to be artificially high priced ebooks, but my feeling, based on talking to non KB member kindle owners -- of which I know about a dozen -- is that they do NOT compare eBook price to paper price. They buy authors they like in their preferred format. And even if it's a buck or two higher, they may consider that a fair price to pay for convenience.


The return "bit" matters because it is a HUGE deal in the publishing industry and adds a large amount to the cost of print books. When people discuss the cost of print distribution, you better believe it is a factor. You were discussing the what affects the cost of print, so I pointed that out as a substantial factor and I assure you that it is.

Ann, it doesn't really matter what we believe or don't believe. The DoJ has strong enough evidence that 2 of the 6 co-conspirators already accepted very harsh penalties rather than face the court.

Publishers don't care if Amazon discounts print books. Books stores and Walmart & Target discount. The PUBLISHER still makes the same amount. The retailer eats the cost.

Yes, the point of the Agency model was to sell fewer eBooks. When Amazon started discounting eBooks to the $9.99 price point, the Big 5 publishers (there were only 5 in the conspiracy) had a hissy fit, fearing it would cut into print sales. And you have seen a dozen people on this thread say that they don't pay more than a certain price for an ebook and that many are priced over that point.

That is lost sales.

I have decided against buying certain books because they were over priced.

That is lost sales.

I know people who aren't swayed by price. You know people who aren't swayed by price. I have people like that in my family. They aren't everyone.

Edit: I don't disagree with you totally, in that the price fixing didn't work nearly as well as they hoped. People have been much less swayed by high ebook prices than the publishers thought they would be, but of course often ridiculously high ebook prices do impact sales.


----------



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

Chad Winters said:


> I disagree, the primary reason the traditional pubs do this is because they do not like and are afraid of ebooks and want to keep people from buying them. *They have stated this multiple times.*


 (Emphasis mine)

Is a sample of this statement available somewhere we can see it?

Mike


----------



## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

jmiked said:


> (Emphasis mine)
> 
> Is a sample of this statement available somewhere we can see it?
> 
> Mike


The evidence from the DoJ in hundreds of documents is on public record. I suggest going through those documents where that was exactly what was said. That this was the intent of the publishers involved isn't something that is just being said on this thread. It is really part of the basis for the DoJ case, although the DoJ isn't concerned with the motives except their intent to raise prices artifically and thus cost people millions of dollars--which they did.


----------



## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

What he said...


----------



## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

Also remember that for a publisher a book is an investment.  They want to make as much as they can, but they need  to make $x per book and they're probably not going to get that at a couple of bucks an ebook. 

And as far as I see it, a new book is worth more than a few bucks if it's by a talented author. Though Series and Indies should probably be cheaper.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

JRTomlin said:


> Or wait until the Department of Justice gets done with them.
> 
> The POINT of the whole thing was the intent to lose ebook sales and I suspect they do lose sales.


I think it might be a mistake to assume that the DoJ ruling, even if it comes down against the publishers, will make a huge difference in eBook prices in the long run. Before the agency model, other sellers were almost always higher than Amazon Kindle prices - because with the $9.99 price, often Amazon was selling at a loss. They couldn't have sustained that indefinitely, and it'd be even harder to sustain now that the price of the Kindle itself has come down so much. If the publishers lose this agency model thing, they may well jack up the prices they charge the retailers like Amazon, B&N, Kobo, etc for eBooks. If they do that, our prices will almost surely go up some as well. We may get more frequent limited-time discounts from the retailers since they'll be able to discount the Big 6's books, but I don't think the publishers are going to give up on your second point there - making eBooks less attractive. (Too bad they don't realize that horse it out of the barn and half-way to town now...) Even with the lost sales (and I've checked out Overdrive books when the price was ridiculous for the eBook - yes Fall of Giants, I'm talking about you) eBook sales are taking more and more of the book sales market every year.

Worse yet, if they lose they may limit their Overdrive library participation even more.


----------



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

Ann in Arlington said:


> And, frankly, I don't think they're losing too many sales. Members here notwithstanding, my guess is that most eReader owners haven't much changed their book buying . . . if they used to get a book as soon as it came out for $16 or $18, they still do, just on Kindle. And may even congratulate themselves that the hardback paper edition a few bucks more. For those who used to get paperbacks, they're probably still willing to pay $8 or $9 so if the book is priced at that point they'll buy it. . . .and may not notice what the paper version costs -- not if they want it electronic.


I often bought the book as soon as it came out, so I really am saving a lot by getting it at $14 as opposed to $30+, which is what I'm paying for hardcovers most of the time.

And I can shop in my PJs at 9pm at night, which is when the new releases for the following day show up on Kobo (they usually go live at midnight EST). Normally, I'd have to wait until the next morning at 9 or 10 am to find a store with it in stock.

And, yes, there are a few books where I do that and stay up all night to read. They make fun of me at work for it (when the last Jim Butcher came out, my boss asked "are you taking a vacation day or a sick day?" lol)


----------



## PhillyGuy (Dec 18, 2010)

JRTomlin said:


> The evidence from the DoJ in hundreds of documents is on public record.


Where?

I looked at the Justice Department web area for this case, and do not see hundreds of documents. Is there some place I have to go to read these?


----------



## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

speed, convenience, willingness to read and dedication are some of the things that leads people to getting e books..at whatever cost


----------



## Beatriz (Feb 22, 2011)

Ciuri Di Badia said:


> i was going through amazon store this morning looking for a book to purchase. however, i was disappointed to see an e-book going for $17 while its paperback version going for $9...i think this is not fair for me as a buyer!


I think that what's happening is that readers are getting used to reading ebooks dirt cheap and some authors are just not playing along. Reading on the Kindle is so much easier than a paperback and if I really want a book, I'll purchase it on the kindle even if it's more expensive than the paperback because that's my favorite way of reading. I think that as ebooks keep growing on popularity worldwide, authors are going to start pricing them more and more and readers will start getting used to it.


----------



## Ann Herrick (Sep 24, 2010)

Krista D. Ball said:


> I often bought the book as soon as it came out, so I really am saving a lot by getting it at $14 as opposed to $30+, which is what I'm paying for hardcovers most of the time.
> 
> And I can shop in my PJs at 9pm at night, which is when the new releases for the following day show up on Kobo (they usually go live at midnight EST). Normally, I'd have to wait until the next morning at 9 or 10 am to find a store with it in stock...


 ^^ This.

These days the ebook is often available before the paperback is too. If the order was hardcover, then a few months later paperback, then a few more months ebook, the ebook would be cheaper. But often it is available at the same time as the hardcover.


----------



## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

book costs are a concern for many at the current hard economic times


----------



## Seleya (Feb 25, 2011)

Well, I don't really look at the prices of different formats. Since getting my first Kindle I've read at most one or two books on paper, when I couldn't avoid it .

If I want to read something I buy the e-book. Most of my reading is in foreign languages, if I read those books on paper I'd have to pay shipping and handling as well and that brings the cost up by a significant amount, so, all things considered, the e-book is always cheaper for me.


----------



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

You have a really good point. Being non-American can really impact the price of books. Many times, companies are keeping the ebooks close to the American prices here in Canada (or sometimes the American price...and sometimes even lower which never happens on print). However, the print books STILL are based on 1996 prices. The Loonie has been near or over par with the Greenback for years now, yet print is still outrageous next to the US price (and, sometimes, these books are printed in Canada so there really is no excuse whatsoever).


----------



## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

also, prices on US store appear differently depending on the part of the world that you are in.


----------



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

Ciuri Di Badia said:


> also, prices on US store appear differently depending on the part of the world that you are in.


That's just dirty.


----------



## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

Krista...i think it depends on wireless delivery in the regions depending on the rules that govern electronic money transfer. taxation also plays a part here.


----------



## jackz4000 (May 15, 2011)

I don't think books or ebooks should be treated as a commodity like gasoline or bacon or laundry detergent. Not all books are equal. As long as the publisher can set their wholesale price and be paid that price I have no qualms. If they price an ebook higher it's my decision whether to buy or not.

Ebooks have many advantages over paperbooks and I don't mind paying more. The pages never yellow and I can go anywhere with a couple thousand in my jacket pocket. Try that with paperbacks. 

I can get the ebook instantly without leaving home. If I drive to the nearest store for a paperback, a Walmart it's a one hour roundtrip and $8 in gas. What have I saved?


----------



## Mark Young (Dec 13, 2010)

No, it is not right. As a customer, I wonder how publishers justify asking a price for an eBook that is equal to that of print. An eBook requires no storage costs, no brick-and-mortar store costs, and minimal publishing costs (if you factor in editing, design, formatting etc). So why should the customer pay for these lack of services just to subside the print publishing costs of traditional publishers?


----------



## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

No one is treating books like commodities. Holding the position that an e-book should cost less than a paper book because the e-book costs less to produce and distribute isn't treating books like commodities. You may think that an e-book is worth more than a paper book, but there are a whole lot of people who don't. Yes, the e-book is more portable and won't yellow. But there trade-offs. With a paper book, I can give it away, sell it or loan it out at will. Anyone who tries to sell me an e-book for more than the paper book isn't getting my business. There are simply too many other books out there.


----------



## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

I don't try to understand how a book is priced or why one version costs more than another. Seems pointless. I know what I'm willing to pay for a book I want to read. If it's too expensive, there are millions of others. Simples


----------



## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

@ Mark Young- thats true, the cost of producing an ebook is lower than that of producing a print book. however, somebody informed me that, taxation and writers/publisher expectation contributes to pricing. also, there are discounts that are offered to print books by amazon, making their prices lower.


----------



## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

QuantumIguana said:


> No one is treating books like commodities. Holding the position that an e-book should cost less than a paper book because the e-book costs less to produce and distribute isn't treating books like commodities. You may think that an e-book is worth more than a paper book, but there are a whole lot of people who don't. Yes, the e-book is more portable and won't yellow. But there trade-offs. With a paper book, I can give it away, sell it or loan it out at will. Anyone who tries to sell me an e-book for more than the paper book isn't getting my business. There are simply too many other books out there.


Yep. As I've said before, it just all comes down to how an individual makes a value judgement about what an e-book or paperbook is worth to them. And it will vary from person to person on which holds more value and what factors lead them to that decision. It's just one of those to each, their own things that aren't worth arguing about as everyone has their own budget and things they value or not.


----------



## morantis (May 8, 2012)

either way is possible, adding all the costs into each price, you never know how it can come out....

lets say that you are an established author, re-releasing a book into paperback with little or no costs beyond the initial plate and print, at the same time you are releasing your first ebook, full advertising, as your own publishing company with a full corporate workup, the ebook could cost more


----------



## Bigal-sa (Mar 27, 2010)

Ciuri Di Badia said:


> Krista...i think it depends on wireless delivery in the regions depending on the rules that govern electronic money transfer. taxation also plays a part here.


The Amazon price for me (in South Africa) doesn't seem to have any consistency. Some free books are free and some cost $2, some 99c books are 99c others are $2.99, etc.

Back on topic, I found to my horror that a 2nd hand book from amazon.co.uk costing £2, ended up costing me over £11 to get it in my hand. If this book was available on Kindle, I would definitely not have gone for the hardcopy.


----------



## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

prices do fluctuate depending on the store that you are viewing the book from. in addition, if exchange rates changes, the prices will change.


----------



## Tony Rabig (Oct 11, 2010)

Is it right?  I can't help feeling that it's just not right for an e-book to be more expensive than the paperback edition.

That said, I also can't help thinking that my feeling doesn't count for so much as a single ounce of monkey doo-doo.  The price is the price.  At some point, depending on possibilities like the DoJ actions or publishers changing their ways, the price may change.  But when I search for an e-book and pull up the listing, there's a price shown, and the price is the price.  Whether to buy at that price is up to the buyer, just as it is with the hardcover or the paperback.  Is 12.99 an annoying listing for an e-book that was out in mass market paper at half the price a decade ago?  Absolutely.  But the price is the price.  Some I've bought anyway, and some I've let slide.

While it's annoying to see prices like that on some e-books, I find it no more annoying than the prices these days on hardcovers.  I can remember paying 4.95 for hardcovers in bookstores (NOT used book club editions but new trade hardcovers).  With most mass-market paperbacks seeming to be going for 7.99 or more, I figure the e-book extra charge, if present, is a fee on portability, guaranteed readable font, and a guarantee that the binding won't come apart a third of the way through the first reading.  The higher price is annoying, but not something I lose a lot of sleep over -- if it's a book I REALLY want, I shell out the $$$, and if it's not, I don't.


----------



## Bigal-sa (Mar 27, 2010)

Ciuri Di Badia said:


> prices do fluctuate depending on the store that you are viewing the book from. in addition, if exchange rates changes, the prices will change.


It's got nothing to do with exchange rate fluctuations, such fluctuations are random. A $2 addition is not random - it has been called the whispernet tax in the past.


----------



## RangerXenos (Mar 18, 2009)

What I can't understand is that there have got to be a lot of people like me who will not pay more for an ebook than for a DTB.  The publishers, Amazon, etc. are losing money anytime this happens, at least on my end, I end up borrowing the book from the library, and they end up getting no money from me at all.


----------



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

They don't make direct money from you, but borrowing from a library still gets indirect money, especially for authors.

(And, if you are in Canada, there are programs that provide Canadian authors with funds to offset the library borrows...I believe several other countries have the same project).


----------



## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Krista D. Ball said:


> They don't make direct money from you, but borrowing from a library still gets indirect money, especially for authors.


I do the same, but I pick them up at the 1/2 Price Bookstore or used on Amazon and neither the author or the publisher gets any money from that


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

RangerXenos said:


> What I can't understand is that there have got to be a lot of people like me who will not pay more for an ebook than for a DTB. The publishers, Amazon, etc. are losing money anytime this happens, at least on my end, I end up borrowing the book from the library, and they end up getting no money from me at all.


There are also a lot who feel like the ebook is more valuable for a variety of reasons so ARE willing to pay more.

And a lot who frankly don't care what the paper price is. They want to read the book and they prefer to do it in e-form. They are o.k. with the price, so they buy it. They _don't even look_ at the paper price because that's not what they want to buy. They want to buy the eBook.

If they're NOT o.k. with the price, the don't buy it. Maybe they never will. Or maybe they'll put it on a price watch list like at ereaderiq and see if the price comes down. But they'll almost certainly not buy the paper book -- either new or used -- and may or may not seek it out at the library -- unless it's maybe available that way in eFormat.


----------



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

Chad Winters said:


> I do the same, but I pick them up at the 1/2 Price Bookstore or used on Amazon and neither the author or the publisher gets any money from that


True. Though, other people tend to pick it up at a store or the ebook or end up buying something else by the author. Not to mention that the library does buy the books, too


----------



## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

the approach one has on pricing depends on ones experiences. if you buy an expensive that happens to be boring or not satisfying as you had expected, you are likely to feel cheated. also, there are those who ignore low priced e-books thinking that they do not have rich content.


----------



## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

@ Rodger; that's true, the overall sales would go down if people do not make purchases due to high prices. however, one will end up buying a book if they really need it.


----------



## wholesalestunna (Aug 5, 2011)

I pretty much read exclusively eBooks now either on my iPad Kindle app or kindle, and find the pricing of some new books very frustrating.  Its hard for me to justify $15 for a download so I very rarely buy books now. I started reading Vince Flynn, Lee Child, and Brad Thor, but am stuck on the first couple of books because $9.99 a download at a minimum adds up fast.  Especially when you read for hours a day and go through at least 3-4 books a week.


----------



## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

thts true wholesome. there are some of us who do not have a lot of time to read as we used to. however, a book at $15 is justifiable if it has the right content.


----------

