# Are you paying more attention to publisher names?



## L.J. Sellers novelist (Feb 28, 2010)

Readers often say they don't care who published the book. All that matters is the story. Now that publishers are differentiating themselves by their dealings/prices regarding Kindle (and other e-readers), do you pay more attention to who published the book? Does it influence your buying decisions? Does that influence carry over to print books? I am paying more attention, and I would love to see some market research on this subject.
L.J.


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## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

Absolutely!  I've kept a book journal since 2000, and I usually note the publisher or imprint.  Now I make a point of noting which large publisher owns that imprint.  I smile when I see Random House.

N


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

Am I paying more attention?  Yes, because it's easy to see now who publishes what, and it's interesting to watch for pricing trends.  Is it actually influencing my decisions?  No. If the publisher sets a ridiculous price on their e-books, then I won't buy them.  But if I book I want falls into a price point I want and it's available for the Kindle, I'm going to purchase it regardless of who published it.

That probably puts me in the middle of the pack as far as educated buying goes; I'm more aware of who the publishers are, but that knowledge isn't triggering a knee jerk automatic boycott reaction.  Then again, I've also never limited myself to under $9.99 or any other artificial price limit.  If I think a new release is something I must have the day it first comes out, I'll pay whatever I need to.  Very few books fall into that category though.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Nope: I don't give a darn about who published a book, or even if it's self-published. All I care about is if it's worth reading, which is a factor of quality vs. price (with a certain minimum quality required). That's not to say I never notice who the publisher is, but I neither search for books based on publisher nor make buying decisions based on publisher.


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

No, I'll have to admit it's only price I'm paying attention to.  So the books I'd have bought at $9.99 are now coming from the library when they're more than that or not available as ebooks.  That probably means I'm not buying books by the Big Five, but that's not the way I'm distinguishing.


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## Virgoddess (May 1, 2010)

Nope, less now with my kindle. Price, reviews and samples matter much more to me.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

I honestly don't care who publishes a book.  It's recommendations from people here that prompt my first look, then if it's in my price to page ratio range.


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## easyread (Apr 2, 2010)

My three criteria are sample, sample and sample. A publisher is just a mechanism for getting a book out there. These days we're all publishers.


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## liannallama (May 29, 2009)

I am.  I never used to notice but now if I look up a book and it is a high price I think to myself "I bet it's one of *THEM*!"  And I'm usually right!  If the book price is reasonable I will buy it.  To me, $6.99 or less for an e-Paperback is reasonable.  $14.95 or less for an e-Hardback is reasonable if I really want it now.  Unfortunately the two new releases I want the most right now are unavailable (Sookie Stackhouse and Dresden Files).


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

liannallama said:


> I am. I never used to notice but now if I look up a book and it is a high price I think to myself "I bet it's one of *THEM*!" And I'm usually right! If the book price is reasonable I will buy it. To me, $6.99 or less for an e-Paperback is reasonable. $14.95 or less for an e-Hardback is reasonable if I really want it now. Unfortunately the two new releases I want the most right now are unavailable (Sookie Stackhouse and Dresden Files).


liannallam, I'm confused. What's an e-paperback vs an e-hardback? all e-books are created equal, unlike print books.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

scarlet said:


> liannallam, I'm confused. What's an e-paperback vs an e-hardback? all e-books are created equal, unlike print books.


In actuality, there's not all that much difference between the price to create a hardback versus a paperback, certainly no where near the $15.00 to $20.00 difference in retail price. Publishers have gotten used to padding their profits (and to some extent authors' royalties) up front with the hardback prices, then getting less profit (and paying less royalties) later on the mass market paperbacks; so now many feel they must charge more for an e-book if they release concurrently with the hardback release (or shortly thereafter) in order to maintain their new release profit margins.

My guess is that in 10-20 years when the majority of all book sales are e-books, there will be a single e-book price model somewhere in between. But for now while the publishers try to protect their buddies who own the printing presses, we're stuck with these games involving varying e-book prices depending on how new a release it is.  (Imagine if your favorite band released each new CD at $20.00, then after it was out for a year they reduced it to $10.00. Yeah...that would go over like a led zeppelin -- I mean lead balloon.)


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## Koi (Apr 28, 2010)

No, I haven't ever noticed publisher in the past, and don't bother looking now that its a big subject, either.  I'm all about the story.  If the sample (Oh praize and glory be I do love this concept of samples) is good, and my checking account can withstand the dent at that given moment- poof- its on my Kindle.


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## Belita (Mar 20, 2010)

NogDog said:


> In actuality, there's not all that much difference between the price to create a hardback versus a paperback, certainly no where near the $15.00 to $20.00 difference in retail price. Publishers have gotten used to padding their profits (and to some extent authors' royalties) up front with the hardback prices, then getting less profit (and paying less royalties) later on the mass market paperbacks; so now many feel they must charge more for an e-book if they release concurrently with the hardback release (or shortly thereafter) in order to maintain their new release profit margins.
> 
> My guess is that in 10-20 years when the majority of all book sales are e-books, there will be a single e-book price model somewhere in between. But for now while the publishers try to protect their buddies who own the printing presses, we're stuck with these games involving varying e-book prices depending on how new a release it is.  (Imagine if your favorite band released each new CD at $20.00, then after it was out for a year they reduced it to $10.00. Yeah...that would go over like a led zeppelin -- I mean lead balloon.)


I haven't bought CDs in a while, but I know that the movies I buy usually cost more if I buy the DVD as soon as they come out than if I wait a year or two.

I have noticed publishers a little more lately just because of book availability on Kindle and certain publishers delaying release date for the Kindle editions but I don't foresee myself boycotting.

My price cap is more just thinking about my budget and I'll also take a look at the difference in price between the paper book and ebook. I have not bought any books that cost more in ebook form than in paper book. I have paid a few more dollars for a book to get it as soon as possible rather than wait for the price to go down. It's the rare author and I see that like waiting for the paperback vs. buying in hardcover.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I look at the notice from Amazon that the publisher has set the price.  If I see that, I don't buy the book.  If it's something I really, really want to read, I'll wait until it shows up used in the Amazon Marketplace.


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## liannallama (May 29, 2009)

scarlet said:


> liannallam, I'm confused. What's an e-paperback vs an e-hardback? all e-books are created equal, unlike print books.


Sorry to confuse! I made up my own terms. By e-paperback, I meant a book that has already been out for over a year in hardback and has then been released in paperback. An "e-hardback" to me is the equivalent of a brand-new book that you can only get in hardback.

In my pre-Kindle days, for DTB's I sometimes must have a book immediately and am willing to pay hardback prices to get it right away. For other books I don't have a burning need and am willing to wait a year to get it in paperback whenever it's released. Other times I really didn't feel a book warranted buying in HB because I consider it "pulp" or only good for a quick fun read (I call it book-candy--all fun and no substance) and not necessarily something for my permanent collection (due to space reasons.)

Maybe it's dumb because the books are the same in e-publishing, but I just don't think it's right to pay full hardcover price for a book that was published in the 60's. I read lots of sci-fi and lots of classic fantasy and the publisher has already recouped the original marketing costs and I don't think I should have to pay for that in an e-book.

does that make sense or did I just muddy the waters some more?


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## jesscscott (Aug 5, 2009)

liannallama said:


> I am. I never used to notice but now if I look up a book and it is a high price I think to myself "I bet it's one of *THEM*!" And I'm usually right! If the book price is reasonable I will buy it. To me, $6.99 or less for an e-Paperback is reasonable.


Right on (big publisher's prices on Mobipocket.com seemed really high, the last time I checked!).


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## freelantzer (Apr 28, 2010)

I never pay attention to the publisher. Maybe it's because I'm such a new Kindle owner. I just look for the price. If it's a price I'm willing to pay for that particular book, I  go ahead and get it.


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## MAGreen (Jan 5, 2009)

I pay attention, but mostly just to note who's doing what. I only buy books on sale, or if I want to read it right now. I am happy to get new books (ones still only in hard back) for up to $10 and older books for up to $7. If it's more than 10 years old I don't like paying more than $5. However, it's all flexable. Just depends on how much I want the book. I have enough to read that I don't NEED any more books for long while yet, but if I want to read a particular book NOW, then I get it!
Now, if a publisher of one of my favorites decides that the books in a series that are 15 years old should $8 or $9, well, I may just avoid their books for while.


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

I never buy (or not buy) a book based on who the publisher is and most times I probably don't even notice who it is. I read the summary of the book, then take a look at a cross-section of the customer reviews and if I'm still interested I'll download a sample. (The ability to sample is probably the most money-saving feature of reading on a  Kindle!). If I enjoy the sample and want more and I can afford the price, I'll buy. 

I don't have an arbitrary price limit either, like $9.99, as some people do. Each book is worth something different to each potential buyer, depending on how badly they want the book and how much they can afford to pay at any given time.

I have a K2 and a DX and I haven't spent over $900 (including import duty and shipping to the UK) buying Kindles to then go buy books in a different format or go without books I want.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

I'm a bit of a combination of MAGreen and Linjeakel (MAGreakel?)

I pay attention to publishers and their parent company but mostly as an academic exercise.  On my wish list I can group the big 6 publishing parent companies (everyone else counts as 'Indie' on my list) and see the percent difference between ebooks and pbooks - its not scientific as it's a measure of only books I like, but it entertains me.  The numbers look like this:

Hachette Books      107.75%
Simon & Schuster      92.22%
HarperCollins          100.04%
Penguin                    89.67%
MacMillan                  98.11%
Random House        87.82%
Indie                        65.03%

(in case you care)

But, I also don't buy or not based on the publisher - and I don't have a price limit per se.  I do have my pricing guidelines I use to decide if a book is priced fairly.  The ebook price should be no more than 84% of the lowest published pbook price if it's greater than $7 ... like the publishers, I may change that going forward (probably change the initial lower number to $8 but keep the 84%) but we'll see.


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## Sean Sweeney (Apr 17, 2010)

There are some authors I will buy whichever version happens to be out, regardless of price or publisher. I'm not into the boycotting, per se. I'd much rather see readers supporting the indies -- and with good reason.


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## NitroStitch (Feb 13, 2009)

I'm paying attention to the publisher names for the first time, but really because of unavailability or because of high pricing.  If a book is available in Kindle and a reasonable price, I don't really pay attention to who's published it.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

I'm obviously a strange bird.  I often noted the publisher loooong before Kindle was even a concept.  For example, in my early 20s...maybe even my teens I decided that Zebra books were not my thing.  I'd read three or four and they were all gushing, not my taste, no plot kind of books.  No idea if that was a bad sample, but I've not bought a Zebra imprint since.  

For most of my reading career if I was browsing and choosing between a Baen title and a TOR title...I'd go with the Baen.  Just been more authors from that publishers that were big hits with me.  Not to say I don't like Tor books, but I did notice and have a preference.

These days I tend to make note, but price and sample are the real decision makers.  I wouldn't avoid a particular publisher, but if they are pricing their ebooks over about 7 dollars, I'm going to find something else or buy use or go to the library.  If the paperback is cheaper and is 7.99 or under new, I'll buy it if I can manage free shipping...


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## L.J. Sellers novelist (Feb 28, 2010)

That's interesting, Maria. Did you notice if the books that were hits with you had the same editor(s)?


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Baen only has a couple of editors, so I think that is likely, but it wasn't until lately that editors were "thanked" in acknowledgments.  But to answer your question, yes, I did notice when an editor was mentioned.    I'm quirky and weird that way.  Tor also has a fairly small subset of editors I think, but honestly, Tor also has a tendency towards long sagas--and I don't read those anymore.  I read a lot of epic fantasy in my youth, but simply don't have the time or inclination anymorepl. One of the things I associate with Tor is that type of book so it play into my decision when purchasing.  (Not to say I don't read TOR books, but I do like to know how many pages it has before I buy.  Some of their stuff is way too long for me.)  John Scalzi is a Tor author as is Cherie Priest and I've read both of them lately (I wouldn't say I was a follower of either and am more likely to read Scalzi over Priest.) 

I have actually done an Amazon search on an editor--and bought a couple of books based on the fact that she edited them.

Maria


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## davidhburton (Mar 11, 2010)

I ran a poll on this a couple weeks ago and the publisher came out at the very bottom of the list.


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## Toronto_LV (Apr 14, 2010)

I think names count for everything!

But some people don't agree, and that's totally fair.


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## David McAfee (Apr 15, 2010)

I never paid attention to publisher names as a reader.

Now that I'm a writer, I check the spine to see who the publisher is, but it's really only a matter of curiosity. It's not a make or break aspect for me.


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## davidhburton (Mar 11, 2010)

Ditto. I think I might pay a little more attention to some genre publishers, but all in all it doesn't really matter.


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## askenase13 (Mar 1, 2009)

I do not pay attention to who the publisher is. but, in a very interesting discussion regarding the Agency 5, Rich Adin hits on that issue very strongly. here's the link: http://www.teleread.org/2010/05/07/smashwords-is-the-real-threat-to-agency-pricing-of-ebooks/#more-42433


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

askenase13 said:


> I do not pay attention to who the publisher is. but, in a very interesting discussion regarding the Agency 5, Rich Adin hits on that issue very strongly. here's the link: http://www.teleread.org/2010/05/07/smashwords-is-the-real-threat-to-agency-pricing-of-ebooks


Good article--thanks for linking it. EDIT: I think the article has been moved to:

http://www.teleread.com/2010/05/07/smashwords-is-the-real-threat-to-agency-pricing-of-ebooks/

off the main page.

Maria


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## davidhburton (Mar 11, 2010)

Brilliant! I hope someone is paying attention to these kinds of articles.


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## amiblackwelder (Mar 19, 2010)

I love books based on the quality which is not always dependent on the publisher and in fact many times is exclusive of the publisher.  I have read some amazing novels which did not have a publisher at the time I read them such as Portal, As the World Dies, Pretty When She Dies, Dead Eyes and they all are excellent examples of indie or small press published books. However since, Pretty When She Dies and As the World Dies may have been picked up by Tor and Dead Eyes has been picked up by another press. 

But it just shows great storytelling can come from a self-published source first.


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## PianoLady (Feb 5, 2010)

Until the whole agency model thing, I didn't even know who the six main publishing houses were.  I find books and stay current through websites like StopYoureKillingMe (for mystery lovers) and FantasticFiction.  Now when I find a book that seems to be a good read, combined with a reasonable price, the first thing I look for is Amazon's "This price was set by the publisher" line, and will not buy it.  For Agency 5 books that I really want to read, the library still works extremely well.


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

For me, it's about the cover art, synopsis, reviews, and sample.  Sometimes the author's name, if I've read the author before and loved the book.  Publisher doesn't matter to me.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

> No one goes around and says "I bought a great Hachette ebook yesterday." Publisher branding value among ebookers is nearly nonexistent and I suspect noninfluential in the decision whether or not to buy an ebook.


In general, I agree with the article. Smashwords, etc. may well prove the Achilles Heel to the big publishing companies. I have quite a few books purchased off of Smashwords and similar sites. Some need work, but many are well written, well edited and often extremely creative ... There is still a stigma on self-publishing, but I think for many people it's less noticeable in an ebook on Amazon, etc.

Regarding the quote above, I think he's spot on for the the vast majority of readers. Many of us are serious book geeks and do tend to know some of the publishing companies we buy from in quantity. For me, one is Tor Books - which is part of MacMillan. While I buy many Tor books, I'm not loyal to Tor. If Orson Scott Card, Charles Stross, Nancy Kress, S.M. Stirling, etc. left Tor, I would follow them.


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## G.Hugh (Sep 24, 2009)

I now take notice of what imprint owned by which of the six publishing giants or if it is a small independent or self published manscript.  I do this only since I began writing and spent about a year (part time) studying the evolving publishing industry.  I also do it only to further understand the evolving industry.

In 40 years of avidly reading novels I have never before noticed who the publisher was and most assuredly never has the publisher's identity influenced me one way or another when selecting reading material.  Authors and content are the only threads that provide some relevance in my reading habits..I read what entertains or interests me.


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## freelantzer (Apr 28, 2010)

I will be paying attention to Penguin now and avoiding their books if at all possible. I can't believe some of the prices they've set and the discrepencies between their Kindle pricing and their iBooks/paper books pricing.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't give too hoots who publishes it.  If it appears to be value for money, I'll buy it.  If not I won't.  Some books priced at $13 or $14 may provide value for money.  Some priced at 99¢ won't.


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## DonnaFaz (Dec 5, 2009)

I probably should, but I'm not. I always download a sample and if I'm intrigued, I buy. Of course, price comes into play.

~Donna~


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## ebooklover (May 27, 2010)

I'm beginning to. Previously I bought a book regardless of who published it, but now that I'm a writer myself, I want to get to know the people behind the trends and prices, so I tend to pay a bit more attention. However, if I've heard good things about a book, I'll buy it regardless of whether it was self-published or not.


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## vickir (Jan 14, 2009)

Yes and no. First off, I check to see if it is self-published. Those I don't read. Other than that, no. The price and the author are the determining factors.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

vickir said:


> Yes and no. First off, I check to see if it is self-published. Those I don't read.


Obviously, it's up to you, but you're missing some good stuff. You're missing some crap too, of course, but, really: you're missing some _good_ stuff. 

You should wander over to the Book Bazaar and check out some of the many authors who list their works here. At least one who published first as an idie, has been picked up by a major publisher due to his sales and positive reviews via Kindle.

A couple more have been picked up by Amazon Encore for the same reason.

Others are just good writers who don't fall into a category and the branded publishing houses don't know quite what to do with 'em.

Just 'cause it's "self-published" doesn't mean it stinks. . . . . .And, of course, most of them are not priced anywhere as high as new 'big name' releases.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I pay attention only if the price is, to me, then I look, and know who to send mail to explaining why I won't purchase that book, I also send a copy to the author explaining that due to their publishing house's ridiculous pricing scheme, I will not be purchasing that book at all, that there are plenty of authors out there with books at reasonable prices who want my hard earned $.


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## EllenR (Mar 31, 2009)

I only pay attention to the publisher to note who keeps overpricing the Kindle version of their books and who refuses to release new books on Kindle right away. I only read books on Kindle now, so I won't cave and buy the DTB just because the publisher overprices their e-version. That tactic annoys me to no end. I will certainly pay the same price as the paperback but I won't pay more. If they charge more, I won't buy it. I have plenty of books to read so I won't be bored any time soon! Other than that, I don't take the publisher into consideration except for indie. I usually only buy indie books I've heard of through Kindleboards. I've read some stinkers but also some wonderful books by fellow Kindleboarders. The stinkers were my fault for not sampling first!


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

I tend to check the publisher if I think the Kindle book is priced out of line or when I can't get an electronic version.  As other have said, I like to know where to direct my comments - I write to the author and publisher explaining why I am not going to be purchasing whatever book.


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