# How Much are You Willing to Spend on an E-book?



## Andrew Kaufman (Jun 16, 2010)

With all the controversy recently about the cost of e-books, and as an author, I'm just wondering: how much are you all willing to spend on one? What's your cutoff point? Do you have one at all, or does it depend on the author? Will you buy an e-book that cost more than the DTB version? It seems everyone has a "tolerance level"--but what's yours?

Drew


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## Guest (Sep 4, 2010)

I think e-books should be the cheapest version of a book...less than mass market paperbacks even...the reasons are obvious. But that is a pipe dream. 

I bought ONE 12 dollar e-book because it was a sequel to a book I just read and only available in 25 dollar hardback right now...but I will not do that often and I refuse to pay hardback prices. 5 dollars seems reasonable to me given the costs incurred. If they can sell a mass market paperback for 7 dollars they can sell an e-book for that or less and not lose money like people claim they will at those prices.

I want to add I do not begrudge authors payment for their hard work...but I think it is ridiculous to pay equal to or MORE than a physical copy. john4200 makes good points below that I agree with as well.


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## john4200 (May 17, 2010)

I think a Kindle book should never cost more than the cheapest available paper version of a book. There are several reasons that a paper book is more valuable than an ebook. A paper book can be easily sold used to recover some of your initial investment. A paper book can be lent to someone (a Kindle could, also, but then you lose access to all the books on your Kindle). And a paper book will never become obsolete, while the DRM protected ebooks could become unreadable at some point in the future.

I do not have any problem with spending more than $9.99 on a new release book, assuming the Kindle book costs no more than the hardcover (and no paperback is yet available). When I buy a book, I assume I am paying mostly for IP, much the same as when I buy a DVD movie.


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## brimus (Sep 3, 2010)

The cost depends on the book, some of the technical books that I buy if I can get them on the kindle (reason I ordered the kindle)  I would pay more for. Books for enjoyment that depends on the book but as stated before I will never pay more than the cost of any print book. No matter what people say a print book will always "cost" more than an ebook to produce. I believe in fair profit not raping a customer. Everyone has to choose their own limits. I do believe that if people are not happy with the price of a book they should let the publisher know, without that it is hard to expect the publisher to know why you may not be buying the book. The more people that contact them the better the chances are than people complaining in various forums.

Just my 2 cents worth


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## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

The absolute most I would pay for an e-book is whatever it would cost me to get the hardcover at Costco. So about $14.99. That would only be for a select few authors though, and even then I'd probably wait quite awhile in the hopes that it would come down. For normal books that just look good, $7.99 is about my limit.


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## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

I agree with the $7.99 price range.  I will pay more for only certain authors, I'm paying $14.99 for Stephen King's new book coming out in November, but I haven't paid that much for any other book.


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## identicaltriplets (Jul 16, 2010)

I really only get the free books or books under $5.  There was a book I really wanted to read in August but I refused to pay $8-$9 for it. This morning it is a $1.59. I jumped on it.  That's how I buy my books.


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## cocod2 (Jul 30, 2010)

I would pay 8-10 dollars for a book and since I live in Canada they add on 2 dollars per book.  

However there is a book coming out on Sept.7 that I want and is is 15 dollars and something cents..  and because I really want it I will buy it...

But I will only do that for certain books that are a must have right away.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

My formula for book prices works like this:  anything less than $8 is good - that's what I assume I would pay for a paperback, so anything less than that is good (although anything below about $3 I pay closer attention to reviews to weed out any poorly edited indie books).  For anything over $8, my rule is 84% of the lowest pbook price.    Most of the Agency model books don't meet this criteria as they are basing their ebook prices off their own suggested retail price - which often puts it over the Amazon ebook price.


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## Cyanide5000 (Aug 30, 2010)

Im willing to pay as much as the manual version, but i refuse to pay over.


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## leathco (Jul 31, 2010)

Most of mine I have bought are between 5 and 8, although I have one I spent about 18 bucks on, but it was a technical manual and rather long as well.


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

identicaltriplets said:


> I really only get the free books or books under $5. There was a book I really wanted to read in August but I refused to pay $8-$9 for it. This morning it is a $1.59. I jumped on it. That's how I buy my books.


Which book, if you don't mind?
deb


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

lots of discussions on this already in the book corner. . . .I'm going to move this thread there to join them.


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## Wannabe (Nov 6, 2008)

I guess it would depend on the book. My reason for reading books on my Kindle is not just because said books are less expensive. I also read on my Kindle because it is more convenient to carry, easier on my eyes, easier to hold, acquiring books is faster, storing books is easier, etc. So, while I do appreciate a $9.99 price point, I would also probably pay a lot more for the right book.


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## identicaltriplets (Jul 16, 2010)

drenee said:


> Which book, if you don't mind?
> deb


It's called Disaster Status. I posted about it here.


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Thank you.
deb


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## mmzcreates (Aug 19, 2010)

I'm in minority here. I will pay the Kindle price even if it is more than the paperback as long as I want the book. Ebooks will not go down in price anytime soon. I believe the publishers are using Ebooks as a mean to cover the cost of the paperback/hardback. Those cost will never go away because the majority of people use the physical source to read. 

As someone who wishes to become an author in the future, I believe those who are selling their self publish books below $3.99 are not helping the situation. They want people to buy their books. I understand this completely, but they lowered the value of their novel by the cheap price. I want someone to say this book is excellent only without adding it's cheap too. I want to sell my novel and not the price. I apologized if I offended any indie author.    

Also, the cost of living will always go up. A dollar today isn't the same dollar from the early 1900s. Books have gone up over the years and will keep going up at certain points.    

And yes, I still look through bargain and free book.  Everyone likes these and I'm no different.


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## Vic15 (Aug 28, 2010)

It depends what the price of the paperback is. Generally, I'd expect to pay less even if it's just 50p less. I have paid over £10 for a couple of books but they are books I really wanted. I would also pay more for text books for the convenience of being able to carry them around but for a novel, I would tend to stick at about £4.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

I don't care how much it costs as long as it's not more expensive than the cheapest DTB. If it seems like a good book and I want to read it, it doesn't matter to me what the exact cost is.

I don't like the idea of the cost being the same, I think ebooks should be at least slightly less than the DTB version but I justify it by telling myself I'm paying for the content, not the format. But I absolutely refuse to buy an ebook which is more expensive than the DTB. And because I don't want to support any title which does this, I refuse to buy the DTB version of it too.



john4200 said:


> And a paper book will never become obsolete, while the DRM protected ebooks could become unreadable at some point in the future.


That's not necessarily true though - paper books can deteriorate over time, especially paperbacks and DRM can be striped off if it ever comes to that.

[quote author=mmzcreates]They want people to buy their books. I understand this completely, but they lowered the value of their novel by the cheap price. I want someone to say this book is excellent only without adding it's cheap too.[/quote]

I agree with this. As a photographer, I was always told "price your work at what you think it's worth". Selling your work cheaply tells people "I don't think my work is worth very much". I also feel there is some truth to the saying "you get what you pay for". That's not to say I only buy books above a certain cost or that you can't find a good inexpensive book. But the vast majority of my books happen to be above at least $5, especially the ones I most enjoyed. If I suddenly only bought books below a certain threshold, I would feel severely limited.

On the flip side, you get people who think their work is better than it actually is so they overprice.


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## Shetlander (Mar 10, 2009)

Depends on the book, the author, whether it is TTS enabled, and the cost of the paper version.  So far I have refused to pay over $10.  That is simply my personal cut-off because no one has convinced me it is reasonable to charge over $10 for an ebook.  I also won't pay more for an ebook than a paper book because that strikes me as offensively greedy and/or working against ebooks, plus I generally aim for the lowest price when making purchases.  Most books I buy fall between $5 and $8 with a number of bargains and freebies thrown in.  I think ebooks should be cheaper than paper boooks but if I love the author and really want to read the book, I pull the trigger.  With the spate of new books priced 11, 12, 13+, if I really wanted to read the book, I take it from the library.  I figure the publishers have saved me at least $40 since April by overcharging (IMHO) for books I was prepared to spend $10 on.  I keep meaning to email them my thanks for that.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

So far in the two years I've had kindles, I haven't paid more than $10 for an ebook.  I'm not buying many books these days, because I have so many ebooks and DTBs that are TBR.  I can't say for sure that I will never pay more than $10.  When paper books cost less than the ebook, I don't buy them at all.  I am quite put off by the publisher priced books that are $12-20.


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## CaroleC (Apr 19, 2010)

It really depends on the book, for me. I have bought a couple of $15 e-books and those are the most expensive so far.

The only book I have wanted but have not bought due to the price, is Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. I will buy it when it is less than $15. I just don't want it any more than that. I can imagine wanting some other book enough to pay more than $15 for it but haven't had to do that yet.

Even though I took speed reading and was very good at it, I really like and prefer to read fairly slowly so that I can think and ponder about what I am reading. That limits the number of books per month that I need to buy. Also, I happen to like the older public domain books that are free. So, my average price for a book is about $6 or so.


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## Shetlander (Mar 10, 2009)

history_lover said:


> I agree with this. As a photographer, I was always told "price your work at what you think it's worth". Selling your work cheaply tells people "I don't think my work is worth very much". I also feel there is some truth to the saying "you get what you pay for".


The difference for me is I'm very limited to how many pieces of art I can fit into my house. And I'm going to be looking at my pictures for years to come. But even there I have a limit, based on my lifestyle and finances, as to how much I'll pay for art. Doesn't mean something isn't worth the asking price, just that it falls outside the range of what I am willing or able to pay.

As a voracious reader who can now store 3500 books on my K3, as much as I love a book, even if I reread it periodically, I'm spending a minimal amount of time with it. A writer is an artist. The writer is also a business person. Depending on the writer's goals (make a little on the side, make a good living, make a fortune, write the Great American Novel with no thought to commercial success) and the market, the book is priced accordingly. As with any business, finding the price that works for your goal is crucial. It could be you will make way more selling at $5 than $8. Not because your work isn't worth $8 but because that is it works in the marketplace. I see books on the Kindle best seller list that are over my $10 limit so that pricing may work for writers and publishers. I'm inclined to think they'd earn more in the long run by lowering their price and selling more but that is just supposition and of course bias on my part.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

I will pay up to the cost of the paperback.  I consider it to be paying for the experience of reading the book.  Not really to own something as I seldom re-read anyway. In that sense e-books almost have an added bonus for me as I don't have a paper copy to find space for or time to sell/donate since I'll never read it again.

Plus with most contracts authors are getting 10% of the price across all formats of the book, so in some sense I like it costing the same as the paper back so they don't get a smaller cut.  Yeah the publishers makes more since it cost them less to produce the e-book.  But I can deal with that easier than the author getting a smaller  royalty because the e-book was cheaper.  They did the same work writing the book regardless of what format I choose to read it in.


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

I have to confess that I have paid $12.99 more than once, but, I really do try not to.

I think on average they are all around the $6.99 to $7.99 mark but I have bought quite a few at the $9.99 mark (mostly new releases). 

I do try not to pay more for a Kindle version than I would a paperback (in some cases I have even purchased the paperback instead) but if the book is huge (over 500 pages) then I will usually buy the Kindle version simply for the convenience of having it on my Kindle. 

I think like a lot of things in life, they are worth what you are willing to pay and that is different for different people.


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## Daniel Arenson (Apr 11, 2010)

I'll pay up to about $8 or $9 usually.  The most expensive ebook I've bought was $10.  But I also buy many indie books, and those are usually only about $3.


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## Pawz4me (Feb 14, 2009)

I don't really have a price limit, and I don't usually look at how much the paper versions of a particular book cost for comparison.  That's really irrelevant to me, as I no longer have an interest in owning paper books.

Having said all that, the most I ever recall paying for an e-book is $12.99, and that hasn't happened very often.  It's more about practicality than it is a protest about e-book pricing.  I've got plenty of books on my want-to-read list.  If I can buy two of them that are in the $5 to $7 range or one $12.99 . . . well, I'm going to opt for two unless I really, really want the one that's $12.99.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

my paper library is about half paperbacks, maybe 20% those big paperbacks and 30% hardbound.  I'll pay $15 or more for a book - I prefer not to, but I have on numerous occasions.  As such, I haven't put a cap on the amount I'll pay for an ebook.  It still has to be 85% of a pbook but it depends on the individual book itself whether I'll pay $8 or $20 or whatever ....


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## JoeMitchell (Jun 6, 2010)

I think that the major publishers, in charging more for ebooks than hardcovers, are being blatantly greedy to the point of insulting all of their customers.  I feel very strongly about this, and take it personally, like if someone offered to sell me a can of soda for $8, I would react very negatively, taking it as a personal insult.  What do you think I'm stupid?  Do I look like a fool who would pay $8 for a soda?  I'm not, and I'll never buy it from you, no matter how thirsty I might be, as a matter of principle.  That's what I mean by taking it as a personal insult.

I realize that the industry standard now is $9.99.  I still consider this offensive, since all the costs of manufacturing, shipping, and warehousing are eliminated, they -should- be cheaper than paperbacks.  Absolutely!  I think $4.99 is a fair price for a full-length novel, whether it's written by a super famous author like Steven King, or an indie author.  It's a fair price.  $2.99 is even more fair, a good bargain for the reader if it's a good book, and not such a loss if it's bad.

$4.99 is my limit for any book, by any author, as a matter of principle.  This restricts me to mainly indie authors for now, but there's also the public library.


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## tecwritr (Oct 28, 2008)

When I first purchased my Kindle most "new" books were $9.99.  I felt then and feel now that $9.99 is a reasonable price for new books by well known authors.  I will NOT pay more than that for any ebook.


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## Omega Point (Jul 16, 2010)

Apart from not paying more for the e-book than I would the paper book it would depend entirely on the book. That said I may pay more for the e-book if it has been out for a long time, is under £5, and I really want to read it. I wouldn't pay too much more, just enough to allow for the added VAT on e-books.


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## derek alvah (Jul 2, 2010)

Depends on the book,how bad I want to read it and how much I want to enjoy the convenience of having it on my kindle vs lugging around the actual book.Yes the kindle has spoiled me.


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## john4200 (May 17, 2010)

Geoffrey said:


> For anything over $8, my rule is 84% of the lowest pbook price.


9:43am
[quote author=Geoffrey] It still has to be 85% of a pbook 
[/quote]

At that rate, you'll be above 100% by Wednesday!


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

The flat answer to this question would be $9.99 (for fiction), but it's more complicated than that. I only pay that much for new books by authors I've been reading for years. When less known and less popular authors put out new books and price them at that, they lose a sale. But none of these people stop me from reading their books - for free from the library. You'd think since I'm an author too I'd say, oh, support authors and pay whatever, but since I am an indie author I know exactly how much work it takes to put out a nicely formatted Kindle book and it makes me more convinced than ever that high prices on ebooks are totally unjustified.

I feel the same way about older books being sold for more than the paperback. As a customer, I'm just not willing to support pricing that is IMO gouging. I don't know how many people feel this way, but I did note that industry figures showed a decline in ebook sales from one month to the next early this year about the time publishers got greedy.

As for those of you who think indie books should be priced higher, the experience of the vast majority of indie authors shows you are wrong. Readers take a chance on unknown authors who self-publish at low prices. Indies who price up there with backlist books by known authors come to author forums and ask why isn't my book selling, and the answer is because it's overpriced. When they bring the price down, they sell. That assumes, of course, a decent book.


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## rockstone (Aug 16, 2010)

Upto 8$(Median is around 5), unless it is a new release i desperately want...


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## EllenR (Mar 31, 2009)

The most I will pay is $9.99 for an ebook (except for a few books that are related to health I have purchased for a little more). I won't pay more than the paperback price no matter what. I will refuse to buy a book for more than that because I have a kindle full of books that cost less than $5. There is no book I want enough to not wait for it to be lowered, which means I've been waiting quite a while for some of my favorites that are published by Penguin to come down in price. For some reason, they are refusing to drop their ebook prices, which means I refuse to buy them.

If I REALLY want it, I can always get it from the library for free but I have no shortage of reading material already available.


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## john4200 (May 17, 2010)

history_lover said:


> That's not necessarily true though - paper books can deteriorate over time, especially paperbacks and DRM can be striped off if it ever comes to that.


I'm aware that paper books can deteriorate. But I said "obsolete", not worn out. Anyway, I am more intrigued by your comment about stripping the DRM.

I would love to strip the DRM from my Kindle books so that I can back up just one copy of each and move them easily among my Kindles and PC Kindle readers.

EDIT:
I see that there is a program called MobiDeDRM that can decrypt AZW files if you can get a PID, but it seems the PID extractor does not work for Kindle firmware 2.5 and later. There is also a decryptor for Kindle for PC, but it may require a certain version of the PC software.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

john4200 said:


> 9:43am
> At that rate, you'll be above 100% by Wednesday!


oopsies ...  ... even my hard and firm rules aren't hard and firm .... should I just add an 'ish'?


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## LisaW. (Jun 1, 2009)

For me, there are many factors that affect how much $$$ I'm willing to spend on an ebook; including if I'm familiar with the author, how much the current print versions costs, etc.

I haven't and will not spend more than $9.99 (and only if the current print version is printed in hardback or trade size). Of course, I wouldn't spend $9.99 on a 100-page hardback either.

For print books that are $7.99, if I like the author I'll spend up to $6.50. I don't agree with the Agency model, so I refuse to buy their ebooks, unless they're under $5. I know this is stubbornness, but the publishers won't change their pricing strategy if most people will pay whatever they're charging.

As for new authors, I prefer to pay $5 of less to see if I like the writing style. Admittedly, I have access to a wonderful library system, so most of the popular books I want to read are available through that. Now... books that are released exclusively in digital or lesser known authors that aren't readily available at libraries I'll spend a little bit more on because buying the digital copy is the only way I'm going to be able to read it. I'm an incredibly cheap (...I mean frugal), bargain shopper who loves coupons and sales, so price definitely affects my buying decisions.


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## Selcien (Oct 31, 2008)

I don't know what my cutoff point is for the maximum that I'm willing to pay, I'd say somewhere between $13 and $20, most likely around the $15 mark.

Of course, below that what I've spent has been based on how much I want something, which has varied greatly. The thing is that I have been pretty much wandering aimlessly and figuring out what I really wanted has evaded me until recently as a result. I've latched onto Terry Pratchett and Christopher Moore, the price point I'm willing to pay for their books is whatever my maximum is, and I think that not wanting to pay as much for someone elses books would be a clear indication that I'm not interested as much as I should be, as such I'm planning to avoid those books (not that I'm wanting to pay more, rather, if I hesitate over a price tag that is less than my maximum I cannot help but think that I'd be better off looking for something else).

As for comparisons to DTBs... it's pointless for me to make such a comparison. The simple fact is that if I was reading them I'd never have bought an e-reader, but I don't read them, they just sit and rot. The only DTB that tempts me is _The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of the Force_, which is not at all comparable to e-books.


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## Debra Purdy Kong (Apr 1, 2009)

I'll pay up to $9.99 for an e-book. I think anything over $10 is the breaking point for me because I can still buy paperbacks for under $10.

Debra


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

john4200 said:


> I'm aware that paper books can deteriorate. But I said "obsolete", not worn out.


My point was that a destroyed (rather than worn out) DTB is not any more readable than an obsolete ebook file format.



> Anyway, I am more intrigued by your comment about stripping the DRM. Has the DRM on the Kindle been cracked? If so, can you provide a reference?


_edit: discussions of or links to methods of stripping *any* DRM are not permitted at KindleBoards -- Ann _


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## john4200 (May 17, 2010)

Well, it seems that Ann will not allow us to talk about stripping the DRM from the books we have bought. Strange.

Anyway, after looking into the matter, it seems that such things become obsolete very quickly. Whereas paper books degrade relatively slowly. So I think my point stands that paper books are more likely to be readable for longer than Kindle books. Not that it will stop me from buying Kindle books. My point was only that the Kindle books should cost less than paper books for that reason (and other reasons).


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

john4200 said:


> Well, it seems that Ann will not allow us to talk about stripping the DRM from the books we have bought. Strange.


Not really. It's in Forum Decorum: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,36.0.html

Specifically, it says:


> - DRM (Digital Rights Management): We do not allow threads or posts that include instructions, or links to instructions, on ways to hack, crack, or otherwise get around DRM protections. The term 'DRM' refers to access control technologies used by publishers and copyright holders to limit usage of digital content. Kindle books, e-books in general, purchased music, and other published digital content typically contain DRM controls. It is acceptable to post about DRM in general, e.g. to discuss DRM-related issues and benefits.


As moderator, I'm just reminding folks of the rules.


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## john4200 (May 17, 2010)

"Not really", what? Not strange?

I think it is strange that such things get censored. No doubt you are following the set of rules you reference, but it is still strange. I guess it is fear of being sued?

By the way, I had to laugh at the last part of the rule, about discussing DRM-related "benefits". It would be a lot more honest to reference DRM-related hassles in that rule.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

The owner of the board, Harvey Chute, has established certain rules. . . .you might contact him for the reasoning.

But it is the case that Amazon's Terms of Service prohibit the stripping of DRM.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

Well, the article didn't actually provide instructions on how to hack it, it was just discussing the existence of software which claims to, which could very well be outdated by now anyway.



> Anyway, after looking into the matter, it seems that such things become obsolete very quickly. Whereas paper books degrade relatively slowly. So I think my point stands that paper books are more likely to be readable for longer than Kindle books.


You mean the cracks become obsolete? That only happens because the makers change their DRM with new releases so the hacker have to keep playing catch up. If Kindle were to go out of business, hackers would have all the time in the world to once and for all, provide a crack that would never become obsolete. My husband has found ways to play video and computer games from 15 years ago on a current PC, that otherwise shouldn't be compatible. If that is possible, I think it's pretty much a given that someone will find a way to strip the DRM and convert Kindle books into another format if Kindle ever do go out of business. That's the kind of stuff geeky tech guys live for - and that's what we love them for!


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## john4200 (May 17, 2010)

Ann in Arlington said:


> But it is the case that Amazon's Terms of Service prohibit the stripping of DRM.


Has that been tested in court? It does not seem to me that amazon can prevent someone from doing as they wish with something they purchased (as long as it is for their own personal use).

Anyway, to get back on subject, DRM is certainly something that makes Kindle books less valuable than paper books.


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## john4200 (May 17, 2010)

history_lover said:


> You mean the cracks become obsolete? That only happens because the makers change their DRM with new releases so the hacker have to keep playing catch up. If Kindle were to go out of business, hackers would have all the time in the world to once and for all, provide a crack that would never become obsolete.


Yes, that is what I meant. Well, amazon HAS been changing the DRM with new releases. It seems that the hacks no longer work with the newer Kindles and newer firmware.

While I guess you are probably right about what would happen were Kindle to disappear in the future, it is not certain, and so a risk. And that risk does not exist with paper books.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

john4200 said:


> Has that been tested in court? It does not seem to me that amazon can prevent someone from doing as they wish with something they purchased (as long as it is for their own personal use).
> 
> Anyway, to get back on subject, DRM is certainly something that makes Kindle books less valuable than paper books.


It would probably hold up in court.

DRM on DVDs was challenged in court and upheld. So it's still a civil crime to break the DRM so you can make a copy of a disc you own. No reason that precedent wouldn't get applied to e-book DRM in the US.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

Stripping DRM is a fairly complicated process.  More trouble than I'm willing to put myself through at the moment.  But only at the moment!

I will not pay more than $9.99 for a book.  I don't care who the author is and how new it is, etc.  That's the cut-off point for me.  I have a few books on my wish list as I wait for the prices to drop.  There are also quite a few books at 9.99 that I'm waiting to become even cheaper.  With about 150 unread books on my Kindle already I'm sure I'll find something to occupy my time!


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## john4200 (May 17, 2010)

mooshie78 said:


> It would probably hold up in court.
> 
> DRM on DVDs was challenged in court and upheld. So it's still a civil crime to break the DRM so you can make a copy of a disc you own. No reason that precedent wouldn't get applied to e-book DRM in the US.


And yet there is a program which can strip DRM from any DVD. That program is sold commercially and used by many to backup their DVDs and Blu-ray discs.


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## G.Hugh (Sep 24, 2009)

I would probably go to $4.99 (I don't care what the paper version costs, if I can't get the kindle for 4.99 or less I'll get it at the library)

I really shop for books under $3.00 and I have been very happy at what is available.


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## Carolyn A (Jul 25, 2010)

I never buy hardbacks of fiction books because of the price, so why in the world would I pay MORE than hardback price for a novel on Kindle? It makes no sense for the publisher (I'm talking to YOU, Penguin Publishing!) to charge even more for the Kindle version than for the hardback, let alone the paperback version.

That said, I love the ability to read the sample on Kindle before I buy a book of any format.

Carolyn


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## indie (Sep 5, 2010)

I always think that ebooks should be less than the hard cover. I would say about $9.95.


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## Guest (Sep 5, 2010)

This is a good question because I have an ebook that sells for $8.88  It is nearly 800 pages long though. So I feel you get your moneys worth.  Would I want to pay that much for a three hundred page crime drama, no way.  But for a book that will keep me reading for a whole week, I'd pay ten bucks easy.  I pay that to see a 3 hour movie, why not for a 10 hour read?


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

john4200 said:


> Yes, that is what I meant. Well, amazon HAS been changing the DRM with new releases. It seems that the hacks no longer work with the newer Kindles and newer firmware.
> 
> While I guess you are probably right about what would happen were Kindle to disappear in the future, it is not certain, and so a risk. And that risk does not exist with paper books.


Well, I'm pretty confident it is certain. They've already hacked older versions, it's only a matter of time before they crack newer ones, especially if Kindle were to go out of business and hackers didn't have to keep playing catch up.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

john4200 said:


> And yet there is a program which can strip DRM from any DVD. That program is sold commercially and used by many to backup their DVDs and Blu-ray discs.


Sure. The software is legal, using it to crack DRM is not. Of course, that could change if the software maker is taken to court and loses the case.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of DRM. I'm as uber anti-piracy as anyone you'll fine, but I'm also bit on fair use. Those of us who do pay for everything and never illegally download things etc. shouldn't be hampered in how we can use digital content we own. But currently, legal precedent in the US has upheld DRM.


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## Anne Victory (Jul 29, 2010)

My cut-off is the price of the DTB.  If it's only out in hardback, I get that I'm going to pay more for it.  Same would be true if I were buying the DTB version.  If I don't want to pay that much, I wait for the paperback.  Same thing.  It seriously irks me, though, when the eBook is more than the lowest-priced paper version - like the hardback is 12.99 and the paperback is 7.99 and then they want to charge 9.99 for the eBook.  What the heck?  Honestly, I'm a little miffed when it's the same price - I feel like the $1 off model isn't bad and I'm happy with that.  In the example above, the eBook should be $6.99 in my opinion.  When they're $5 I'm pretty giddy.


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## John Brinling (Jul 25, 2010)

No more than $9.99. And then only if a I know the author or the book. I think new writers should sell their books at a lower rate until they establish their credentials.


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## Madeline (Jun 5, 2010)

$9.99 is pretty much my limit.  About 99% of the time, if I see more than 9.99 listed, I hit the back button.

A few exceptions to that are: 

1) If only the hardback is available and its a must read for me.  Paying 12-14.99 is still saving me five to ten bucks over the hardback price.  Out of hundreds of books, this has happened only once with Kronin's The Passage.  I was so hyped up for that, I would have paid anything lol

2) If it's one of my favorite authors and I feel like I really, really want the digital version of the book.  I probably would pay more for that, although this has never happened as  I'm too busy reading new stuff to worry about stocking digital copies of all my favorite stuff. 

My absolute WORST pet peeve is why the Kindle version is MORE money than the hardback/paperback version.  No line of malarky you give me can tell me that it cost you more money to put out a digital version than it did a DTB.    I REFUSE REFUSE REFUSE to pay more money for something digital over something I can hold in my hands.


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## Valmore Daniels (Jul 12, 2010)

$9.99 would be my cutoff, provided it is the same price or less than the DTB. If the kindle price is higher, I'll buy the DTB.


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## G.Hugh (Sep 24, 2009)

I have been following this thread and a few others somewhat on topic and kept wondering why Kindle pricing kept being compared to a far more complex technology DTB which for about 8 years has referred to *D*igital *T*alking *B*ooks.

I finally decided to search Kindle Boards for the acronym DTB and found that on this site it apparently means printed books of any format as long as they are on paper (Dead Tree Books).

I guess this is an outgrowth of texting acronyms. This should prove to be fun as the use of acronyms (not universally consistant) becomes more of the norm. It is going to get really confusing as the same acronym means different things within a specific space, as with DTB in publishing communications on Kindle Boards.

Maybe I will start a topic on conflicting translations of acronyms, should get some interesting contributions.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I have a not-quite-hard line at $9.99.  I originally insisted I wouldn't pay more than $9.99 for an ebook, but I have broken that twice for nonfiction books I really wanted.  For fiction books, I strongly dislike even the $9.99 price, preferring it to be a couple of bucks lower.  I bought the first two books of the "Billy Boyle" historical detective stories and really enjoyed them--I'd been ignoring them because they were priced at $9.99 or thereabouts, but immediately picked the first two up when the first one was offered free as a promotion, and the second priced at $3 or so.  But even though I really liked them, I've not bought any more because the succeeding stories are in the above $9 area.  This is arguably silly on my part.  I'm pretty sure I'd unhesitatingly buy the rest of them for $6.39 (Kindle version), and I can easily afford the $3 or so difference.

Though I became "radicalized" about this by the showdown between publishers and Amazon over the $9.99 pricing, I'd had similar experiences with paperbacks before I got my Kindle....I was often skipping paperback novels when the price pushed up above $7.


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## Robert Tell Author (Aug 17, 2010)

Is it possible for a good author to charge too little for an e-book? At what price point (if any) does a reader think if it's cheap it must lack quality?


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## G.Hugh (Sep 24, 2009)

With Kindle you can really shop by price in genre.  With the download sample I have gotten some great books by independents for under $3.00 - Great quality just not in the Publishing Houses 'Hot Categories'.

I have gotten tow Agatha Christie early novels for 95 cents a pop.

I think that the Kindle Sample feature coupled with how many good independents are writing great works you can have fantastic reading material and never spend over 3 bucks.

If the legacy publishing houses want to keep their authors in the 'high ticket' category, as more reading dollars migrate to e-books they may find their best selling authors are still their best selling authors ...but not with such hot volumes.

I personally am not compelled to pay $9.99 for Dan Brown's Lost symbol or $12.99 for Mackenzie Phillips' hallucinations.  Not when there is so much more and quite frankly better for a lot cheaper.

So in answer to the question, an author knows his book is overpriced when his/her audience declines and knows when he is priced right when his/her auduence grows...he/she should never judge the quality of their work by the price that must be set to stay in the game.

Competition has hit publishing and as with computer chips, it will drive the price to market's willingness to pay.


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## FSkornia (Feb 22, 2009)

I see $9.99 as my top threshold price. Before I became a Kindle reader I was primarily a paperback reader. On most books I was willing to wait the extra few months for a new release to come out in paperback - there was always plenty of other things out there.  A few times I would buy the hardcover on extremely anticipated releases (Wheel of Time, A Song of Fire and Ice, Wars of Light and Shadow, Harry Potter, etc.).  I will admit though, I did recently spend around $35 for a Kindle book, but it was a text for school and the paper copy was $20 more. Since I was already in the middle of buying expensive books, it was a no brainer. I would never spend close to that amount for my personal reading.


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## G. Henkel (Jan 12, 2010)

I've bought Kindle books as expensive as $14.99. To me it is a matter of how interested I am in a book, not necessarily the price tag. While, naturally, I'd rather pay less, if I am willing to pay $14.99 for a paperback I see no reason why I should not be willing to pay the same for a Kindle version.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

mmzcreates said:


> I'm in minority here. I will pay the Kindle price even if it is more than the paperback as long as I want the book. Ebooks will not go down in price anytime soon. I believe the publishers are using Ebooks as a mean to cover the cost of the paperback/hardback. Those cost will never go away because the majority of people use the physical source to read.
> 
> As someone who wishes to become an author in the future, I believe those who are selling their self publish books below $3.99 are not helping the situation. They want people to buy their books. I understand this completely, but they lowered the value of their novel by the cheap price. I want someone to say this book is excellent only without adding it's cheap too. I want to sell my novel and not the price. I apologized if I offended any indie author.


As an author who has put much into his work and is dependent on writing for a living, I really appreciate your saying this. I cannot explain how strange and painful it felt for me to sell the book that took 9 years to write at a price of $2.99 (I have now raised it to $4.99). What about the value of my time, emotion, and love, and what about the value of the READER's time, the time it takes him or her to read the book: a minimum of 4 hours. If reader decided to buy a $2.99 book rather than a $4.99 book, and the second one was five times as good, then what about the value of the 4 hours of life the reader has spent on an inferior book just to save two dollars?

Strangely enough, the book has sold more copies at $6.99 and $7.99 than at $4.99! I am almost tempted to raise the price by a dollar!


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## Robert Tell Author (Aug 17, 2010)

Marketing people talk about the 5 "P's," meaning: Product,  Place (Distribution), Promotion, People and Price. Books are indeed Products that properly Promoted will be desired by People and read in a variety of Places provided that the Price is attractive. So the price of a book is one of the keys to attracting readers. This is not rocket science. The issue for an unknown indie author is picking the right price. When I was in business I learned to price my product low until it achieved a following. As demand picked up so did my price until it reached a point of equilibrium. The same approach should be effective in pricing new books. What do you all think?


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## G.Hugh (Sep 24, 2009)

Robert Tell;

I absolutely agree.  I did the reverse and when my first book came out on Kindle it was priced at $9.99 (the paperback $16.00) and sales were few and far between.  I am a new author, who was I to price my books at the same offering as Dan Brown?

I reduced it to $4.99...an increase in activity.  When I brought out the second book and released a new edition of the first I priced both on Kindle at $2.99 (Still both TPB are at $16).

I am not selling millions of copies but sales are constant from Kindle Stores in US and EU (EU pricing is local currency at $2.99 USD)

I hope to build a following at the $2.99 price and in the Spring of 2011 when book three of the series is released offer it at an increased price, say $4.99.

So as to your question "The same approach should be effective in pricing new books. What do you all think?"  I think it is a sane and probably effective practice.


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## G. Henkel (Jan 12, 2010)

First, let me just say that I think the market is not nearly as price sensitive as many indie authors will want to make you believe. Let's face it people are paying up to $5 for a greeting card! Let's put that into context real quick... novel... greeting card... okay?

More importantly, I think this believe that building readership at a low price point is completely misguided. I said it countless times before, the only thing you are doing is grooming people to expect books to be cheaper and cheaper. There will never be a point when you can afford raising your price because there will be hundreds of other indie authors vying to build their readership, waiting the trenches to take your cheap spot. At that point you will simply price yourself out of the market by raising the price because readers have gotten so used to cheap books that they will no longer be willing to pay a cent more.

What's even more, it will have personal repercussions for you, as people will notice your price increase and will instantly perceive you as greedy. You will lose a huge portion of that readership you had tried to acquire with your method. There are many instances on record where this concept has backfired on authors.

There is nothing wrong with promotions, reducing the price of a book for special occasions, but to simply price it low in hopes to gain traction is a really bad idea in the long term.


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## theraven (Dec 30, 2009)

I'm willing to pay more for a non-fiction book that it is for research purposes than I am for a book that is strictly for entertainment. I've paid $12.99 for an ebook and would go up higher. For fiction, I wouldn't mind paying $9.99 for an ebook if it was an author that I was familiar with, really loved their writing, and wanted to support their career. There are some authors that I'm very attached to and would want to do what I could to support their careers in hopes there would always be a next book coming out by them.


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## A. Rosaria (Sep 12, 2010)

I would go as far as $6 preferably lower.

With an e-book the money spend to manufacture,store and deliver the book in non existent. For publisher to put all what is saved in their own pockets is greedy. I as a customer should not indulge in this excess greed, but should think about my own needs. 

It's similar in the gaming industry. A digital download sometimes is more expensive than the physical media bought in the story. I've seen digital downloads for $49,99 and I bought the physical for around $29,99.

The same crazy bull crap I see happening with e-books. It doesn't may sense to enable this to happen by buying their overpriced e-books.

If I switch my paranoid side on, I would believe they are doing this to slow down the demise of the paper book, by overpricing the e-book.


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## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

I paid $22 for the Gourmet Today cookbook -- it's HUGE, it's packed with internal links and chapter stops so someone really worked to format for eReaders, and the physical book costs much more.

I was willing to pay $22 to have a version of this monster where the spine wouldn't crack, honestly ... all my big kitchen-bible type physical books are trashed.


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## Robert Tell Author (Aug 17, 2010)

I appreciate the comments in response to my question. There are good arguments in favor of all pricing strategies but I'll stick with my plan. One of the best selling Kindle authors, Karen McQuestion, is reported to have had over 75,000 downloads of her first book on Kindle in its first year. She priced it low and it sold like hotcakes. And the truth is that I get a bigger royalty from my $2.99 e-book than I get from the same book sold as a paperback for over $15. Scalper says "With an e-book the money spent to manufacture,store and deliver the book is non existent. For publisher to put all what is saved in their own pockets is greedy. I as a customer should not indulge in this excess greed, but should think about my own needs." Who can blame him? As a (temporarily, I hope) unknown author, I am listening to his voice.


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