eBook Prices - Is it just me…

[Elodan]

Or do they seem to be getting ridiculous?

I primarily read on a Kindle. I had some serious bouts of retinopathy in both eyes over the years so it’s generally easier to read white text on a black background. Plus, these old eyes appreciate being able to adjust font size.

I noticed this when I was trying to backfill the Discworld series. The books jumped from roughly $8 to &15 each. What can possibly justify this jump aside from “that they can”. The series has been out for years and the paperbacks go for about $7. Eventually, I was able to pick them up for cheap thanks to a Humble Bundle.

I don’t mind paying if the book is a new release or still only available in print as a hardcover. I just find it ridiculous for the ebook to be more than a non-discounted paperback. Especially, since you don’t technically own the ebook, but rather have a perpetual license to it (and we know they can take it away anytime). It also seems like ebooks don’t go one sales that often anymore.

Unfortunately, while I have the Libby app, they rarely have the books I want to read.

What are your thoughts? Do you use an eReader and if so, how do you get your books.

 

[payn]

I just got into ereading because its easier for my eyes because, as you state, I can adjust colors and font size. So far, everything ive gotten has been dirt cheap. I'll be curious to hear from other folks if they notice any changes.

 

[Rabulias]

Unfortunately, while I have the Libby app, they rarely have the books I want to read.

I live in northern Virginia outside DC, and there are many public library systems in the area. They have reciprocal borrowing agreements with each other, so I have library cards from many of them. This gives me access to all of their ebooks via Libby as well -- I just need to log in with different credentials. Even then, I don't always find what I am looking for, but it does broaden the pool. You may want to see if there are other libraries nearby you can join.

 

[Deset Gled]

Ebooks from a back library of owned IP are a curious case of nearly pure economics. They are worth exactly what people will pay for them, with virtually no cost of production, stock, travel, etc.

It's an entirely different kind of buying all together.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I noticed this when I was trying to backfill the Discworld series. The books jumped from roughly $8 to &15 each. What can possibly justify this jump aside from “that they can”. The series has been out for years and the paperbacks go for about $7. Eventually, I was able to pick them up for cheap thanks to a Humble Bundle.

Looking at Amazon, it looks like a bunch of them are $8. Amazon twists the knobs on prices all day, algorithmically, based on customer behavior.

If you are buying up oodles of Discworld books all at once, the algorithm is saying you're a whale.

If you follow the official Discworld or Terry Pratchett accounts on social media, they regularly post about their legitimate sales, and the prices are generally $5 or less for titles.

 

[Morrus]

The print cost is the least of the costs of making a book. The paperbackness of it is not where the value lies. It’s an insignificant part of the costs. For a mass produced paperback, under 50 cents per unit. You’re not paying for the paper you’re paying for the content; if you think a half-inch pile of paper is the valuable element, I have a ton of blank printer paper I can sell you!

 

[schneeland]

Over here (Germany), it's quite common for eBooks to be priced like the paperbacks (and discounts are rare). So I'm mostly used to it, although I do sometimes wish they were a bit cheaper. And it can create the odd situation that the English version of a book is only a third of the German version, which makes the latter look extra expensive.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

The print cost is the least of the costs of making a book. The paperbackness of it is not where the value lies. It’s an insignificant part of the costs. For a mass produced paperback, under 50 cents per unit. You’re not paying for the paper you’re paying for the content.

It's interesting to know that that is still the case. I suppose that shipping and warehousing physical copies is then one of the bigger costs of physical books - that and giving the distributors and retailers their cut, which you don't have to do with digital.

 

[Morrus]

It's interesting to know that that is still the case. I suppose that shipping and warehousing physical copies is then one of the bigger costs of physical books - that and giving the distributors and retailers their cut, which you don't have to do with digital.

Yeah but you pay shipping on top (unless the retailer is eating it). It’s more part of the product cost, it’s extra.

 

[Deset Gled]

It's interesting to know that that is still the case. I suppose that shipping and warehousing physical copies is then one of the bigger costs of physical books - that and giving the distributors and retailers their cut, which you don't have to do with digital.

Kinda guessing here (I'm not in the industry), but I think one of the other factors in the OP's complaint is competition. We're used to older books having lower pricing than new books, partially because physical retailers know that used books are an alternative option.

But I think some digital publishers have essentially decided/speculated that their key market for people who buy digital books won't consider used books as an equivalent option. Their key demographic wants that old book in digital form, and will pay new book prices for it if required.