JoeGKushner
Adventurer
So what's up with the Kindle Book Prices? Are used book stores so unavailable to most people that they look at $9.99 for a e-book as suitible?
Kindle Book Prices?
- Thread starter JoeGKushner
- Start date
dravot
First Post
1) not everyone has used bookstores in their area
2) not everyone uses them when they are available - my used bookstore is very hit-and-miss
3) some people want to use the kindle rather than read the dead-tree book, regardless of the source of the dead-tree book.
Mark
CreativeMountainGames.com
Do you own a Kindle, Joe?
I suspect the liberal trading policies of other devices (like the Nook) are going to begin to dent the pricing policies of publishers and device manufacturers. They need to find a price point whereby the consumer feels just as inclined or more so to purchase than to seek someone out who will loan then a previously purchased copy. I suspect that until that time comes about we will see some virtual book sharing communities develop. How soon all this will come about depends somewhat on how many devices are available for the next holiday shopping season and what policies they each have in place regarding content.
I suspect the liberal trading policies of other devices (like the Nook) are going to begin to dent the pricing policies of publishers and device manufacturers. They need to find a price point whereby the consumer feels just as inclined or more so to purchase than to seek someone out who will loan then a previously purchased copy. I suspect that until that time comes about we will see some virtual book sharing communities develop. How soon all this will come about depends somewhat on how many devices are available for the next holiday shopping season and what policies they each have in place regarding content.
Actually, there's been a lot of flap between Amazon and publishers over this. Amazon wants to set prices at $9.99 or below, while publishers want new books to go for $15. So basically, it's a fight over who gets to set prices for Kindle books. Amazon used to be able to throw their weight around, but the prospects of Apple's iBooks store has made them meek and the publishers bold.
Used book stores are a totally different shopping experience. My wife and I cruise by our local used book shop after Sunday walks --it's 6 blocks away-- when we're in the mood to leisurely search the stacks, when we have nothing in mind and the time to poke around for hidden gems.
I buy things from the Kindle store --for the iPhone Kindle app, not the original device-- when I know exactly what I want and want it now -- before I forget I want it, that is... I'm getting old.
Frankly, I think 9.99 for an eBook is a fair price. Used trade paperbacks at my local shop are often near that price (or more). Frankly, I'm beginning to prefer digital copies. eBooks don't weight anything. I'd need a large sack to carry around all the books I have in my phone if they were in paper form (Project Gutenberg + Stanza e-reader are wonderful things).
I'm getting more value out of digital copies (but don't tell Amazon that).
"Fair prices" are kind of illusory anyway. Businesses charge what the market will bear. I learned this lesson the hard way with the move from cassetes to CD's back in the late eighties/early nineties. CD's got cheaper to make, but the prices didn't come down. Why? Because everyone went out and bought CD players. DVD players came down in price because people didn't do that (and DVD's will have to get really cheap if their producers want to stay in business).
That's why it's kind of bogus for corporation to say the costs of shoplifting and illegeal downloading are passed along to the customer. If those things were eliminated tomorrow, businesses wouldn't suddenly start slashing prices as a direct result just to be fair. They'd do it if doing so would expand their market.
Right now, Amazon would give away ebooks if they could. With the $9.99 pricing, they are actually losing money on the sales. Here's the first article that I googled up. It gets the gist of it:
http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/13/amazon-losing-money-on-999-e-books/
That's why it's kind of bogus for corporation to say the costs of shoplifting and illegeal downloading are passed along to the customer. If those things were eliminated tomorrow, businesses wouldn't suddenly start slashing prices as a direct result just to be fair. They'd do it if doing so would expand their market.
Right now, Amazon would give away ebooks if they could. With the $9.99 pricing, they are actually losing money on the sales. Here's the first article that I googled up. It gets the gist of it:
http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/13/amazon-losing-money-on-999-e-books/
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JoeGKushner
Adventurer
In terms of not everyone having a used book store... if you're using a kindle.... well, you pretty much have access to a used book store.
In terms of used books costing as much as a kindle edition... not at any used book store I've shopped at. Trades, the big ones, non-hardcover, often go for $5-$7 at most. Paperbacks half off ulness extremely old and then $2.00.
Perhaps it's because I work in distribution and know the time, labor, energy, logistics, etc... that it takes to 'make the material appear', but having something where you're not printing, storing, transporting, etc... and having it cost the same price as it does in regular paperback? Ugh. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
In addition, there's the whole problem of ownership. I recall not too long ago that some how Amazon sold a book that another corporation didn't have the rights to and Amazon magically whisked those books back away from the purchasers. Not something too likely to happen with a physical copy.
Now I'm not saying e-books have no benefit. Indeed, the reason I began to look at them was I'm in the middle of looking at apartments and books is heavy man. But I could essentially get rid of 90% of my collection and replace it for less than the cost of getting a Kindle and buying the elctronic versions, many of which simply don't exist in the first place.
E-books appear to have a long way to go.
In terms of used books costing as much as a kindle edition... not at any used book store I've shopped at. Trades, the big ones, non-hardcover, often go for $5-$7 at most. Paperbacks half off ulness extremely old and then $2.00.
Perhaps it's because I work in distribution and know the time, labor, energy, logistics, etc... that it takes to 'make the material appear', but having something where you're not printing, storing, transporting, etc... and having it cost the same price as it does in regular paperback? Ugh. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
In addition, there's the whole problem of ownership. I recall not too long ago that some how Amazon sold a book that another corporation didn't have the rights to and Amazon magically whisked those books back away from the purchasers. Not something too likely to happen with a physical copy.
Now I'm not saying e-books have no benefit. Indeed, the reason I began to look at them was I'm in the middle of looking at apartments and books is heavy man. But I could essentially get rid of 90% of my collection and replace it for less than the cost of getting a Kindle and buying the elctronic versions, many of which simply don't exist in the first place.
E-books appear to have a long way to go.
You get the best value for the Kindle in the really new or really old stuff. The $10 price is pretty good compared to what you generally pay at a story for a new release hard copy. Likewise, really old stuff is generally free (I recently read 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Island of Doctor Moreau, and The Count of Monte Cristo for free).
Conversly, used books stores are best at middle-aged books. Stuff that's been out for awhile, but not old enough to be hard to find. So, really, value is all based on the user.
I've also found that there are a lot of books that will be temporarily free on the Kindle. It pays a lot to browse the store on a regular basis. I probably have two free downloads on my Kindle for every one I pay for. I especially love it when you find the first book in a series for free (which appears to be a fairly common marketing ploy), because it lets you test out the series and decide if you like it.
Conversly, used books stores are best at middle-aged books. Stuff that's been out for awhile, but not old enough to be hard to find. So, really, value is all based on the user.
I've also found that there are a lot of books that will be temporarily free on the Kindle. It pays a lot to browse the store on a regular basis. I probably have two free downloads on my Kindle for every one I pay for. I especially love it when you find the first book in a series for free (which appears to be a fairly common marketing ploy), because it lets you test out the series and decide if you like it.
I look at the other way: the valuable part of a book are the author(s) words. I don't mind paying for them.
Jeremy Ackerman-Yost
Explorer
Which would be fine if all of that difference in costs ended up in the pocket of the author.
Right now, it seems that publishers get to have their cake and eat it, too. Paper and shipping make up a pretty large percentage of the purchase price of the book. They get to skip those costs but take home the same amount of money when I buy an e-book.
I have a small amount of sketchy info and a large amount of suspicions about where all that free money ends up, and if you think the author gets a slice, I have a bridge I'd like to sell you. Great view of Brooklyn.
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