What price ebooks?

[karen_w_newton]

I got a Kindle 1 (the original Kindle) early in November of 2008. Since then I have read approximately 50 books and dozens of short stories on it or its successor, my Kindle 2. I have not read any print books and very few magazines since I got a Kindle. I just don't want to go back to carrying around a chunk of paper, remembering where I put the

Comments

[mikandra]

The more I think about it, the more I become convinced that I won't be paying full price for ebooks until something major changes. Whatever that major thing would be, I have no idea, but I feel very resistant to the idea of downloading digital copies of books by my favourite authors, and the only personal benefit I can see of ebooks is that I could try lots of authors for a cheaper price

[karen_w_newton]

I do have an Asimov's subscription, and it works well on the Kindle. Of course, it's unusual for magazines today in that it has no color, except on the cover, and it's mostly fiction to is translates to e-ink pretty well.

I have a friend who uses the Kindle app on her iPod Touch to get the free sample chunk. Then if she likes the book, she will buy a print copy.

[peadarog]

I will concede most of the cost of the book isn't in the printing and binding, but some of it is.

And don't forget the cost of returns! Other than that, I agree with everything you've said and often get angry at the higher price of ebooks :(

[a_r_williams]

::nods:: I agree.

"Price set by publisher" should not mean "Price set artificiality high by publisher because they don't know what they're doing."

They know what they're doing. Protecting the sale of hardcover books.

[karen_w_newton]

I agree that they THINK they are protecting the sale of hardcovers. What I doubt is that they are indeed doing that. Someone who only wants an ebook will not buy the hardcover no matter what, and if the ebook is too expensive when they look for it, they may NEVER buy that book.

[karen_w_newton]

I forgot about returns! Good point!

[bogwitch64]

It does seem a bit insane to set the price of an ebook higher, or even as high as, a print book. That ebook is a one-time sale, as you said. It can't be resold, borrowed, donated.

I suppose this is all still bugs being worked out. I sure hope the industry is LISTENING!

[karen_w_newton]

Me, too! I think this is new territory for publishers. they're not used to their "customer" being an individual reader. In the past, a publisher's customer was wholesaler or a retail chain.

eBook vs hardcover

[anonymous]

I'm with you in that I'm actively not buying physical books any more, at least where it comes to novels. Signed hardcovers are a nifty souvenir to be put carefully on the shelf. So where the hell is my Kindle edition so I can READ it

Re: eBook vs hardcover

[karen_w_newton]

It is interesting that some authors are still resistant to ebooks. If they understood the technology, though, they would realize that doesn't stop piracy, which is what they assume would happen if they publish in ebook form. Robot book scanners take minutes to scan a print book.