A rant about exorbitant e-book prices.........

[dixiegrrrrl]

Today I found, on amazon, a book selling for $49.95 kindle price......................
and
$8.91 hardback price
and
$42.66 paperback price......

I just bought it for 1 cent, hardbound, used ( S&H 3.99)
http://www.amazon.com/London-1849-Victorian-Murder-Story/dp/0582772907/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1418050852&sr=1-1

Is my memory correct in that when e-readers first came out, Amazon, and B&N, were hyping about how inexpensive books were be to read using the Nook or Kindle?
And yet, many prices for e-readers are higher than the actual paper book!!!!!!

Cannot figure out why.
Anyone have an idea????

[Bettie]

1. I have never seen a Kindle book costing that much

Most of what I buy is a buck or so less than paperback price. New books tend to cost more, but overall, my spending is less per book, but I tend to buy a lot more since I don't have to go anywhere!

[TreasonousBastard]

2. The paper and printing of a book is...

actually a small part of its price.

Royalties, advances, promotion, and occasionally obscene profits make up the bulk of the price, and they don't go away when you take away the paper.

As far as the bluster over cheap e-books goes-- it was a sales pitch with some slight glimmer of truth to it and not to be taken seriously.

(And never, ever, under any circumstance believe anything Amazon says without some serious factchecking)

[IDemo]

3. Your library likely has a selection of e-books

Maybe not most current titles, but quite a few to choose from.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. It's listed as an e-textbook. Required reading in college classes?

On B&N it's $29.99

[CBGLuthier]

5. Wait a minute. you are ranting because something NEW costs more than something USED?

Uhhhh, not really a great example.

On the other hand I looked at the price of Stephen King's new book and the ebook is 12.74 and the hardback is 17.26 but it claims a list price of 30.00.

And older one, Mr. Mercedes is 3.00 for the ebook and 18.00 for the new hardback.

ebooks do tend to be cheaper but as someone else pointed out some books, like textbooks will not be cheaper.

[tkmorris]

7. Yeah, you should definitely compare a USED e-book price to be fair

"New" versus "Used" isn't really the pertinent issue here is it?

[PoliticAverse]

11. Used ebook price??.... You can't sell ebooks as you don't really own them.... n/t

[whatthehey]

14. I own all 1915 of mine

Backed up to PC with freeware e-reader and all. Add my cloud backup and no amount of theft, fire, or flood can eliminate my library.

Before somebody gleefully (and it's always gleefully) asks what I do in a power outage, I also have a solar/crank powered emergency radio with a USB power outlet. E-readers take so little power I wouldn't even get tired...

[tkmorris]

16. If you can't give a thing to someone else...

Do you really "own" it?

[whatthehey]

18. What makes you think I can't give them to others?

epub files aren't some special NSA black box technology. What kind of books do you like? PM me an email address and I'll send you a selection if you like. I can convert from epub (nook) to mobi (Amazon) or standard pdf if you prefer too - also on easy to use widely available freeware; I am in no way a hacker type.

http://calibre-ebook.com/

[tkmorris]

22. I was being a bit flippant, but

Giving away or selling e-books, or e-anything really, gets quite hairy from a legal perspective. I take your point though.

[dixiegrrrrl]

26. Great minds, and all that.....I hear ya. n/t

[tkmorris]

15. That's the point I was trying to make, yes

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. Published in 2003.

Not my definition of new.

first Amazon review is 2005.

[el_bryanto]

6. it probably has something to do with distribution methods

Bookstores and comic book stores have noticed what happened to record shops in the wake of I-Tunes. My town used to support 6-7 record shops including 3 really good ones - now all the good ones are closed - the mall ones and bestbuy are still around. As e-books become cheaper and more convenient than physical books, they will start to cannibalize the sales that bookstores can make.

The problem, particularly for smaller distributors, and comic books, is that they run the risk of cutting the knees out from under the bricks and mortar shops before the digital distribution is really able to support them.

I mention comic books because that's where I've seen this issue, but have to imagine its an issue for regular books as well.

Bryant

[Ykcutnek]

9. Because the whiny publishers won their battle with Amazon and consumers lost.

And before anyone piles on me about that statement, there's no argument against driving down e-book prices I haven't heard that makes me feel better for having to shell out more dough... so spare me.

[RedCappedBandit]

10. Some e-books are definitely overpriced.

You did the right thing by buying elsewhere.

[shenmue]

12. I have seen history and religion titles

go for $160. Someone said it's to force you to buy a physical copy instead. Kind of a weird reverse psychology.

[dilby]

13. Looked at all the authors books and they are all priced way high.

The author and publisher get to set their pricing so I don't think this is a problem with Amazon. Also it looks like the Author is a professor so I am willing to bet the books are required reading for some of his classes. I had a professor like that in college, was pissed that I was paying $200 for crappy books that he wrote for a class.

[kentauros]

17. It has to do with the Big 5 Legacy publishers protecting their print titles and industry.

The print side of the publishing industry is slowly collapsing. But, because the big publishers don't like losing money on that end of their industry, they raise prices on the "easy money" of ebook publishing to prop up the print side.

Honestly, I cannot recommend J.A. Konrath's blog highly enough if you want a published-writer's insight into why the legacy industry is failing next to the growing self-publishing industry

[dixiegrrrrl]

19. Hey you....

Thanks for the link..I shall explore.

[kentauros]

21. Hay back!

There's a lot to explore there, so I hope you're a faster reader than I (I'm behind reading his blog by a few weeks, and he writes so much!)

Good information there, too, if you're thinking of writing and self-publishing

[Dr. Strange]

25. +1

[LuvNewcastle]

20. I've noticed that too, dixiegrrrrl.

Even a lot of the mysteries I like are expensive -- $9 for many of them. That's outrageous for a digital mystery! I'm doing my free trial for Kindle Unlimited now, but I don't know if I'll get it or not. If all their digital books were for that price, it would be a good deal, but so many of the publishers have opted out that I don't know if I'll bother with it. I don't usually read just to be reading something, I read books that I have a particular reason for reading. Few of the books I want, other than classics, are included in the unlimited package.

[brooklynite]

23. ...and your rant is based on ONE book title?

I have no problem finding cost-efficient or even free e-titles.

[dixiegrrrrl]

27. No, not on one title,

it is something that I have noticed for a few years now.
The title I referred to is just one example.

I browse a LOT of books, have been seeing the pattern.

[PoliticAverse]

24. Why? Because that's what happens when the 'doctrine of first sale' doesn't apply... n/t

[dixiegrrrrl]

28. Have to confess I am not familiar with that doctrine..

Would you mind enlightening me, pls?

[PoliticAverse]

30. That rule is what allows people to sell used physical books even though

they aren't the copyright owner. As you experienced being able to sell used physical books
does keep the price lower for potential buyers.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-sale_doctrine

[dixiegrrrrl]

31. Thank you.

Interestingly, Amazon clearly says in its policies that once you "buy" an e-book, you actually do not own it, they do.
They "store" it in their cloud and reserve the right to make it disappear at any time.
That blew my mind.
While that does not apply...yet....to physical books, I have every confidence major booksellers are trying to figure out a way to "own" it all.

[Cal Carpenter]

29. Academic presses and textbooks tend to have

high prices and small margins for the retailer along with a captive audience (eg students and academics) who will pay whatever it costs because they need it.

Even Amazon can't negotiate these things down whether it is an e-book or printed format. And because of the captive audience, Amazon doesn't have to discount them as a 'loss leader' for brand addiction or anything, like they do with mass market type books.

Used books are a great option for this kind of thing.

[bhikkhu]

32. I'd guess the publisher didn't release an electronic edition

and that "e-textbook" thing is a third-party version, with labor and low-volume bundled in. Possibly it was made that way for a college class. I haven't seen it before myself.

I usually go for the .01 cent used deals myself, and much prefer paper, though I'm very fond of my kindle as well.

[DavidDvorkin]

33. Try buying indie (self-publidhed) e-books, instead

The ones with the absurd prices are those put out by traditional publishers, not individuals.