MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Book prices, Ebook prices

Bremen Cole · 02-01-2010, 06:10 AM

Hardbacks are more expensive than paperbacks because they have more expensive materials. Ebooks should be cheaper still because there are NO materials. The manufacture and distribution of a physical product is tremendously more expensive than the same for a digital product. Why do you think they are willing to give ebooks free on most every site? When was the last time you walked into a paper book store and they were handing out free copies of a book? They do the free ones in ebook because there is so little cost involved.

Once a book is in ebook format, there is virtually no cost. That is why you can go to many sites (Gutenberg...etc) and download thousands of public domain books free. There is nothing to really manufacture or deliver. It maybe cost a penny for bandwidth to deliver a 200k ebook.

So of course the customer should pay less for the ebook. The company and everyone can still make the profit they are used to (heck, even more) and the consumer gets a savings as well. The only people that really loose out are the paper mills, binding houses and truck drivers and dock workers, retail shop workers... etc, because they do not get the work.

Also with digital there are no overruns, or worry's about unsold inventory.

02-01-2010, 06:10 AM	#5
Bremen Cole Wizard Posts: 1,115 Karma: 2718 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Texas Device: iPad	Hardbacks are more expensive than paperbacks because they have more expensive materials. Ebooks should be cheaper still because there are NO materials. The manufacture and distribution of a physical product is tremendously more expensive than the same for a digital product. Why do you think they are willing to give ebooks free on most every site? When was the last time you walked into a paper book store and they were handing out free copies of a book? They do the free ones in ebook because there is so little cost involved. Once a book is in ebook format, there is virtually no cost. That is why you can go to many sites (Gutenberg...etc) and download thousands of public domain books free. There is nothing to really manufacture or deliver. It maybe cost a penny for bandwidth to deliver a 200k ebook. So of course the customer should pay less for the ebook. The company and everyone can still make the profit they are used to (heck, even more) and the consumer gets a savings as well. The only people that really loose out are the paper mills, binding houses and truck drivers and dock workers, retail shop workers... etc, because they do not get the work. Also with digital there are no overruns, or worry's about unsold inventory. Last edited by Bremen Cole; 02-01-2010 at 06:39 AM.