Content Rising Kindle eBook prices.

[sirmaru]

I just noticed that "Fall of Giants" by Ken Follett sells its Kindle eBook version for $ 19.99 while its hardbook version sells for $ 19.39.

That's the first time I've seen an eBook version sell for MORE than a pBook version.

However, 985 pages makes it's Page/dollar value 49.27. Of the 60 eBooks on my Wish List it ranks 8 by its page/dollar value as follows:

1. Wilderness Warrior = 96.10
2. Titan = 83.28
3. Pride of Carthage = 61.14
5. 1491 = 60.28
6. The Great Upheaval = 52.96
7. The Israel Lobby = 49.65
8. The Fall of Giants = 49.27

It appears that some publishers are using my page/dollar value method of evaluating ebooks to actually set prices. That is really too bad. I hope others don't follow.

[DiapDealer]

Slightly off topic but:
I'm so tired of seeing page after page of one-star reviews from Amazon readers pissed at ebook prices. Even if it were Amazon's fault, why punish Mr. Follet with negative reviews of his book? Write the publishers... email Amazon customer service, but don't give a book you haven't read a bad review. It doesn't make any sense. Amazon needs to start deleting every review that doesn't pertain to the book's content.

Back on topic:

It appears that some publishers are using my page/dollar value method of evaluating ebooks to actually set prices. That is really too bad. I hope others don't follow.

I've started to notice the same thing myself and it is more than a little discouraging.

[kalex]

I have no problems with 1 start reviews. Author and publishers are intervened in this stupidity that they are trying to create so they both should suffer for this. Maybe with enough of these vocal reviews and bad publicity they will come to their senses and stop this lunacy. They have a great example they are following the music industry.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Slightly off topic but:
I'm so tired of seeing page after page of one-star reviews from Amazon readers pissed at ebook prices. Even if it were Amazon's fault, why punish Mr. Follet with negative reviews of his book? Write the publishers... email Amazon customer service, but don't give a book you haven't read a bad review. It doesn't make any sense. Amazon needs to start deleting every review that doesn't pertain to the book's content.

There is an old thread on MR that deals with one-star reviews and it is really stupid to give a one-star review for a book you've never read and not for the content.

[JSWolf]

The problem is the Agency 5. Blame them and Apple for the the high eBook prices you are seeing. Do not blame Amazon or any other eBook store except the iBooks store.

[TheKindleWorm]

Here in the UK I think most ebook prices are reasonable. Some brand new ebooks are priced over £10 which in my mind is ridiculous and I won't pay that for an ebook no matter how good the book is supposed to be - I simply wait until the price drops which it inevitably does.

If everyone decided to boycott buying ebooks over certain prices then publishers would have to take note - hit them with your wallets I say!

One tip I have is to place all ebooks you want - no matter what the price - into your Amazon wishlist. Prices fluctuate all the time. Just yesterday I bought a book for just over £2 which was previously over £5. And the new Terry Brooks book was originally £16 has now come down to £9.99 although I'm waiting for the price to drop a little more before I purchase it.

[JeremyR]

To a certain extent though, it's the consumer's fault they are overpriced. Quite buying them. Publishers will eventually get the hint and lower prices.

Not to mention, stop reading something simply because Oprah and the NY Times tells you to read it. It's amazing how the internet can give you better access to little known stuff, but it seems to be having the opposite effect - people are only interested in the most popular stuff, be it books or movies or music, not to mention the total fixation on celebrities.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

It appears that some publishers are using my page/dollar value method of evaluating ebooks to actually set prices. That is really too bad. I hope others don't follow.

A large book costs more to produce than a short book (more time to edit, etc); don't you think that should be reflected in the price? Would you expect a 200 page book to be priced the same as a 1000 page book?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by JeremyR

To a certain extent though, it's the consumer's fault they are overpriced. Quite buying them. Publishers will eventually get the hint and lower prices.

But are they overpriced? Let's take Mr. Follet's book; I would guess that it's going to take even the very fastest reader at least 10h to read. It costs $20, so that's $2 per hour. Do you honestly think that is too much to pay for good quality entertainment? It's far cheaper than practically any other form of entertainment that I can think of.

[Josieb1]

One tip I have is to place all ebooks you want - no matter what the price - into your Amazon wishlist. Prices fluctuate all the time. Just yesterday I bought a book for just over £2 which was previously over £5. And the new Terry Brooks book was originally £16 has now come down to £9.99 although I'm waiting for the price to drop a little more before I purchase it.

Is there a way to get the Kindle prices to show on your wish list. I have loads of books in mine but have to keep going into each one and checking the price.

[desertblues]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

Is there a way to get the Kindle prices to show on your wish list. I have loads of books in mine but have to keep going into each one and checking the price.

Yes, I would like that as well. I'm also thinking of asking Amazongiftcards for my birthday.

[Qrun]

For a lot of books the eBook price is higher than the paperback version in libraries, which need to be print, transport, with a lot of additionnal intermediaries...

These to high prices will push people to the black market and the non-official copies.

The eBooks and eReader is a new market still confidential, but in the 1 to 3 years this market will grow exponentially... If Amazon and the publishers do not calibrate well the prices now, they will have to face the same problems as the majors with the CD/DVD market...

And when a bad habit is taken...

[thinkpad]

Originally Posted by HarryT

But are they overpriced? Let's take Mr. Follet's book; I would guess that it's going to take even the very fastest reader at least 10h to read. It costs $20, so that's $2 per hour. Do you honestly think that is too much to pay for good quality entertainment? It's far cheaper than practically any other form of entertainment that I can think of.

I agree with you Harry. $20 for a book like Fall of the Giants doesn't strike me as expensive. It is however a bit strange for the e-book to cost more than the paperback. The price difference is however negligible in this case and would not deter me from getting the e-book.
In fact I'm glad to hold my kindle instead of a brick-size book.

[HarryT]

Let's not forget, too, that this is a newly-released hardback. The eBook price will almost without doubt fall when the paperback is released.

[suecsi]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

Is there a way to get the Kindle prices to show on your wish list. I have loads of books in mine but have to keep going into each one and checking the price.

No - it is really annoying. I sent it as a feature request to Amazon and got the usual standard email back thanking me for my contribution. Not sure if/when it will happen (though it would make sense to roll this in with an upgrade to be able to buy Kindle Books from Wish Lists, where timing for Christmas would be sensible).