Hachette raises prices on Harry Bosch collections

wallcraft · 11-06-2010, 12:27 AM

The back list is an increasingly important revenue source in the age of ebooks because a) new readers can easily buy all the books in a series, and b) owners of paper books may buy again in ebook form.

A common way for publishers to mine the backlist back in the paper book era was to reprint omnibus editions, collecting several novels into one book. This gave readers a bargain price overall, and presumably was profitable for the publishers (otherwise why do it).

As an example, there are now three Harry Bosch collections each containing three novels. When only two were available, Hachette set the ebook price an $9.99 in the US and $11.29 CA (see Three Harry Bosch Novels Shortcovers). This was an good deal, and I bought both even though I had read all of them in paperback. The third is now available, but the price of all three collections has been raised to $17.99-$19.99 each. The third collection has a 1 star rating in the Kindle Store because of price.

This is still cheaper than buying the three ebooks separately, but is $19.99 the right price for three back list tiles in one ebook?

The Harry Bosch volumes clearly started out as paper books. However, it is very easy to combine ebooks into collections. Is this something that publishers should do more often?

SCION · 11-10-2010, 07:33 PM

This is interesting. I snatched up the first two collections (not read previously) for $9.99 earlier this year. I'm still working my way through the first one.

I'll purchase the third collection at the inflated price. It's still a great value -- 3 books in 1 for $6 and change a piece.

GA Russell · 11-10-2010, 07:48 PM

No, I think that $19.99 would be on the high side for a hardback. I think that the $9.99 price is not unfair for a living author.

tubemonkey · 11-10-2010, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCION

I'll purchase the third collection at the inflated price. It's still a great value -- 3 books in 1 for $6 and change a piece.

That's what the publisher thinks too.

Hellmark · 11-10-2010, 11:19 PM

I'd gladly have bought at the original price, but won't at the new one. They moved it out of my comfort zone of ~$5 a book. Sad thing was, I really was wanting to buy it. I was just waiting till pay day. Had planned on getting the whole set.

HamsterRage · 11-11-2010, 09:03 AM

No.

By the time something hits omnibus editions it's into a later phase of its life cycle and the publisher is just trying to mop up the last bits of profit to be found from a series. Fair enough.

My assumption has alway been that an omnibus doesn't really cost much more to make per unit than a single book, and all of the editing other costs have already been recouped out of the individual book sales. So an omnibus should cost a little more than regular book, but not a whole lot.

What's the point of an omnibus ebook? Really, by the time they're selling a 3 novel omnibus in paperback for $9.99, then the individual ebooks should be selling for about $3 each. Anything more is just gouging.

Personally, I think gouging on e-content is really dangerous in this day and age. It is so easy for people to get the content for free, and if they're pissed off enough they'll start to tell themselves that they almost have an obligation to do so in order to punish the gouging publishers.

You can't unring the bell on this. eBook sales are starting to become something that publishers can't just turn their backs on, and all it takes is one person to buy the content at full price, strip the DRM and upload it and it's over. So they'll need to keep public opinion on their side. Gouging isn't the way to do that.

jbcohen · 11-12-2010, 08:39 AM

I used to like Harry Bosch but now they are charging too much for the books. I simply won't pay that.

HarryT · 11-12-2010, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HamsterRage

What's the point of an omnibus ebook? Really, by the time they're selling a 3 novel omnibus in paperback for $9.99, then the individual ebooks should be selling for about $3 each. Anything more is just gouging.

You're saying that an 3-book omnibus should be more expensive than buying the 3 books individually? I'm afraid I don't understand that at all.

HamsterRage · 11-12-2010, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

You're saying that an 3-book omnibus should be more expensive than buying the 3 books individually? I'm afraid I don't understand that at all.

Of course it should, when the individual books are ebooks. But just a little bit.

Omnibuses are just away to bundle up the content and ship it out cheaper. eBooks already do that, so ebook omnibuses don't make any sense. They certainly don't make any pricing sense.

HarryT · 11-12-2010, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HamsterRage

Omnibuses are just away to bundle up the content and ship it out cheaper. eBooks already do that, so ebook omnibuses don't make any sense.

I must respectfully disagree - I've created (and uploaded here to MR) numerous eBook omnibuses. They are a much more convenient way to "package up" a series than having individual books. And, of course, they don't suffer from the size limitations that paper books do.

HamsterRage · 11-12-2010, 09:44 AM

There's probably something to that, although zip files do the same thing.

HarryT · 11-12-2010, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HamsterRage

There's probably something to that, although zip files do the same thing.

I was thinking more of organisation on the reading device - most don't offer any means of correctly sorting a series in order, so I find it convenient to simply have a single omnibus, with all the books in the right order. Plus, I'm a sucker for very, very long eBooks

.

HamsterRage · 11-12-2010, 12:14 PM

Now that is just a failing in most ebooks. Calibre has fields for series name and sequence and I wish that the my eReader had the same. It seems quite easy, actually.

I was also thinking that an omnibus would be an easy way for publishers to give discounts when someone buys a whole series at once without having to rely on the bookseller websites to provide the functionality. But I'd bet that stuff like that is just a reflection of the immaturity of the ebook marketplace.

11-06-2010, 12:27 AM	#1
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	Hachette raises prices on Harry Bosch collections The back list is an increasingly important revenue source in the age of ebooks because a) new readers can easily buy all the books in a series, and b) owners of paper books may buy again in ebook form. A common way for publishers to mine the backlist back in the paper book era was to reprint omnibus editions, collecting several novels into one book. This gave readers a bargain price overall, and presumably was profitable for the publishers (otherwise why do it). As an example, there are now three Harry Bosch collections each containing three novels. When only two were available, Hachette set the ebook price an $9.99 in the US and $11.29 CA (see Three Harry Bosch Novels Shortcovers). This was an good deal, and I bought both even though I had read all of them in paperback. The third is now available, but the price of all three collections has been raised to $17.99-$19.99 each. The third collection has a 1 star rating in the Kindle Store because of price. This is still cheaper than buying the three ebooks separately, but is $19.99 the right price for three back list tiles in one ebook? The Harry Bosch volumes clearly started out as paper books. However, it is very easy to combine ebooks into collections. Is this something that publishers should do more often?

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Book prices, Ebook prices - Value	stustaff	News	78	12-16-2011 07:33 PM
Three Harry Bosch Novels Shortcovers	onewayherway	Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links)	14	10-06-2010 01:56 AM
Hachette complains about eBook prices	GA Russell	News	55	09-06-2009 02:31 PM
How long until Connect prices reflect paperback prices?	Kilarney	Sony Reader	13	09-16-2007 09:25 PM
Plastic Logic raises $100 million to enable the first “take anywhere, read anywhere”	NatCh	News	41	01-15-2007 11:56 AM

11-10-2010, 07:33 PM	#2
SCION Séduisant Posts: 4,706 Karma: 2107018 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Texas, USA Device: Boox Note Air2+; Kobo Libra2; Kindle Scribe, Oasis3; iPad Mini6	This is interesting. I snatched up the first two collections (not read previously) for $9.99 earlier this year. I'm still working my way through the first one. I'll purchase the third collection at the inflated price. It's still a great value -- 3 books in 1 for $6 and change a piece.

11-10-2010, 07:48 PM	#3
GA Russell Montreal wins Grey Cup! Posts: 7,583 Karma: 31484197 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC Device: Paperwhite, Kindles 10 & 4 and jetBook Lite	No, I think that $19.99 would be on the high side for a hardback. I think that the $9.99 price is not unfair for a living author.

11-10-2010, 11:19 PM	#5
Hellmark Wizard Posts: 2,549 Karma: 3799999 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: O'Fallon, Missouri, USA Device: Nokia N800, PRS-505, Nook STR Glowlight, Kindle 3	I'd gladly have bought at the original price, but won't at the new one. They moved it out of my comfort zone of ~$5 a book. Sad thing was, I really was wanting to buy it. I was just waiting till pay day. Had planned on getting the whole set.

11-11-2010, 09:03 AM	#6
HamsterRage Evangelist Posts: 435 Karma: 24326 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kobo	No. By the time something hits omnibus editions it's into a later phase of its life cycle and the publisher is just trying to mop up the last bits of profit to be found from a series. Fair enough. My assumption has alway been that an omnibus doesn't really cost much more to make per unit than a single book, and all of the editing other costs have already been recouped out of the individual book sales. So an omnibus should cost a little more than regular book, but not a whole lot. What's the point of an omnibus ebook? Really, by the time they're selling a 3 novel omnibus in paperback for $9.99, then the individual ebooks should be selling for about $3 each. Anything more is just gouging. Personally, I think gouging on e-content is really dangerous in this day and age. It is so easy for people to get the content for free, and if they're pissed off enough they'll start to tell themselves that they almost have an obligation to do so in order to punish the gouging publishers. You can't unring the bell on this. eBook sales are starting to become something that publishers can't just turn their backs on, and all it takes is one person to buy the content at full price, strip the DRM and upload it and it's over. So they'll need to keep public opinion on their side. Gouging isn't the way to do that.

11-12-2010, 08:39 AM	#7
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,025 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Piper College Device: Samsung A21	I used to like Harry Bosch but now they are charging too much for the books. I simply won't pay that.

11-12-2010, 09:44 AM	#11
HamsterRage Evangelist Posts: 435 Karma: 24326 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kobo	There's probably something to that, although zip files do the same thing.

11-12-2010, 12:14 PM	#13
HamsterRage Evangelist Posts: 435 Karma: 24326 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kobo	Now that is just a failing in most ebooks. Calibre has fields for series name and sequence and I wish that the my eReader had the same. It seems quite easy, actually. I was also thinking that an omnibus would be an easy way for publishers to give discounts when someone buys a whole series at once without having to rely on the bookseller websites to provide the functionality. But I'd bet that stuff like that is just a reflection of the immaturity of the ebook marketplace.