Non-fiction book prices

smithno · 07-05-2008, 08:36 AM

This is my first post here, so I'm sorry if it is a little off the wall. A co-worker has a Kindle and just seeing it has gotten my attention. I am currently using my Eee PC as my e-reader and just about everything else I do away from work. I've read all the reviews and I the main thing holding me back is non-fiction book prices. Fiction are mostly less than $10, but technical books are only a couple of $ less than paper price. I have a wall of computer books in my office that I would hate to lose! However, I have gotten to the point that I have to really need/want a computer book at $50+ to buy it. If the electronic versions on the Kindle were $10 or $15 I would have already bought a Kindle and a bunch of technical e-books. I guess enough are selling that there is no incentive to lower the prices.

Anybody have an explaination of the difference in the price of Fiction eBooks vs. technical eBooks?

HarryT · 07-05-2008, 08:40 AM

The cost of production, and the very limited number of sales.

Publishers - reputable ones at least - do hugely more work with non-fiction books than they do with fiction. They generally send the content out for review by people knowledgeable in the field - nothing worse for a publisher's reputation than publishing a textbook with factual errors.

The cost of printing is completely trivial compared with the cost of producing a textbook. It's unreasonable to expect them to be sold for $10.

daffy4u · 07-05-2008, 09:23 AM

This first generation Kindle may not be so good for technical books. They haven't quite dialed in the issues with images and charts (tables).

Since your friend has a Kindle, ask them to download a free sample of a technical book you are interested in. If it looks usable to you, then you probably won't have a problem with the types of technical books you need. If not, you may have to look at something like the iLiad.

07-05-2008, 08:36 AM	#1
smithno Groupie Posts: 152 Karma: 222484 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Tenn., US Device: jetBook, jetBook Lite, Kindle 3, Galaxy Note II	Non-fiction book prices This is my first post here, so I'm sorry if it is a little off the wall. A co-worker has a Kindle and just seeing it has gotten my attention. I am currently using my Eee PC as my e-reader and just about everything else I do away from work. I've read all the reviews and I the main thing holding me back is non-fiction book prices. Fiction are mostly less than $10, but technical books are only a couple of $ less than paper price. I have a wall of computer books in my office that I would hate to lose! However, I have gotten to the point that I have to really need/want a computer book at $50+ to buy it. If the electronic versions on the Kindle were $10 or $15 I would have already bought a Kindle and a bunch of technical e-books. I guess enough are selling that there is no incentive to lower the prices. Anybody have an explaination of the difference in the price of Fiction eBooks vs. technical eBooks?

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07-05-2008, 08:40 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The cost of production, and the very limited number of sales. Publishers - reputable ones at least - do hugely more work with non-fiction books than they do with fiction. They generally send the content out for review by people knowledgeable in the field - nothing worse for a publisher's reputation than publishing a textbook with factual errors. The cost of printing is completely trivial compared with the cost of producing a textbook. It's unreasonable to expect them to be sold for $10.

07-05-2008, 09:23 AM	#3
daffy4u I'm Super Kindle-icious Posts: 6,734 Karma: 2434103 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Long Drive, Calinadia Candafornia Device: KDXG, KT, Oasis	This first generation Kindle may not be so good for technical books. They haven't quite dialed in the issues with images and charts (tables). Since your friend has a Kindle, ask them to download a free sample of a technical book you are interested in. If it looks usable to you, then you probably won't have a problem with the types of technical books you need. If not, you may have to look at something like the iLiad.

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