Book/e-book prices around the world

electristan · 06-06-2013, 09:13 AM

So today (yesterday i guess) was a big day in norway, book-wise.

Jo Nesbø, writter of the Harry Hole crime books (world famous in Norway), realesed his new book in the series.

Curious i looked at the prices and jubus books in Norwegian are piced high. I know the average wages are good here but this seems a but much

Hardback - 349 NOK, 60,13 USD, 38,96 GPB

e-book - 262 NOK, 45,14 USD, 29,25 GBP

How are the prices in the rest of the world, though it was a good place to as there is a international community here.

These prices are the reason i read mostly in English, not sure i could afford to in Norwegian.

Gazella · 06-06-2013, 09:42 AM

Are you referring to the 10th book in the Harry Hole series, Police? If so, I don't think there's an English translation yet, which means no price.

pdurrant · 06-06-2013, 09:48 AM

New Hardback Fiction in the US has a retail price of about $25, usually discounted to about $18.

His previous book, Gjenferd (English translation: Phantom), for example, is
$17.55 in hardback at Amazon, RRP $25.95

The ebook would have been around $10. Now that the paperback has been released, the US Kindle price is $6.49.

In the UK, the hardback is £16.99 RRP, Amazon price $10.19. The Kindle price, since the paperback was released in April, is £4.27

It does seem rather odd that the Norwegian original should be so very much more expensive, even given the much smaller Norwegian market.

Gazella · 06-06-2013, 09:57 AM

Whoa! I just did a quick conversion of the prices you've listed to a currency I'm familiar with; the prices in Norway are way too high!

Here for instance Phantom costs 97 AED, 152 NOK, $26.

Barcey · 06-06-2013, 09:59 AM

You might find this article interesting.
paidcontent.org/2013/05/30/free-is-not-the-magic-number-new-trends-in-ebook-pricing/

Quote:

So how do average ebook prices compare globally? “The U.S. is neither the most nor the least price-competitive market in which we operate,” Tamblyn said. “There are very different prices that customers are used to paying and willing to pay on a market by market basis.” The average selling price of a Kobo ebook in the U.S. is about $7.20; in Canada, it’s $8.12. In the U.K. — “for our money, the most ferociously competitive price market in the English language” — the average selling price of a Kobo ebook is $5.76. Consumers in the E.U., meanwhile, appear willing to pay more for ebooks whether their country has price protection laws (Germany: average price $9.90; France: $10.40) or not (the average selling price in the Netherlands, where ebook prices are not fixed, is $11.29).

electristan · 06-06-2013, 10:02 AM

Hay Gazella, i was more thinking generality, not necessarily just this book. Just wondering how bad the market here is.

And wow at the difference regarding his last book, that ebook is now being sold for 89 NOK so 15.3 USD

as you say the market is smaller but this seems a bit much. Especially since they don't have to pay for the translation or anything else.

Anyone one else from a small market that have a ebook store of there own? How is the pricing there compared to the US Kindle store?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gazella

Whoa! I just did a quick conversion of the prices you've listed to a currency I'm familiar with; the prices in Norway are way too high!

Here for instance Phantom costs 97 AED, 152 NOK, $26.

Crazy isnt it

Yapyap · 06-06-2013, 10:13 AM

The most recent book in that series that has been translated into Estonian is The Devil's Star (Marekors); hardback, 2011, €24.75 (~$32.5 USD). There are no other editions (no paperback, no ebook).

€25 is about the average price of a new book here (hardback or paperback - generally not a lot of difference and we don't get later cheap reprints or mass market paperbacks). Second-hand books (recently published books) are not necessarily much cheaper - something like €15 for a second-hand chicklit published ten years ago isn't unusual.

Average new e-book is around €15 but this is still pretty hard to say as ebooks are a fairly new thing - it's still only a minority of new books that get released as e-versions (I think there are maybe 1-2 publishers who seem to be trying to release as many books as possible also as ebooks, translations as well, and only seriously since last year).

The average person earns maybe €500 a month, for comparison. (Median salary is €662 a month, gross, i.e. before income tax.)

Gazella · 06-06-2013, 10:14 AM

This is the price of the paperback by the way, not ebook.

HarryT · 06-06-2013, 10:16 AM

Quote:

In the U.K. — “for our money, the most ferociously competitive price market in the English language” — the average selling price of a Kobo ebook is $5.76.

Not sure I agree with the "most ferociously competitive price market in the English language" comment. Books tend to be rather more expensive in the UK than the US. The standard UK paperback price in the UK is £7.99 - around US$12.30. That's typically discounted to around £5.99 ($9.30) by online retailers like Amazon, but I believe it's still higher than US prices, isn't it?

AnemicOak · 06-06-2013, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Not sure I agree with the "most ferociously competitive price market in the English language" comment. Books tend to be rather more expensive in the UK than the US. The standard UK paperback price in the UK is £7.99 - around US$12.30. That's typically discounted to around £5.99 ($9.30) by online retailers like Amazon, but I believe it's still higher than US prices, isn't it?

Is that a mass market style paperback or a trade style? Here mass market pb's are generally $6.99 to $9.99 (with $7.99 being most common). Trade pb's are generally $12.99 to $17.99. Trades get discounted to as low as around $10, but if a mass market gets discounted it's often not by much.

electristan · 06-06-2013, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barcey

You might find this article interesting.
paidcontent.org/2013/05/30/free-is-not-the-magic-number-new-trends-in-ebook-pricing/

Thanks, i guess im doomed to live in a place were people are willing to pay 3x the price for ebooks.

There was also just passed a book-law in Norway to stop the book selling chains taking advantage of the publishers. the eksample given was:

Quote:

According to the newspaper Norli Libris took a 74 percent discount - that is, the bookstore chain is left with 74 percent of book costs. The rest of the money goes to the publishers, to cover printing, wages author, distribution, publishing operations and advertising

so now there are rules in place to stop this and this helps guarantee that the author and publisher get a fair share. This is great, but i have a feeling it wont help the book prices going down at all.

terrible google translate regarding the law

HarryT · 06-06-2013, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Is that a mass market style paperback or a trade style? Here mass market pb's are generally $6.99 to $9.99 (with $7.99 being most common). Trade pb's are generally $12.99 to $17.99. Trades get discounted to as low as around $10, but if a mass market gets discounted it's often not by much.

The prices I quoted are MMPB prices.

murraypaul · 06-06-2013, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Not sure I agree with the "most ferociously competitive price market in the English language" comment. Books tend to be rather more expensive in the UK than the US. The standard UK paperback price in the UK is £7.99 - around US$12.30. That's typically discounted to around £5.99 ($9.30) by online retailers like Amazon, but I believe it's still higher than US prices, isn't it?

I think they mean most competitive for eBook prices, or at least that is how I read it.

jehane · 06-06-2013, 04:44 PM

Hi all

Back when I used to regularly buy pbooks a typical price in Australia for a new release hardback novel was $45 (AUD). TPB was about $20-25 and MMPB $12-18 often depending on exchange rate. ebook prices are usually based on the pbook price - so if it's a new release in hardback only, the ebook will be around the same price. Australian-published works would be in the same range. For the past few years AUD has been around parity with the USD; in fact up until about a month ago it was higher for a couple of years. And they wonder why everyone buys their books from Amazon or Book Depository.

Joseph R · 06-07-2013, 12:50 AM

These are the Canadian prices for his book "the Bat":

Formats

Kindle Edition CDN $12.99

Hardcover CDN $20.65

Paperback CDN $14.40

Paperback, Oct 9 2012 CDN $15.64
Paperback, Oct 11 2012 CDN $24.61
Paperback, Mar 28 2013 ---

Audio, CD CDN $159.66

06-06-2013, 09:13 AM	#1
electristan newbie reader Posts: 102 Karma: 2122142 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Oslo Device: reMarkable, Boox T68, Kobo Mini, Nook STR, Sony PRS-505	Book/e-book prices around the world So today (yesterday i guess) was a big day in norway, book-wise. Jo Nesbø, writter of the Harry Hole crime books (world famous in Norway), realesed his new book in the series. Curious i looked at the prices and jubus books in Norwegian are piced high. I know the average wages are good here but this seems a but much Hardback - 349 NOK, 60,13 USD, 38,96 GPB e-book - 262 NOK, 45,14 USD, 29,25 GBP How are the prices in the rest of the world, though it was a good place to as there is a international community here. These prices are the reason i read mostly in English, not sure i could afford to in Norwegian. Last edited by electristan; 06-06-2013 at 09:43 AM. Reason: Thanks for moving thread

06-06-2013, 10:14 AM	#8
Gazella Wizard Posts: 1,694 Karma: 4601218 Join Date: Nov 2012 Device: Kindle Oasis	Book/e-book prices around the world This is the price of the paperback by the way, not ebook.

06-06-2013, 04:44 PM	#14
jehane Book addict Posts: 441 Karma: 2650464 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Antarctica/Australia/Ohio Device: Sony PRS-300/T1/Asus TF101	Hi all Back when I used to regularly buy pbooks a typical price in Australia for a new release hardback novel was $45 (AUD). TPB was about $20-25 and MMPB $12-18 often depending on exchange rate. ebook prices are usually based on the pbook price - so if it's a new release in hardback only, the ebook will be around the same price. Australian-published works would be in the same range. For the past few years AUD has been around parity with the USD; in fact up until about a month ago it was higher for a couple of years. And they wonder why everyone buys their books from Amazon or Book Depository. Last edited by jehane; 06-06-2013 at 04:46 PM. Reason: added ebook pricing

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06-06-2013, 09:42 AM	#2
Gazella Wizard Posts: 1,694 Karma: 4601218 Join Date: Nov 2012 Device: Kindle Oasis	Are you referring to the 10th book in the Harry Hole series, Police? If so, I don't think there's an English translation yet, which means no price.

06-06-2013, 09:48 AM	#3
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 71,510 Karma: 306214458 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Voyage	New Hardback Fiction in the US has a retail price of about $25, usually discounted to about $18. His previous book, Gjenferd (English translation: Phantom), for example, is $17.55 in hardback at Amazon, RRP $25.95 The ebook would have been around $10. Now that the paperback has been released, the US Kindle price is $6.49. In the UK, the hardback is £16.99 RRP, Amazon price $10.19. The Kindle price, since the paperback was released in April, is £4.27 It does seem rather odd that the Norwegian original should be so very much more expensive, even given the much smaller Norwegian market.

06-06-2013, 09:57 AM	#4
Gazella Wizard Posts: 1,694 Karma: 4601218 Join Date: Nov 2012 Device: Kindle Oasis	Whoa! I just did a quick conversion of the prices you've listed to a currency I'm familiar with; the prices in Norway are way too high! Here for instance Phantom costs 97 AED, 152 NOK, $26.

06-06-2013, 10:13 AM	#7
Yapyap Guru Posts: 861 Karma: 3543721 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Estonia Device: Kindle Paperwhite, iPad 3, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge	The most recent book in that series that has been translated into Estonian is The Devil's Star (Marekors); hardback, 2011, €24.75 (~$32.5 USD). There are no other editions (no paperback, no ebook). €25 is about the average price of a new book here (hardback or paperback - generally not a lot of difference and we don't get later cheap reprints or mass market paperbacks). Second-hand books (recently published books) are not necessarily much cheaper - something like €15 for a second-hand chicklit published ten years ago isn't unusual. Average new e-book is around €15 but this is still pretty hard to say as ebooks are a fairly new thing - it's still only a minority of new books that get released as e-versions (I think there are maybe 1-2 publishers who seem to be trying to release as many books as possible also as ebooks, translations as well, and only seriously since last year). The average person earns maybe €500 a month, for comparison. (Median salary is €662 a month, gross, i.e. before income tax.)

06-07-2013, 12:50 AM	#15
Joseph R Zealot Posts: 136 Karma: 2137000 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Calgary, Alberta Device: iPad, Kobo Glo HD	These are the Canadian prices for his book "the Bat": Formats Kindle Edition CDN $12.99 Hardcover CDN $20.65 Paperback CDN $14.40 Paperback, Oct 9 2012 CDN $15.64 Paperback, Oct 11 2012 CDN $24.61 Paperback, Mar 28 2013 --- Audio, CD CDN $159.66

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