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Old 01-06-2009, 10:09 AM   #1
ntgcmlfu
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Why are ebooks so expensive?

I can't understand, for an e-book, agreed that you have to pay something for the one who thought and wrote, but sometimes, even for a new and popular article, an ebook is more expensive than a paperback one.

Does it relate to demand elasticity since those who purchase ebook are the one who "have" more money to spend on books? You can't keep them forever (accidentally deleted or the format became obsolete (like HD-DVD)) like a normal book.

I want to read on an e-reader since it saves trees and convinience but this makes me just want to get a normal instead.
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Old 01-06-2009, 10:36 AM   #2
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Originally Posted by ntgcmlfu View Post
I can't understand, for an e-book, agreed that you have to pay something for the one who thought and wrote, but sometimes, even for a new and popular article, an ebook is more expensive than a paperback one.

Does it relate to demand elasticity since those who purchase ebook are the one who "have" more money to spend on books? You can't keep them forever (accidentally deleted or the format became obsolete (like HD-DVD)) like a normal book.

I want to read on an e-reader since it saves trees and convinience but this makes me just want to get a normal instead.
I don't 'have' more money to spend on e-books. I simply choose to spend my money there (sometimes) instead of on something else.

Most of my books are free ones downloaded from here, or other booksites. I have over 300 books downloaded, and most are free.

I don't know the answer to your question, perhaps someone else does.

Oh, and welcome!
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Old 01-06-2009, 10:46 AM   #3
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Another good trick is to watch the deals forum here. Sometimes there are free books or books for sale for $1, 50% off etc.

I've done the math and I'm spending the same amount on ebooks as I did on used pbacks. The difference in the cost of the reader and the HUGE space savings!
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Old 01-06-2009, 11:01 AM   #4
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Your question has been put here before, and it as taken to quite extensive debates.

I myself think the reason is simple:

1 – editors hate eBooks, they do not want them, they do not like them, they see them as a danger and not as an opportunity, they fly from eBooks they would do from the plague;

2 – to help kill eBooks at birth, editors have tried everything and more, they have put from the first time on eBooks at prices far superior to hardbacks, they have supported, and even tried to invent as many different formats as they can – more formats = more confusion = less credibility = eBooks as a concept die -, they have begun online Bookshops, and then close them 6/12 moths later letting costumers in the cold… everything and more to show that eBooks is a error, no one wants them etc… etc… etc…

3 – editors cry out for more and more restrictive DRM, they can not live without it (they say) and we can not live without it (they also say!) and in the day DRM eBooks stop to exists anarchy will install itself in the world, writers will die of starvation, or plain stop writing because the thiefs all around the world will stop to pay for the beloved eBooks, and the book universe will stop to exist;

4 – put here what your experience of this business as shown you in the recent years…

What is the solution?

Simple, we the costumers want them! (one way or another)
And that no editor can stop.

One of the first steps is: correct price, and that is between 50% to 65% of the price of the equivalent pocket version.

Best regards,
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Old 01-06-2009, 12:03 PM   #5
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Err, silly question, but if editors hate eBooks so much, would it not be easier for them to just NOT release ebooks instead of getting devious ploys to make eBooks look bad???

I personnally believe editors do not hate eBooks, but they're definitly scared of their books getting copied on the web if they come out. Sevreal ways to control this, they believe, is to put on DRMs and to charge a lot so that only the "good" people will prurchase them (it's a well known idiocy to believe that because you have money you're honest...) and so they can recoup the losses that will be incurred by copying.

I think one thing that might help hugely would be to make editors aware that illegal sharing of their books has started long before the first ebook reader ever came out. I don't think they're aware there are some people out there who will quite happily take the time to entirely scan/OCR/Correct hundreds of volumes. Perhaps once they realise piracy is already there (AND HAS BARELY AFFECTED THEIR SALES, OR THEY WOULD HAVE NOTICED BY NOW!), they'll stop peeing in theit pants every time the "e" word comes out.

Last edited by Alfy; 01-06-2009 at 12:05 PM.
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Old 01-06-2009, 12:35 PM   #6
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in generally, you are right!
if i buy my normal paperback at costco, sometimes i can buy two for the price af one ebook and they are bestsellers, too.
it's not understandable
take care
harry
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Old 01-06-2009, 12:59 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by Alfy View Post
Perhaps once they realise piracy is already there (AND HAS BARELY AFFECTED THEIR SALES, OR THEY WOULD HAVE NOTICED BY NOW!), they'll stop peeing in theit pants every time the "e" word comes out.
One of the reasons piracy hasn't made much of dent in sales is that most people don't read ebooks. Most folks don't enjoy reading on PDAs and phones for extended periods and e-ink devices are expensive. It's still an early adopter thing. When we get to the point where every student and most people who read with any frequency have reading devices, then piracy might actually make a real impact. Still, DRM is not the answer. It only hurts your honest customers.
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Old 01-06-2009, 02:09 PM   #8
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Considering the general availability of these pirated files and the quite incredible number of downloads, not just today but even 5 years ago, I'm not that sure this is a brand new trend. although I'd certainly admit being able to put them on a device as confortable as an e-ink reader is brand new.
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Old 01-06-2009, 02:14 PM   #9
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Simple answer, IMHO, GREED!

They charge it, we ebook users (have to) buy it!
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Old 01-06-2009, 02:23 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alfy View Post
Considering the general availability of these pirated files and the quite incredible number of downloads, not just today but even 5 years ago, I'm not that sure this is a brand new trend. although I'd certainly admit being able to put them on a device as confortable as an e-ink reader is brand new.
Alt.binaries.ebook is an ancient usenet group. (net)famous from Harlan Ellison's court action much later.

But I hear ya on the e-ink.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alisa View Post
One of the reasons piracy hasn't made much of dent in sales is that most people don't read ebooks.
A lot of people don't read books, period

...I wish someone would fix the thread title...

edit: looks like a kind fairy granted my wish. Well, there goes another firstborn.

Last edited by acidzebra; 01-06-2009 at 03:43 PM.
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Old 01-06-2009, 02:40 PM   #11
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Ha, right, forgot that one: if I can sell for 20 why should I sell for 10, or even 5?

Alfy

"they're definitly scared of their books getting copied on the web if they come out"
"they believe, is to put on DRMs and to charge a lot so that only the "good" people will prurchase them"
"they'll stop peeing in theit pants every time the "e" word comes out"

I do think that in the end you do agree with me: they hate eBooks!
No business person/organization is so stupid into making so wrong decisions in a supposed to be business… its’ statistical impossible to do everything wrong… impossible.

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Old 01-06-2009, 03:15 PM   #12
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Has anyone considered that the costs that are actually being saved by the publishing houses when selling ebooks don't really have anything to do with the authors or even the actual publication of the book? They are the costs of physically printing and distributing (shipping) the book and the costs incurred by the book sellers. Since selling ebooks is so much more cost effective, efficient and, as stated previously, environmentally friendly, those reductions in costs should be passed on to the consumer! I would like to give the publishers the benefit of the doubt and think that they are as stuck in a bad situation as we consumers are due to committments to the other publishing sectors - I tend to have a bit of a Pollyanna view of things . Of course, it could all just come down to Greed as written by nrappalo!!
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Old 01-06-2009, 03:28 PM   #13
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@DDHariman:

Perhaps it's like racism? Hatred disguising fear?

More seriously, I think it's absolutely normal these people make the wrong decision, constantly. Think of it this way:

The top management of any major publisher has got to be 40 or more. The very top top management, more like in their 50s. Those people have had 40 years with paper books only. The old hands must have spent 30 years of their lives with one business model only. And at that age, chances are, you're computer illiterate, at least to some extend, unless of course you're a classy penguin called Bob.

So their understanding of e-business has got to be fairly limited. All they have to go with, when it comes to digital media management, it what they get from mainstream press, and that media has bashed P2P networks and extolled the qualities of DRMs. Scaremongers telling about how the music industry as a whole is about to go bust because, when given the chance, we're just all a bunch of thieves.

So personally, I'm not surprised. It's one of the reason I was mentioning the illegal download of scanned pBooks: only way I ever found dealing with elders (and yes, I'm talking to you, mom and dad!) is not by telling them how the new is better, 'cos they don't really care, they just want things to stay just the way they are, but by telling them their old model isn't really as safe as they think. Once they realize that, stepping forward ain't that scary anymore.

Last edited by Alfy; 01-06-2009 at 03:40 PM. Reason: Modified for Bob's sake
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Old 01-06-2009, 03:32 PM   #14
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The top management of any major publisher has got to be 40 or more. The very top top management, more like in their 50s.
Are you saying people over 40 can't understand an embrace new technology? Hmm.. I hope you're not saying that. Perhaps you are under 30?

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Old 01-06-2009, 03:37 PM   #15
Alfy
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Are you saying people over 40 can't understand an embrace new technology? Hmm.. I hope you're not saying that. Perhaps you are under 30?

BOb
Nope, I'm not. But I guess YOU are over 40!

First off, I was mainly talking about the people over 50, and yes, I would readily admit there will be a number of exceptions. But come on, MOST of the people over 50 are not tech-savy in the broader sense. They might learn how to use any device, but it is not as much a part of their lives. Think of it: who would have thought 20 years ago you would go to your computer to buy a BOOK??? For me, it's perfectly normal. For my parents, it's science fiction.

However, and in order to show respect for age, I have edited my post above.

Last edited by Alfy; 01-06-2009 at 03:42 PM.
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