What stops you from buying ebooks

[Zorz]

As I said in another thread, I simply wont buy an ebook if it has DRM or if the price is similar to the paper version. I have had my kindle for half a year and have not bought one item, mainly because everything is way too expensive and I can likely get the physical copy for cheaper. In all honestly, I think ebooks should come for free with physical books as a courtesy. So as an example, if I want a recent bestseller, I can buy it from Amazon, I now physically own the book and if I want I can read it on my ereader. Or if you want you can opt out of getting the paper version. Because there is no way I am every going to pay $10 for an ebook when the physical hardcover is only $10. It really just wont happen. Maybe ~$2 is a fair price, but never the same price.

[cfrizz]

I don't share my books anymore, because too many times I either didn't get them back or they came back messed up!

About half of my ebooks have DRM, so obviously it really isn't a big deal to me. The only really big thing that influences my purchase decisions is the price.

So long as I can back up my ebooks, I'm happy. Any future purchases of ereaders I will simply make sure that it can read the formats that I have.

While I don't agree with DRM, I'm NOT going to let it stop me from getting the books that I want to read.

I also think ebook rental is idiotic, If I buy a book, it's because I want to own it, most of my books DO get reread. I very seldom rent videos, most of mine are permanant purchases.

[SameOldStory]

Originally Posted by asjogren

UNTIL eBooks have the same rights as paper books, they need to be MUCH cheaper than paper. Without any changes, eBook rental makes more sense than "purchase".

My library has epub DRM books. They may not have everything I want (and if it's produced by MacMillan, never will) but I can wait until it is.

In the meantime I have lots of non-DRM books to read. A few in the public domain. But most of them I've bought from new authors.

If the mainstream publishers want to complain about how they're loosing income to pirates, let me counter that by saying that I'm spending more money than ever, with people who sell non-DRM books.

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by Zorz

As I said in another thread, I simply wont buy an ebook if it has DRM or if the price is similar to the paper version. I have had my kindle for half a year and have not bought one item, mainly because everything is way too expensive and I can likely get the physical copy for cheaper. In all honestly, I think ebooks should come for free with physical books as a courtesy. So as an example, if I want a recent bestseller, I can buy it from Amazon, I now physically own the book and if I want I can read it on my ereader. Or if you want you can opt out of getting the paper version. Because there is no way I am every going to pay $10 for an ebook when the physical hardcover is only $10. It really just wont happen. Maybe ~$2 is a fair price, but never the same price.

Personally, I think the same or a tad bit cheaper is a fair price for an e-book (without DRM anyway).

As has been shown in various threads on here over time, the cost of printing and shipping a book is very low to a publisher--and that's the only difference in terms of cost per copy between an e-book and paper book.

They still have to pay the same for editing the text, marketing the book, paying the author's advance and royalty etc. So ebooks really don't save publishers all that much money--especially compared to mass market paperbacks which are very cheap to print etc.

[mike_bike_kite]

I read ebooks and, if I like them, I buy a used (though occasionally new) copy of the paper book to go in my bookshelves. The idea of paying a high price for the privilege of reading the book but not actually owning anything appears odd to me. I wouldn't mind paying if the price was lower and then that price could be deducted from a later sale on the real book.

[Worldwalker]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

As has been shown in various threads on here over time, the cost of printing and shipping a book is very low to a publisher--and that's the only difference in terms of cost per copy between an e-book and paper book.

That's not the only difference.

One big difference: returns.

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

That's not the only difference.

One big difference: returns.

True, I forgot that.

I still think people are unreasonable when they say if a paper book is $10 that $2 would be a fair price for the e-book. Ignoring DRM issues which I agree lessens the value of e-books relative to paper books.

The difference in cost between e-books and paper books to publishers isn't great enough to justify that much difference in price.

At the end of the day, text is text unless you're a typography nerd. And if someone is like that, or really value the experience of reading paper books more generally to put such a different monetary value of the two--then e-readers are probably not for that person.

[SameOldStory]

If a publisher wants to charge more for a new book (in any form), that’s ok with me. Up to a point. If a publisher wants to charge a lot more for an ebook version then they can go to heck.

At this time, I would be ok with paying $10 for a new release non-DRM ebook. $5 - $6 for an older non-DRM ebook. But only about $2 - $3 for a new release DRM ebook.

What happens in my case is that a publisher will spend a lot of money building up excitement for the next "BIG SELLER". But I'm not willing to pay $25 for it now, so I'll wait. But a year from now, when the book is cheaper, I'll have forgotten about it.

[timezone]

Many people have said they won't buy a DRM book. I won't buy a reader that does not allow multiple DRM's. I have the iRex DR1000 with mobipocket. They have changed to epub but I can't upgrade unless I want to lose my books. As much as I love eInk I will be buying a Windows Tablet when they come out this Fall and 1st quarter of next year. Then I know I won't have to worry about losing Mobipocket.

Having said that there is still the issue of fair use. Stores like fictionwise lose access to books which can then affect us if we want to transfer to a new reader. I accept the fact that DRM exists and we have to live with it. I am against the way companies use it because they restrict the consumer from the fair use of the material which is our right. Give us the ability for fair use and then there can be a peace treaty between the companies and consumers.

[Zorz]

I think its just the publishers telling you that the printing is not that expensive. Id like to see some real market data on how much books cost to the distributor. Because as an example lets take cell phones. A good friend of mine owns an Asian distribution company. He mainly sells HTC branded cell phones. So lets say the new HTC Evo from sprint. He actually sells the phones to sprint btw. He buys them from an asian distributor for $80 each, the asian distributor buys them for less than that, but makes up in volume. My friend then sells the very phone he bought for $80 for around $250 to stores and other companies,who then in turn can sell it for MSRP. So if its a $500 phone, the actual cost of the unit is only $30 max.

Id like to know what the distributors pay for the books, because I can assure you its not near $10. Then we will see how much the book store sells it for. Everybody needs to make a living and ebooks cut out printing, distributor resale and all logistics. I don't believe that accounts for less than half of a books cost, I just dont.

[Poppa1956]

I can't vote, no answer fits. My choices, were they available, would be:

• I recognize this book as being more redolent than very fine, expensive cheese.
• I cannot afford another mortgage on the house right now
• My wife won't let me
• Distracted by shiny things

[SameOldStory]

Originally Posted by Poppa1956

I can't vote, no answer fits. My choices, were they available, would be:

• I recognize this book as being more redolent than very fine, expensive cheese.
• I cannot afford another mortgage on the house right now
• My wife won't let me
• Distracted by shiny things

You, at least, have very good excuses.

[omk3]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

...

This ebook is licensed for your enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

...

Isn't this entered automatically by the Smashwords converted or something? If so I wouldn't blame the book or the author. And it's just a polite(ish) request after all. I feel free to ignore it, generally, if I need to.

[Tattncat]

Nothing stops me from buying eBooks. I choose my eBooks from a personal "combination/ratio" made up of quality (of reading material), price and format. Although I detest drm and think it's wrong, I do not let that be the determining factor. I see nothing wrong in an individual removing drm for personal use; with the caveat that nothing is being resold or uploaded to pirating sites.

[omk3]

What actually stops me from buying ebooks:

Availablity: Not all books I want to read are available in digital form
Geographic restrictions: Not all books I want to read are available for my country(ies)
Drm I can't break: If I'm not sure I can break it, I don't buy
Ridiculous prices: self-explanatory
Format: I don't want pdf, for pity's sake!
Quality: If I buy an ebook full of typos and obvious signs of sloppy ocr, I'm just that little more hesitant to spend my money on the next one, especially if from the same publisher.

What helps me enjoy more and better quality ebooks:
Sharing