Cheaper electronic books

jbcohen · 02-23-2011, 11:40 AM

Does anyone have any strategies for holding down the prices of electronic books that they care to tell of?

For now I have set a price limit of $8 for my electronic novels and will not buy any electronic novels that cost equal to or more then their dead wood counterparts.

HarryT · 02-23-2011, 11:42 AM

There is a lifetime (in fact many lifetimes) of reading of entirely free books from the public domain. Take a look at our "Book Upload" forums here.

tubemonkey · 02-23-2011, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

There is a lifetime (in fact many lifetimes) of reading of entirely free books from the public domain.

That's me; with a few library books and an occasional free book tossed in.

elemenoP · 02-23-2011, 11:49 AM

ebooks from the local library. I have such a long wish list there that I have been on a "no buy" since the beginning of the year.

eP

jbcohen · 02-23-2011, 02:41 PM

My local library's slogan should be - What ever you want we don't have it.

tubemonkey · 02-23-2011, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbcohen

My local library's slogan should be - What ever you want we don't have it.

spellbanisher · 02-23-2011, 03:05 PM

HarryT is right that the public domain has lifetimes worth of books, but whether that does you any good depends on what type of novels you like to read.

What type of books do you like to read, jbcohen?

Worldwalker · 02-24-2011, 12:02 AM

I will not buy DRM-locked ebooks, and I will not buy ebooks that cost as much as the cheapest pbook of that title. Despite this, I've never had a shortage of things to read. I've only made a dent in the public domain books out there (try here on MR, Project Gutenberg, and ManyBooks for starters). I buy my tech books from O'Reilly. I buy SF and fantasy from Baen. I buy all sorts of things, generally authors' backlist books, from their own websites, Smashwords, BeWrite, author consortia, and so on. I don't have to buy overpriced books from the Cabal, and I haven't missed them.

wvcherrybomb · 02-24-2011, 12:43 AM

I used to have limits.

Then, I found out that if it's something I really want, I don't have limits.

Just today I bought an ebook for $11.99 when I said I would never go over $10.

Anke Wehner · 02-24-2011, 06:58 AM

No hard limits here - it depends a lot on the author/book in question.

More than $8 is reserved for my favourite authors only, though.

sufue · 02-24-2011, 07:23 AM

What's the use if you can't break your own rules for yourself

I used the Groupon B&N gift card deal as an excuse to buy two agency titles I've been dying to read. HOWEVER, I still have my "would have bought if it weren't for agency pricing" list with about 100 titles on it, so I guess 2 out of 100 isn't too bad.

Anthem · 02-24-2011, 01:42 PM

No strategies, no limits. Whether a book has DRM in the file or not I pay what I think something is worth.

That may be $2.99 or $49.99.

abookreader · 02-24-2011, 04:30 PM

Well - its kind of like with anything else you try and negotiate. You have your final line in the sand and if they go over it, you have to be willing to walk away.
If you aren't willing to walk, then you are going to pay what they demand.

I have a User Defined Read/Not Read column in Calibre. Whenever I get a really strong urge to overspend on a new release, I sort with all the Unreads at the top, go look at the total and remind myself that I have YEARS worth of unread books stored.

pidgeon92 · 02-24-2011, 10:48 PM

I try not to go over $7. I use ereaderiq.com to keep track of price drops, and if there is a book that I really want that is in the $10 range, I wait until I get a $5 Amazon gift certificate from swagbucks and use that to purchase.

Ripplinger · 02-25-2011, 10:45 PM

I'm with the original poster about not exceeding $8 for purchased books. I just can't see paying more than the paperback cost for an electronic edition that costs them less to distribute. I also refuse to purchase DRM'ed books as well. It's just the principle of the issue to me on both counts.

02-23-2011, 11:40 AM	#1
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,025 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Piper College Device: Samsung A21	Cheaper electronic books Does anyone have any strategies for holding down the prices of electronic books that they care to tell of? For now I have set a price limit of $8 for my electronic novels and will not buy any electronic novels that cost equal to or more then their dead wood counterparts.

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02-23-2011, 11:42 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	There is a lifetime (in fact many lifetimes) of reading of entirely free books from the public domain. Take a look at our "Book Upload" forums here.

02-23-2011, 11:49 AM	#4
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	ebooks from the local library. I have such a long wish list there that I have been on a "no buy" since the beginning of the year. eP

02-23-2011, 02:41 PM	#5
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,025 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Piper College Device: Samsung A21	My local library's slogan should be - What ever you want we don't have it.

02-23-2011, 03:05 PM	#7
spellbanisher Guru Posts: 826 Karma: 6566849 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Bay Area Device: kindle keyboard, kindle fire hd, S4, Nook hd+	HarryT is right that the public domain has lifetimes worth of books, but whether that does you any good depends on what type of novels you like to read. What type of books do you like to read, jbcohen?

02-24-2011, 12:02 AM	#8
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	I will not buy DRM-locked ebooks, and I will not buy ebooks that cost as much as the cheapest pbook of that title. Despite this, I've never had a shortage of things to read. I've only made a dent in the public domain books out there (try here on MR, Project Gutenberg, and ManyBooks for starters). I buy my tech books from O'Reilly. I buy SF and fantasy from Baen. I buy all sorts of things, generally authors' backlist books, from their own websites, Smashwords, BeWrite, author consortia, and so on. I don't have to buy overpriced books from the Cabal, and I haven't missed them.

02-24-2011, 12:43 AM	#9
wvcherrybomb Sharp Shootin' Grandma Posts: 847 Karma: 1123940 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Sunny Florida Device: Kindle 3, Kindle Fire, Literati (has been adopted by my daughter)	I used to have limits. Then, I found out that if it's something I really want, I don't have limits. Just today I bought an ebook for $11.99 when I said I would never go over $10.

02-24-2011, 06:58 AM	#10
Anke Wehner Addict Posts: 249 Karma: 177956 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Germany Device: PRS-650	No hard limits here - it depends a lot on the author/book in question. More than $8 is reserved for my favourite authors only, though.

02-24-2011, 07:23 AM	#11
sufue lost in my e-reader... Posts: 7,543 Karma: 52440304 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: sunny southern California, USA Device: Android phone, Sony T1, Nook ST Glowlight, Galaxy Tab 7 Plus	What's the use if you can't break your own rules for yourself I used the Groupon B&N gift card deal as an excuse to buy two agency titles I've been dying to read. HOWEVER, I still have my "would have bought if it weren't for agency pricing" list with about 100 titles on it, so I guess 2 out of 100 isn't too bad.

02-24-2011, 01:42 PM	#12
Anthem Guru Posts: 704 Karma: 1622328 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: USA Device: Kindle Oasis, OnePlus Nord	No strategies, no limits. Whether a book has DRM in the file or not I pay what I think something is worth. That may be $2.99 or $49.99.

02-24-2011, 04:30 PM	#13
abookreader Wizard Posts: 1,516 Karma: 2567610 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kindles - Keyboard, Fire, 2-US, iPhone, iPAD	Well - its kind of like with anything else you try and negotiate. You have your final line in the sand and if they go over it, you have to be willing to walk away. If you aren't willing to walk, then you are going to pay what they demand. I have a User Defined Read/Not Read column in Calibre. Whenever I get a really strong urge to overspend on a new release, I sort with all the Unreads at the top, go look at the total and remind myself that I have YEARS worth of unread books stored.

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02-24-2011, 10:48 PM	#14
pidgeon92 Wizard Posts: 3,144 Karma: 8426142 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Device: Kindle PW2, Kindle Voyage, Kindle DXG, Boox M90, Kobo Aura HD	I try not to go over $7. I use ereaderiq.com to keep track of price drops, and if there is a book that I really want that is in the $10 range, I wait until I get a $5 Amazon gift certificate from swagbucks and use that to purchase.

02-25-2011, 10:45 PM	#15
Ripplinger 350 Hoarder Posts: 3,574 Karma: 8281267 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Midwest USA Device: Sony PRS-350, Kobo Glo & Glo HD, PW2	I'm with the original poster about not exceeding $8 for purchased books. I just can't see paying more than the paperback cost for an electronic edition that costs them less to distribute. I also refuse to purchase DRM'ed books as well. It's just the principle of the issue to me on both counts.