Why is backlist so expensive?

[Sydney's Mom]

I am running low on one of my favorite authors, so I went on Amazon to see what else was on her backlist. First I looked at Kindle books--7.99! Used paperback is $3.99. Since I am buying 10 books, that is real money to me. Guess I will have to dig out my book light.

Why do they do that? Neither the author nor the publisher is getting any money when I buy a used book. You would think they would incent me to buy the electronic version.

If ebooks are not doing well, why price them so high? And if they are doing well, why price them so high? A 15 year-old romance is not worth $7.99. Actually, it is not worth $3.99, but it sends me off to sleep with happy thoughts.

[Ripplinger]

If it was really my favorite author, I'd bite the bullet and buy the Kindle version for $7.99. I usually have most paperbacks of my favorite author though, which means I could scan it for myself, but the time involved to make a clean copy is worth the $8.

Of course I've bought quite a few older books like that thinking I'd save the time, and the quality is as if someone just scanned, ran a quick OCR, did no proofing and didn't bother with cleaning up any formatting, and considered that to be retail quality. So I still end up doing heavy editing, but at least it saved me the scanning time.

[tubemonkey]

The ebook shouldn't cost more than the paperback; it should be cheaper.

[AkiraReader]

On half the Cussler novels, I can either:

- Get a brand new book, shipped cheaper than the Kindle version
- Get a used Audio CD, shipped cheaper than the Kindle version

[treadlightly]

I'd wait for a sale, or a large couponable event at Kobo if it applied. I will not pay higher prices for backlist, it feels like extortion.

[DiapDealer]

I simply don't care how the price of an ebook compares to the price of the same title in a format I don't want to buy. New or old; $7.99 is squarely in my comfort zone for an ebook purchase (especially one I'm almost guaranteed to enjoy -- being by a favorite author).

I can't order a $3.99 used paperback online and begin reading it 30 seconds later.The ability to be able to do just that is quite valuable to me. *shrug*

So I guess the answer to, "Why is backlist (ebook) so expensive?" is ... "me." And others like me.

Sorry.

OK, not really. But I promise I'm quite frugal wihen it comes to food and clothing.

[Abtacha]

What are you complaining about? Your own poll shows that the ebook is cheaper then a paperback. You can't compare it to used book prices. Else you might as well complain that paper books are too expensive since you can get pirated ebooks for free.

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by Abtacha

What are you complaining about? Your own poll shows that the ebook is cheaper then a paperback. You can't compare it to used book prices. Else you might as well complain that paper books are too expensive since you can get pirated ebooks for free.

True. This is an author I like, not one I love (bought Harper Lee's upcoming novel in Kindle and hardcover), and I consider her books like used books. I will read it once, and then delete it. A brand new book I would buy at $7.99 in a heartbeat. But something 15 years old? A lot of those aren't even available in new paperback.

Just seems too pricey for me. If I went to Books-A-Million, I could probably find it for a quarter, but it isn't worth it. Three of them will be here Friday, and one was only 10 cents cheaper than the kindle version, so I have one to read tonight.

[jhowell]

For me the satisfaction I once had of owning a large collection of books on paper did not carry over to e-books. There is less fun in collecting non-transferable, limited licenses to read instead of tangible objects. So I make use of libraries and lending services when possible and they tend to have a good selection of backlist titles with little or no wait.

[susan_cassidy]

Why do you say that neither author or publisher is making money on it? A publisher would not be publishing it if they were not making money on it. And the authot, or his/her estate will make money, too, normally, depending on their contract.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

Why do you say that neither author or publisher is making money on it? A publisher would not be publishing it if they were not making money on it. And the authot, or his/her estate will make money, too, normally, depending on their contract.

Pretty sure they meant neither the author or publisher made any money off THEM. Because they, you know, opted to go the used pbook route instead?

[soulfuldog]

I'd wait for it to go on sale, or get it from the library. If neither of those worked out...., I'd continue to wait for it to go on sale. Plenty more books to read in the meantime.

[pdurrant]

You missed an option: Not buy it until it was on special offer. $3/£2 is about my limit for backlist titles.

[Atunah]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

You missed an option: Not buy it until it was on special offer. $3/£2 is about my limit for backlist titles.

That would be my answer to but no such option. I can't read paperbacks anymore as the font is just to small and often with back list titles the books are older and used and yellowed. Just very hard for me to read now.
I am all ebooks now.

I too have a few favorite authors that have back lists out that are over my price limit for older titles. Mary Balogh is one of those. So as much as I love the author, the books aren't new so besides not wanting to pay new book prices, I already waited as it is so a little longer wait isn't going to kill me. I put them on the price watch list on ereaderiq and hopefully get an email with a price reduction at some point.
I do have a different upper limit for brand new releases and back list titles in my budget.

So I will not buy a used or newish paperback, I will wait until the kindle version is lowered in price. Then I buy it. It'll still be the same back list title a year from now.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

You missed an option: Not buy it until it was on special offer. $3/£2 is about my limit for backlist titles.

This is why I did not make a choice on the poll.
Apache