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Mare of Earth · 11-24-2010, 11:53 AM

I used to buy hardcovers from my favorite authors the moment the book was released - the most recent example being JK Rowling's Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows. I was happy to pay for the book, because I wanted to read it enough to pay for the book.

Currently I want to read Mercedes Lackey's Intrigues. I have not yet purchased this book, as ebook price for it is $12.99, while the hardcover price from Amazon is $14.55. A whopping $1.56 price difference. I don't want a physical book - I haven't purchased a physical fiction book in years. However, I also don't wish to pay near-hardcover price for a cheaper, much more limited product. I can't lend it to my mom, or donate it, or give it to a friend. I can't sell it used after I have read it.

So, I wait for the price to go down to something I am willing to pay for. That is my choice as a consumer. If it never goes down, then I will probably never buy it.

It would be a different matter if I was purchasing the book directly from Mercedes Lackey - that would be supporting art. This mess with publishers just supports middlemen.

11-24-2010, 11:53 AM	#114
Mare of Earth Leaver of Hoofmarks Posts: 207 Karma: 24077 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Northern Alabama Device: Kindle Scribe, Kindle Paperwhite 4	I used to buy hardcovers from my favorite authors the moment the book was released - the most recent example being JK Rowling's Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows. I was happy to pay for the book, because I wanted to read it enough to pay for the book. Currently I want to read Mercedes Lackey's Intrigues. I have not yet purchased this book, as ebook price for it is $12.99, while the hardcover price from Amazon is $14.55. A whopping $1.56 price difference. I don't want a physical book - I haven't purchased a physical fiction book in years. However, I also don't wish to pay near-hardcover price for a cheaper, much more limited product. I can't lend it to my mom, or donate it, or give it to a friend. I can't sell it used after I have read it. So, I wait for the price to go down to something I am willing to pay for. That is my choice as a consumer. If it never goes down, then I will probably never buy it. It would be a different matter if I was purchasing the book directly from Mercedes Lackey - that would be supporting art. This mess with publishers just supports middlemen. Last edited by Mare of Earth; 11-24-2010 at 11:56 AM.