A: When It’s Yours.
Wait. Don’t hit me with brickbats or rotten tomatoes. I have a story to tell.
"LASSITER," my newest novel from Random House is just out. It’s $25 in hardcover ($15.51 on Amazon; $15.35 on B&N).
It’s the eighth in the Jake Lassiter series of legal thrillers that achieved some notoriety in the 1990's when they were published in 21 countries and made into an NBC television movie.
So what’s a fair price for the e-book edition? Random House thought $12.99 should do it, and if you pre-ordered in the Spring, that’s what Kindle and Nookbooks were charging. I argued that the Lassiter backlist, which I control, was priced at $2.99 for most books, including
“Flesh & Bones,” to $4.99 for
“To Speak for the Dead,” the bestseller of the group.
It’s a balancing act, company reps explained. Publishers have an interest in keeping brick and mortar stores alive. (I know; I know; they’re not doing a very good job). Low priced e-books are the last thing those stores need.
We compromised. Random House dropped the e-book edition to $9.99. Would I have preferred $6.99? Yes! But $9.99 is a 60% discount from the sticker price and 40% off the discounted hardcover. So, I’ll take it. And I hope you will, too!
Questions:
1. What’s a fair price for the e-book edition of a new hardcover?
2. Would you pay more for the digital edition of a new book, as opposed to a backlist title?
3. What’s the breaking point, the dollar amount you’d never go above in buying an e-book?
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR LASSITER
“Engaging…a standout job. ”
– Publishers Weekly
“LASSITER is the courtroom drama of the year.” –
Harlan Coben
“He’s the lawyer we all want on our side – and on the page.” –
Lee Child
“Highly competent work by Levine with the usual cascade of surprises at the end.”--
Kirkus
“Jake Lassiter is one of my favorite characters of all time.”—
Lisa Scottoline