Quote:
Originally Posted by DuckieTigger
As you mentioned, you are also in the unique position to be able and willing to afford several hundred dollars a month on books. I do not even have that much free money to spend each month on luxuries. My needs are different than your needs in that matter. That is the main reason I signed up with Kindle Unlimited. On average I am able to spend less money on books per month than before. And still I can read more and without having to wait. No excuse prevents me or my wife from reading a book that might have had to wait previously because of money.
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I've gone from paper to digital several years ago, having already dabbled in reading ebooks and fanfic on digital devices since about 1998.
Before going digital I joined an on-line book trading site, and have now traded out most of my books since going mostly digital. (Trade out the paper, sell the credit, buy ebooks with the money.) Some of the old-timers at the site have gone digital, but between those that do digital, and those that swear they won't, is pretty much the same complaint.
Ebooks are too high in a lot of cases. Because they already have a good handle on the secondary market that gets them what they want.
Now, those that have gone digital find the good deals, the freebies, the coupons, to still get their books at not much more (or a lot less) than it was costing them to trade books for the cost of postage. Many have found new authors by trying freebies they may not have gotten in paper format. All seem to have their price limits, and it's no where near anything over $9.99 for ebooks. For many, that's also too high.
For those not wanting to ever go digital, they usually mention the number one reason is the price. Besides the cost of some sort of eReader, (which many would find hard to afford, and some just don't want to mess with.) the new release prices scare them away and they don't bother looking at the free stuff after that.
The fact is that many people are (and have to be) money conscious, and they find trading used books an option they can afford, and are willing to wait for the new releases to hit the secondary market and wait in line for them.
But those books don't earn the author or publisher anything beyond the First Sale. The site has facilitated the trade of over 4 million books that didn't do a thing for the Publishers.
Yet, since going digital, I've bough more books the last few years, at cheaper prices, and that money goes to the Authors and publishers. All because the price is low enough that I can weight the cost of getting the book used as opposed to buying it digital. Because there are very, very few authors I'll pay over $7 for. Yes, I'm mindful that while I do re-read, and do want some as keepers, that I can't turn around and trade that ebook out to get another book, like I can at the trade site.
I'm surprised that the secondary market never seems to be discussed when it comes to the Publishers trying to get customers. There are a lot of people who'd be tempted to go digital if the price was right for them. And availablity for backlist books was a lot better.
I would think there would be a lot of money there if they get the balance right.