MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Why are e-books so expensive?

K-Thom · 01-14-2010, 07:23 AM

They are? Funny ... in Germany music CDs were very cheap in the beginning to attract customers buying CDs and CD player. I could build up my collection with just a fraction of the price the vinyl discs would have cost me.
After some years the music industry tried to implement a new price model with a steep price increase and argumented that they couldn't maintain their low price and had to "adjust" to inflation and the development of the market (the very one they themselves created ...).

This was totally rebuffed by the customers. Now we have a pricing model which is (Euro conversion and inflation included) about the same level or slightly more expensive than, say 20 years ago.

Germany has a fixed books price for eBooks, so this scenario isn't going to happen again here. But do expect higher prices in the US and UK in the next years, at least as soon as eBooks become established as a mainstream media. Simply because there isn't a reason to sell them at such a low price as nowadays.

Yup, low. "Under the dome" by Stephen King has a price of US$ 20.00 at Fictionwise. The official (remember: fixed!) price for the German ePub version is 24.99 EUR, or US$ 36.21 ...

01-14-2010, 07:23 AM	#22
K-Thom The one and only Posts: 3,302 Karma: 535819 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Berlin, Germany Device: yup!	They are? Funny ... in Germany music CDs were very cheap in the beginning to attract customers buying CDs and CD player. I could build up my collection with just a fraction of the price the vinyl discs would have cost me. After some years the music industry tried to implement a new price model with a steep price increase and argumented that they couldn't maintain their low price and had to "adjust" to inflation and the development of the market (the very one they themselves created ...). This was totally rebuffed by the customers. Now we have a pricing model which is (Euro conversion and inflation included) about the same level or slightly more expensive than, say 20 years ago. Germany has a fixed books price for eBooks, so this scenario isn't going to happen again here. But do expect higher prices in the US and UK in the next years, at least as soon as eBooks become established as a mainstream media. Simply because there isn't a reason to sell them at such a low price as nowadays. Yup, low. "Under the dome" by Stephen King has a price of US$ 20.00 at Fictionwise. The official (remember: fixed!) price for the German ePub version is 24.99 EUR, or US$ 36.21 ... Last edited by K-Thom; 01-14-2010 at 07:37 AM.