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Old 09-25-2015, 06:55 AM   #1
AprilHare
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Ebook pricing: A mystery
I was reading an abstract for a book: Body Lengths by Leisel Jones. It got me interested, so I followed the link to Booktopia provided.
The pricing has left me mystified.
Paperback: $23.95
eBook: $32.75
It's crazy. eBooks cost virtually nothing to distribute. Pbooks need to be shipped and are bulky at that. Yet the eBook costs $8.80 more.
Why? Can anyone possibly explain this in a way that doesn't sound conspiratorial?
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Old 09-25-2015, 08:28 AM   #2
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I note that the RRP difference is 'only' $2.76.
Hey - the ebook is available one day before the paperback, surely that's worth $2.76?

I suspect it's that the paperback is sold to the retailer at about 50% of the RRP and the retailer can choose what price to sell it at, but the eBook must be sold at the RRP.

But I've got no idea why the eBook RRP is higher than the paperback RRP. In the UK the ebook is £15.05 at Amazon and the paperback is £19.99.

Oddly, the ebook is only £7.49 at Kobo UK.
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Old 09-25-2015, 09:50 AM   #3
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I saw an older book "All I needed to know I learned in kindergarten", the paperback was $9.99. The ebook was $11.99.
Maybe the publishers figure people will pay more because it is an electronic version and the buyer did spend money on a reader.
Yes, that logic escapes me too.
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Old 09-25-2015, 10:07 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by Cinisajoy View Post
I saw an older book "All I needed to know I learned in kindergarten", the paperback was $9.99. The ebook was $11.99.
Maybe the publishers figure people will pay more because it is an electronic version and the buyer did spend money on a reader.
Yes, that logic escapes me too.
It's not necessarily a bad strategy. Paper book readers and ebook readers have become increasingly disjoint groups. Since few people will buy the paper copy just because it is cheaper, or vice versa, there is no real reason for publishers to price to the two groups in the same way.

Sort of like how they sell textbooks in India at one price point, and the same book in the U.S. at a different price point. As long as you don't get an exporter taking advantage of the price arbitrage, they don't need to charge the same price in the two locations.
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Old 09-25-2015, 10:12 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AprilHare View Post
I was reading an abstract for a book: Body Lengths by Leisel Jones. It got me interested, so I followed the link to Booktopia provided.
The pricing has left me mystified.
Paperback: $23.95
eBook: $32.75
It's crazy. eBooks cost virtually nothing to distribute. Pbooks need to be shipped and are bulky at that. Yet the eBook costs $8.80 more.
Why? Can anyone possibly explain this in a way that doesn't sound conspiratorial?
$12.49 at B&N.

Amazon must have got confused about trying to get the pbook price cheaper than ebook for even non agency titles.
OK, you said no conspiracy theories, but I just checked and Amazon doesn't sell tin foil hats, they are coming to get us

Seriously, probably a typo in the upload feed, it'll probably get sorted by release day.
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Old 09-25-2015, 10:20 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by SleepyBob View Post
It's not necessarily a bad strategy. Paper book readers and ebook readers have become increasingly disjoint groups. Since few people will buy the paper copy just because it is cheaper, or vice versa, there is no real reason for publishers to price to the two groups in the same way.

Sort of like how they sell textbooks in India at one price point, and the same book in the U.S. at a different price point. As long as you don't get an exporter taking advantage of the price arbitrage, they don't need to charge the same price in the two locations.
I never said price the same. We are asking or trying to figure out why some ebook prices are higher.
I personally would not pay more for a digital copy than for a hardback.
Unless the hardback was over 1000 pages and in tiny print.

And last time I looked India and the US had two totally different economies. So pricing will vary.

The only thing I know where pricing is consistent across markets is precious metals.
Last edited by Cinisajoy; 09-25-2015 at 10:23 AM.
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Old 09-25-2015, 10:59 AM   #7
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I never said price the same. We are asking or trying to figure out why some ebook prices are higher.
Usually when the ebook price is higher it's because the pbook is discounted.

Sometimes the publisher whose routine is to reduce the ebook price when the paperback is published just forgets. Some publisher respect the exact publication day so, even though when you have the pbook in store it may be a few days before the ebook is reduced.
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Old 09-25-2015, 11:53 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by Little.Egret View Post
Usually when the ebook price is higher it's because the pbook is discounted.

Sometimes the publisher whose routine is to reduce the ebook price when the paperback is published just forgets. Some publisher respect the exact publication day so, even though when you have the pbook in store it may be a few days before the ebook is reduced.
This was the book I was referring to.
http://www.amazon.com/Really-Need-Kn...3196238&sr=1-1

The new books I understand.
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Old 09-25-2015, 01:51 PM   #9
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This was the book I was referring to.
http://www.amazon.com/Really-Need-Kn...3196238&sr=1-1

The new books I understand.
In UK

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Really-Need-...dp/034546639X/

Paperback Buy New £9.08
Kindle £8.54 inc tax
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Old 09-25-2015, 02:05 PM   #10
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This was the book I was referring to.
http://www.amazon.com/Really-Need-Kn...3196238&sr=1-1

The new books I understand.
If you look at the Amazon page, it says that the list price for the paperback is $16.00 and Amazon is selling it at a discounted price of $9.14. The Kindle price of $11.99 is set by the publisher. The publisher doesn't care what the retailer discounted price for the paperback is, they have a standard ebook discount of 25% off the paperback list price that for the ebook, regardless of the retailer.
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Old 09-25-2015, 02:37 PM   #11
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If you look at the Amazon page, it says that the list price for the paperback is $16.00 and Amazon is selling it at a discounted price of $9.14. The Kindle price of $11.99 is set by the publisher. The publisher doesn't care what the retailer discounted price for the paperback is, they have a standard ebook discount of 25% off the paperback list price that for the ebook, regardless of the retailer.
Thanks. Now it makes more sense.
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Old 09-25-2015, 11:00 PM   #12
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OK, you said no conspiracy theories, but I just checked and Amazon doesn't sell tin foil hats, they are coming to get us
But they do sell Vogue Industrial Size Aluminium Foil. Check the customer reviews!!
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Old 09-25-2015, 11:44 PM   #13
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But they do sell Vogue Industrial Size Aluminium Foil. Check the customer reviews!!
It sounds wonderful but alas I cannot buy it as it is only for Brits.
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Old 09-26-2015, 12:09 PM   #14
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It sounds wonderful but alas I cannot buy it as it is only for Brits.
Explains the reviews, doesn't it?
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Old 09-26-2015, 12:56 PM   #15
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Explains the reviews, doesn't it?
Yes it does. And I needed it oh so bad.
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