How much would YOU spend on an e-Book?

Alexander Turcic · 11-01-2003, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Do print pubs make exaggerate the cons to protect their print business? I'm sure some of them do. In the wake of Napster and the peer to peer networks that followed it, traditional media companies are paranoid about digital anything. I've argued in the past that not supporting legitimate ebooks only fuels the pirate market, but the fact is that many print publishers seem to go out of their way to make ebooks less appealing than their print counterparts. An easy way to do this is to price ebooks higher than print, making print the better deal for the consumer.

A fair price is the highest price that provides good value to the buyer. This is a win/win in that the publisher (and hopefully, the writer) makes money and the reader is excited about her purchase.The market has yet to decide on what this price is for ebooks.

Read the full article at writingonyourpalm.net first.

Chick2horse · 11-22-2003, 01:48 PM

is an e-book like a book you get off the computer

Mobipocket · 11-22-2003, 02:08 PM

I admit I just had a quick look at the article, but I think it only concerns general litterature.
If you consider technical books (medical/law reference titles, dictionaries or encyclopedias), one can spend more than 50 US$.
Few examples:
Encyclopedia Brittanica, the Harriet Lane Handbook, Canale, Mosby, Griffith's, PDR, ...

In this specific case, eBooks have more functionalities than paperback (instant lookup, calculators, cross references between articles, ...).

brahamt · 11-23-2003, 08:36 AM

Gots to be cheaper than paperback. Much as I like to read on the PalmOS, paperback is more functional (no battery issues, ie).

Alexander Turcic · 11-23-2003, 12:59 PM

I have an other issue with eBooks. I am a very visual person and when I read a non-fiction book, I can usually remember passages of it, not only by content, but also by the layout of the book (paragraph in question was left or right, top or bottom, there was a illustration to the right, etc.). On the other hand, an eBook appears more "static" to me (due to the small display of current PDAs), where I cannot remember the "look" of a page where a certain paragraph appeared. So at the end, its easier for me to digest content from a paper book than from an eBook.

Dmc · 02-28-2004, 09:34 PM

I think if I am ever going to buy an e-book, 90%-100% of that money should go to the person who did all of the work, TH WRITER. Publishers do very little work except find new books to add to their money flow. I say you get back as much as you put in!

elmargol · 12-17-2009, 04:45 AM

10$ if there is no DRM.
1$ if there is DRM

Andanzas · 12-17-2009, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elmargol

10$ if there is no DRM.
1$ if there is DRM

Wow! You just resurrected a thread from 2003.

Awesome!

poshm · 12-17-2009, 05:52 AM

I'm happy to pay UP TO the paperback price if it is a book I really want but obviously would prefer to pay less

I would say that 90% of the books I read are free anyway, either from free sources like feedbooks / mobileread or from the library. I enjoy shopping around for ebooks though and finding good prices.

rcuadro · 12-17-2009, 09:09 AM

It all depends. For authors like Stepehen Kind, Dan Brown, James Rollins, I would pat hardcover prices to get the ebook the day it was released. After that I will pay paperback price. I understand that ebooks will take away profits from paper books sales so I am willing to pay the price.

For independent authors I hesitate to pay more than $5 on a book.

To me DRM is irrelevant in the decision.

Dave Berk · 12-17-2009, 09:17 AM

I will pay up to 5$, oh great necromancer.

More than that, and I may as well buy the pbook.

rlauzon · 12-17-2009, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcuadro

It all depends. For authors like Stepehen Kind, Dan Brown, James Rollins, I would pat hardcover prices to get the ebook the day it was released. After that I will pay paperback price. I understand that ebooks will take away profits from paper books sales so I am willing to pay the price.

For independent authors I hesitate to pay more than $5 on a book.

Since what we are paying for is 99% content (as opposed to 80% physical-ness, 20% content) today, it would make sense for better works to go for more money.

Unproven authors would also have to sell for less to get people to try them out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcuadro

To me DRM is irrelevant in the decision.

Then I have a car that I'd like to rent you for $20,000.

dmaul1114 · 12-17-2009, 09:59 AM

$10. More than that and I might as well look for deals on the hardback down the road.

BeccaAnn · 12-17-2009, 10:09 AM

I would prefer to pay no more than $10 but I do pay whatever Sony asks for new releases for some of my favorite authors. This is to convince the publisher to release the older novels by this author in ebook. I hope by buying at HC prices the publishing sees that they is a need to release the other books by this author.

seagull · 12-17-2009, 10:12 AM

I'd pay up to $30/£15, I'm willing to pay the same as a hardback, really I got into eBooks to reduce my carbon footprint

View Poll Results: What is an e-Book worth to you?
$0 (I get it for free!)	8	7.69%
$5 (must be cheaper than paperback)	37	35.58%
$10 (equal to paperback price)	53	50.96%
$15 (has more functionality than a paperback is hence worth more)	6	5.77%
Voters: 104. You may not vote on this poll

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11-22-2003, 01:48 PM	#2
Chick2horse Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 16 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: pa Device: none	is an e-book like a book you get off the computer

11-22-2003, 02:08 PM	#3
Mobipocket Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 27 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: France Device: al	I admit I just had a quick look at the article, but I think it only concerns general litterature. If you consider technical books (medical/law reference titles, dictionaries or encyclopedias), one can spend more than 50 US$. Few examples: Encyclopedia Brittanica, the Harriet Lane Handbook, Canale, Mosby, Griffith's, PDR, ... In this specific case, eBooks have more functionalities than paperback (instant lookup, calculators, cross references between articles, ...).

11-23-2003, 08:36 AM	#4
brahamt Groupie Posts: 165 Karma: 6622 Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: United States Device: Palm Tungsten T3	Gots to be cheaper than paperback. Much as I like to read on the PalmOS, paperback is more functional (no battery issues, ie).

11-23-2003, 12:59 PM	#5
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,171 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	I have an other issue with eBooks. I am a very visual person and when I read a non-fiction book, I can usually remember passages of it, not only by content, but also by the layout of the book (paragraph in question was left or right, top or bottom, there was a illustration to the right, etc.). On the other hand, an eBook appears more "static" to me (due to the small display of current PDAs), where I cannot remember the "look" of a page where a certain paragraph appeared. So at the end, its easier for me to digest content from a paper book than from an eBook.

02-28-2004, 09:34 PM	#6
Dmc Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 2246 Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: Audiovox Thera/2032	I think if I am ever going to buy an e-book, 90%-100% of that money should go to the person who did all of the work, TH WRITER. Publishers do very little work except find new books to add to their money flow. I say you get back as much as you put in!

12-17-2009, 04:45 AM	#7
elmargol Enthusiast Posts: 30 Karma: 30 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: Cybook Opus	10$ if there is no DRM. 1$ if there is DRM

12-17-2009, 05:52 AM	#9
poshm Fanatic Posts: 581 Karma: 1003580 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Cambs, UK Device: PocketBook 360, Sony Reader Touch, Ipod touch & Kindle 2	I'm happy to pay UP TO the paperback price if it is a book I really want but obviously would prefer to pay less I would say that 90% of the books I read are free anyway, either from free sources like feedbooks / mobileread or from the library. I enjoy shopping around for ebooks though and finding good prices.

12-17-2009, 09:09 AM	#10
rcuadro Wizard Posts: 1,686 Karma: 874275 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Device: Kindle DX	It all depends. For authors like Stepehen Kind, Dan Brown, James Rollins, I would pat hardcover prices to get the ebook the day it was released. After that I will pay paperback price. I understand that ebooks will take away profits from paper books sales so I am willing to pay the price. For independent authors I hesitate to pay more than $5 on a book. To me DRM is irrelevant in the decision.

12-17-2009, 09:17 AM	#11
Dave Berk Fanatic Posts: 574 Karma: 138556 Join Date: May 2006 Device: PRS505	I will pay up to 5$, oh great necromancer. More than that, and I may as well buy the pbook.

12-17-2009, 09:59 AM	#13
dmaul1114 Wizard Posts: 2,300 Karma: 1121709 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 1	$10. More than that and I might as well look for deals on the hardback down the road.

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12-17-2009, 10:09 AM	#14
BeccaAnn Groupie Posts: 188 Karma: 660 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Spearfish, SD, USA Device: Sony PRS-505	I would prefer to pay no more than $10 but I do pay whatever Sony asks for new releases for some of my favorite authors. This is to convince the publisher to release the older novels by this author in ebook. I hope by buying at HC prices the publishing sees that they is a need to release the other books by this author.

12-17-2009, 10:12 AM	#15
seagull Addict Posts: 247 Karma: 89950 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 2	I'd pay up to $30/£15, I'm willing to pay the same as a hardback, really I got into eBooks to reduce my carbon footprint