How much is too much?

[jhempel24]

We all know that price is very subjective to people. It's about the value of the content for the dollar spent.

But is there a breaking point?

I reviewed a book that retails for $12.95 (no ebook available), that was 49 pages, in softcover, by a first time author, by outskirts press.

You can't even find it on the shelf because the spine can't fit the title.

Not to mention the cover of the book is almost a rip-off (it's the same image) of Handling the Undead, and Rot & Ruin

[Katsunami]

I wouldn't even consider buying that.

A short story like that shouldn't cost more than $1.25 in paper. As an ebook, they often cost $1 or less.

[applesauce]

no way. I am willing to pay more than $10 for any book not on my just read list. This is made up of authors I already love and books that upon reading half a dozen pages make me go OMG. The second type are very rare.

I never pay for short stories period. I also would have to think very hard to pay any money for a book under 300 pages as I know from experience they tend to not have the depth I need in a book.

applesauce

Fiction? I wouldn't buy anything that short outside of an anthology or magazine.

As for non-fiction, its value depends upon its content and quality. $13 seems steep, but I've also seen journals sell articles for $25 (including 1 page editorials).

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

I wouldn't even consider buying that.

A short story like that shouldn't cost more than $1.25 in paper. As an ebook, they often cost $1 or less.

I agree. The Harry Potter books cost round$15.00-$20.00 but they are several hundred pages and were in hardcovers besides. I paid round $45.00 for a copy (in hardcover) of Shakespeare's complete works back in 1989 but that was a special case as was my set of "The story of Civilization" by Will & Ariel Durant. I paid right round $45.00 for the complete 11 Vol. set (a used set) but since individual Volumes cost $25.00-$30.00 a piece brand new I considered it a bargain. Especially as the only other place I've seen the set is at the public library. But $12.95 for a 49 page book? That is way over the top. The most it should have gone for was $4.00 or $5.00 I would think.

[Fluribus]

Originally Posted by jhempel24

But is there a breaking point?

There is always a breaking point.

I reviewed a book that retails for $12.95 (no ebook available), that was 49 pages, in softcover, by a first time author, by outskirts press.

I wouldn't pay $12.95 for 69 pages, in hardcover, by a virginal author, by noskirts press.

You can't even find it on the shelf because the spine can't fit the title.

I can't find it because I'd never buy it.

Not to mention the cover of the book is almost a rip-off (it's the same image) of Handling the Undead, and Rot & Ruin

If you're going to tear off the cover, then complete the job. Rip or no rip. There is no almost. (I was wrong there is an almost. I don't know how I missed it.)

How many copies are they selling? The publisher is insane. I wanna party with that cowboy.

[xg4bx]

If it was an author I loved and it was some type of limited edition thing, maybe. First time author? Forget it.

[Xanthe]

I wouldn't pay that for what was basically a short story, especially from a first-time author. The crapshoot is that if it was well-written, and the author goes on to become famous, that purchase will pay for itself many times over, but what are the odds?

I will not pay more than $9.99 for an ebook - and for me to pay that amount, it should translate size-wise into a 700 page pbook.

[Sydney's Mom]

What I find annoying is these short stories being priced at $3.99, but intended to be part of a whole, so when the whole thing is over, you will have paid a ridiculous price for the book.

I have too much on my tbr pile, and the library is always coming out with new books, so I don't feel the need to buy anything. If I can't resist, I will buy a pbook at Costco, and those are rarely over $12.99

[6charlong]

Originally Posted by jhempel24

We all know that price is very subjective to people. It's about the value of the content for the dollar spent.

But is there a breaking point?

I reviewed a book that retails for $12.95 (no ebook available), that was 49 pages, in softcover, by a first time author, by outskirts press.

You can't even find it on the shelf because the spine can't fit the title.

Not to mention the cover of the book is almost a rip-off (it's the same image) of Handling the Undead, and Rot & Ruin

It sounds like required reading for a collage course. They always charge students outrageous prices. When looking through the eBook lists, especially in the nonfiction section, you can always spot the college texts by prices over about $35USD. That's my theory anyway.

Originally Posted by 6charlong

It sounds like required reading for a collage course. They always charge students outrageous prices. When looking through the eBook lists, especially in the nonfiction section, you can always spot the college texts by prices over about $35USD. That's my theory anyway.

Many college books are expensive because they are sold to a small audience. Many of the books that have a larger audience are expensive to produce. There are exceptions, and I don't like a lot of the games that textbook publishers play, but the captive audience argument only goes so far.

[Katsunami]

Don't start about college / university reading.

When at university, I had a course called "Report Writing". There was a required book that everybody had to buy. The book cost €69. Everybody expected it to be a 500 or even a 1000 page tome.

It turned out to be an "Introduction to writing reports". The entire "book" was around 50 pages long, and was written by a former teacher of that school; it couldn't be bought at web stores or book stores. It could only be bought through the school's library. Obviously, they only ever had one copy of that book that was never available.

I don't call that required reading; I call that a rip-off.

[Billi]

Originally Posted by jhempel24

I reviewed a book that retails for $12.95 (no ebook available), that was 49 pages, in softcover, by a first time author, by outskirts press.

I understand that you want to discuss the price and when it becomes a rip-off but I think your post contains a second aspect.

When I review something I try to fully forget about the price whatever I think about it. I try to give the reader of the review a most honest assessment but if the reader should be willing to pay a certain price for this book/product, if it is worth for them or not, is not up to me to decide.

[Quexos]

Well I'll tell you when how much becomes too much.

When you are born into this world without you ever having been asked your consent or at least your opinion on the matter.
Then when you are alive and finally accept it as a fact, you realize that one day you will have to die and again whether you want it or not is not taken into consideration. You must die, period !
That much is too much.

When you realize that this world has a lot of riches to offer, a lot of happiness, a lot of pleasure but then you learn that you must pay for it all, to the last cent. But of course you learn that the system is such as to keep you just under the line of actual freedom and that most stuff is simply beyond your means as of course you only make enough money for the basics and strict minimum (Which is actually more than a lot have in poor countries)
So man can go to space but don't ever think about you going there, man can fly but apart from commercial flights whose purpose is to take you somewhere, not to freely let you fly up or down, faster or slower, you may not fly in some personal machine that you'd own because it simply is beyond your monetary means, man can drive powerful fancy cars but again don't actually hope to own one as they are totally out of price, I would dare say, on purpose so that only an elite few may own them but not you, never you !
etc ...
That much is again too much.

When you hear they found a cure for AIDS, cancer, leukemia and so on but such treatments are so totally beyond your monetary means that you wonder why bother finding those cures ? Obviously not for the betterment of mankind, only for the benefit of an elite few who again can afford it. And to think that some call those people who find such cures, heroes
That much is definitely too much.

When you hear how everything is taxed.
The money you make, the money you spend, the money you save, the money you inherit, the money you bequeath. And I won't talk about extra hours at work to try and improve your life by getting a little extra because that money is actually taxed at 60, 70 and even 80% making it pointless to try and survive by sacrificing your free time at work.
That much is so very totally too much.

And finally, in order to avoid too much digressing in this post.
When you pay too much for a book, a reading device. But also food, goods and services of course.
But the thing here is, pretty much any price now is too much as I don't see anything that is for sale in our good and benevolent societies, being sold for what it's really worth.
And that is also too much.

But finally what I consider the champion in all categories of too much is the fact that people seem to accept this without question as if it were a normal part of a free society whose effort is the well being of its denizens and not of its corporations.
All in all, it appears, most people are just Another Brick in the Wall.
And that, brothers and sisters, IS TOO MUCH !

Originally Posted by jhempel24

How much is too much

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Quexos

Well I'll tell you when how much becomes too much.

When you are born into this world without you ever having been asked your consent or at least your opinion on the matter.
Then when you are alive and finally accept it as a fact, you realize that one day you will have to die and again whether you want it or not is not taken into consideration. You must die, period !
That much is too much.

When you realize that this world has a lot of riches to offer, a lot of happiness, a lot of pleasure but then you learn that you must pay for it all, to the last cent. But of course you learn that the system is such as to keep you just under the line of actual freedom and that most stuff is simply beyond your means as of course you only make enough money for the basics and strict minimum (Which is actually more than a lot have in poor countries)
So man can go to space but don't ever think about you going there, man can fly but apart from commercial flights whose purpose is to take you somewhere, not to freely let you fly up or down, faster or slower, you may not fly in some personal machine that you'd own because it simply is beyond your monetary means, man can drive powerful fancy cars but again don't actually hope to own one as they are totally out of price, I would dare say, on purpose so that only an elite few may own them but not you, never you !
etc ...
That much is again too much.

When you hear they found a cure for AIDS, cancer, leukemia and so on but such treatments are so totally beyond your monetary means that you wonder why bother finding those cures ? Obviously not for the betterment of mankind, only for the benefit of an elite few who again can afford it. And to think that some call those people who find such cures, heroes
That much is definitely too much.

When you hear how everything is taxed.
The money you make, the money you spend, the money you save, the money you inherit, the money you bequeath. And I won't talk about extra hours at work to try and improve your life by getting a little extra because that money is actually taxed at 60, 70 and even 80% making it pointless to try and survive by sacrificing your free time at work.
That much is so very totally too much.

And finally, in order to avoid too much digressing in this post.
When you pay too much for a book, a reading device. But also food, goods and services of course.
But the thing here is, pretty much any price now is too much as I don't see anything that is for sale in our good and benevolent societies, being sold for what it's really worth.
And that is also too much.

But finally what I consider the champion in all categories of too much is the fact that people seem to accept this without question as if it were a normal part of a free society whose effort is the well being of its denizens and not of its corporations.
All in all, it appears, most people are just Another Brick in the Wall.
And that, brothers and sisters, IS TOO MUCH !

Don't forget when someone comes along with a sure fire method of balancing all those other "Too Much" scenario's and then charge you the low price of X in order to get your copy, and it turns out to be an idea that you could have thought of yourself, and which doesn't work near as well as claimed. That is too much as well.