New Stephen King Ebook more than HC

[J. Strnad]

Let's say a trade paperback has a list price of $12.50, and the hardcover has a list price of $25. (The publisher and the author get the same wholesale price regardless of how big a discount the retailer offers.)

I'm not sure exactly what point you're making here, but it seems a bit murky.

The publisher gets the wholesale price, but the author's royalty is based on the retail price. Except that most author contracts give a certain percentage for normally-discounted books and a much lower percentage (such as half as much) for books sold at a higher discount, such as that demanded by B&N so that it can knock 45% off the list price of a bestseller. If the discount to the retailer is steep enough, it will count as a promotional price that pays the author nothing.

You're right that the production and distribution costs don't determine the price. Price is determined by what the market will pay. But lower ebook production and distribution costs mean that an ebook can sell for less, and the public knows it, and the public feels that ebooks have less value than hardbacks, and so they expect lower prices than what they're being offered.

I don't have any hard, statistical evidence that a reasonable price leads to less piracy. I could be wrong about that. I could understand that some people are just not socialized enough to not steal if they can get away with it. But I can also imagine that even people who do recognize the value of paying for what you get could be ticked off when they view the price as exorbitant, as "price gouging" for whatever reason, and I can see this group turning to piracy out of spite.

I'm sure the reasons for piracy are many and that there's simply a group who will pirate for the fun of it even in the face of legal, affordable alternatives. The trick isn't to eliminate it, but to motivate enough people to pay your price that you can sustain your business.

[Gwen Morse]

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

The publisher gets the wholesale price, but the author's royalty is based on the retail price. Except that most author contracts give a certain percentage for normally-discounted books and a much lower percentage (such as half as much) for books sold at a higher discount, such as that demanded by B&N so that it can knock 45% off the list price of a bestseller. If the discount to the retailer is steep enough, it will count as a promotional price that pays the author nothing.

See now, that last statement is just wrong! (I'm not saying it's incorrect, I'm saying it's not morally appropriate to do.)

The author writes the book. If the author gets paid $0 royalties for the book (or $0 credit towards their advance), then, the publisher should be paid $0 for providing the book to the retailer.

[mikemc2]

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

One crucial aspect of the Radiohead experiment is

that people will still pay for digital content if it is reasonably priced and easy to obtain. Radiohead had 1.2 million downloads and fans paid an average of £4 each. That's about $7,000,000 (and that doesn't count downloads since or CDs sold). Considering there was no record company cut coming out of those digital sales I'd say the experiment went very, very well for them.

[NightBird]

The price has dropped to $12.99 now.

[Grimm]

Glad I think King is over-hyped, boring trash.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by NightBird

The price has dropped to $12.99 now.

That's why I just finally bought it.

Originally Posted by bgalbrecht

In the new digital world, you can't get it used, in the case of MacMillan and Simon & Schuster, can't get it from the library (in ebook form)

I had requested a MacMillan epub ebook from the Philly library and they told me they couldn't get the epub, but the enhanced WMA was bundled with the pdf version. I don't know how many other books have this, but it's one way to get MacMillan at the library. It was Room by Emma Donoghue - great book.

[laughingdragons]

Originally Posted by NightBird

The price has dropped to $12.99 now.

Still not low enough. I haven't paid over $9.99 for an ebook.

I can wait I have a ton of books to read till then

[NightBird]

Still not low enough. I haven't paid over $9.99 for an ebook.

Ditto that. I was just surprised (and encouraged) that they had starting dropping the price already.

Glad it came down to within your price range, though, Purple Lady.

[jhempel24]

I would say that this book is worth $13....it's really King at his best in my opinion, this is old King hands down.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by NightBird

Ditto that. I was just surprised (and encouraged) that they had starting dropping the price already.

Glad it came down to within your price range, though, Purple Lady.

This is probably the most I have spent. I am just hoping it is King at his best.

[jhempel24]

It is....in my opinion anyway, there are just some gritty things in this book that really haven't been present in a King book in a long time.

[laughingdragons]

Originally Posted by jhempel24

I would say that this book is worth $13....it's really King at his best in my opinion, this is old King hands down.

Glad to hear it I've missed his books. I used to be a HUGE King fan. After he had his car accident his books seemed to go down hill. I forget what book it was I struggled to read and put it down. It happened a few times so I stopped reading his books.

Ive got something like 36 HC books (his first/old ones) the only books I won't part with.

I'll buy this one when it goes to $9.99 and give him a try again.

I forgot I did buy Blockade Billy (I love baseball) because I got it for $2.99, but I haven't read it yet.

Are there any of his other newer ones that are good?

[jhempel24]

Blockade Billy is great!!

Just as an FYI, I found this on YouTube from future shorts, they are teaser vids for the stories in the book, and they are FANTASTIC!! VERY well produced, and gave me chills!

1922

Big Driver

Fair Extension

A Good Marriage

[laughingdragons]

Thaks!

I'll check those out.