Are Attitudes About E-Book Prices Changing?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

There's no reason why ebook prices would need to be static. Premium (hardback) price when it's new, dropping down to paperback price when sales drop off, then used paperback price to mop up the rest.

This is exactly what does happen with many eBooks, in my experience.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

Because the "hardcover" price is discounted at similar rates that I could get if I did some comparison shopping for print version. The MMPB prices do not give the same option.

Eh? We are talking about hardcover and paperback level ebook prices that booth are frozen by the publisher. So none of the prices are discounted.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by HarryT

This is exactly what does happen with many eBooks, in my experience.

It hasn't been in mine.

"Rapture Ready" from Scribner is $17.50 Hardcover, $11.39 Paperback, and $16.99 and standing at eBook form. (Used for $2, $3, or $4 depending on the edition.)

$17.50 for a hardcover sort of makes sense because as people have said before, you were paying for the immediacy. Not bringing the eBook down to match the paperback is, in my opinion, unacceptable.

Maybe the bestsellers are coming down on eBook prices, but the backlist and the lesser known books are most definitely sitting pretty at hardcover prices in many a case.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by tompe

Eh? We are talking about hardcover and paperback level ebook prices that booth are frozen by the publisher. So none of the prices are discounted.

Hardcover prices are not set by the publisher. Amazon could sell all their hardcovers tomorrow at $1.50 for major losses, and the publisher couldn't/wouldn't stop them, IIUC.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Hardcover prices are not set by the publisher. Amazon could sell all their hardcovers tomorrow at $1.50 for major losses, and the publisher couldn't/wouldn't stop them, IIUC.

That was why I wrote "hardcover level ebook prices". To me that seems to be an understandable sentence so I do not know how to be more clear.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

It hasn't been in mine.

"Rapture Ready" from Scribner is $17.50 Hardcover, $11.39 Paperback, and $16.99 and standing at eBook form. (Used for $2, $3, or $4 depending on the edition.)

$17.50 for a hardcover sort of makes sense because as people have said before, you were paying for the immediacy. Not bringing the eBook down to match the paperback is, in my opinion, unacceptable.

Maybe the bestsellers are coming down on eBook prices, but the backlist and the lesser known books are most definitely sitting pretty at hardcover prices in many a case.

But the paperback is not published by Scribner. Or is "Shoemaker & Hoard, Div of Avalon Publishing Group Inc (8 April 2010)" also Scribner?

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by tompe

That was why I wrote "hardcover level ebook prices". To me that seems to be an understandable sentence so I do not know how to be more clear.

AH, forgive me. I see what you meant now. The "level" threw me.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by tompe

But the paperback is not published by Scribner. Or is "Shoemaker & Hoard, Div of Avalon Publishing Group Inc (8 April 2010)" also Scribner?

I believe they are all ultimately owned by Simon and Schuster; I do not believe the author switched publishers between hardcover and papercover editions. I could be wrong.

And I should add that the "Hardcover Bargain" price on Amazon is $10. That's $7 LESS than the eBook which is, itself $5 more than the paperback.

Essentially, the eBook is currently the most expensive edition out there due to price fixing.

http://www.amazon.com/Rapture-Ready-...9361372&sr=8-1

[stonetools]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

It hasn't been in mine.

"Rapture Ready" from Scribner is $17.50 Hardcover, $11.39 Paperback, and $16.99 and standing at eBook form. (Used for $2, $3, or $4 depending on the edition.)

$17.50 for a hardcover sort of makes sense because as people have said before, you were paying for the immediacy. Not bringing the eBook down to match the paperback is, in my opinion, unacceptable.

Maybe the bestsellers are coming down on eBook prices, but the backlist and the lesser known books are most definitely sitting pretty at hardcover prices in many a case.

Individual anecdotes aren't data. I take it for granted that you can find quite a few examples of publishers overpricing ebooks-and examples of publishers UNDERPRICING ebooks (yes, Virginia, such a thing is possible ).
In general, Harry T. is right-ebook prices decline in time to the price of an MMPB.
The problem is that most folks here think that ebook prices should START about the price of an MMPB and decline rapidly from there. That's probably an unsustainable business model, and the people who advocate that have yet to show that it's a sustainable model- other than assumptions about what it should cost to produce an ebook.

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by HarryT

This is exactly what does happen with many eBooks, in my experience.

Do you have any examples? I can't say that I've noticed any myself, but most of what I buy is self or small published anyway.

This one, the first of Amazon's publications, I think, is £5.62 for the ebook, discounted from £7.02. The realbook is £6.97, discounted from £9.99.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stirred-Jacq...9364440&sr=1-1

This one, a couple of years old now, is £6.38 for the realbook, discounted from £9.99. Second hand copies are available on the same page from £2.75 inc post, and new copies from non-Amazon dealers you can get from £3.91 inc post. The ebook is £4.99.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hater-David-...9364656&sr=1-6

[tompe]

I do not think you can use old books as examples. For old books were most of the books on the mass market price level have already been sold it seems rational to have a high ebook price. Also the book will be available easily used and you cannot compete with that.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

I believe they are all ultimately owned by Simon and Schuster; I do not believe the author switched publishers between hardcover and papercover editions. I could be wrong.

And I should add that the "Hardcover Bargain" price on Amazon is $10. That's $7 LESS than the eBook which is, itself $5 more than the paperback.

Essentially, the eBook is currently the most expensive edition out there due to price fixing.

http://www.amazon.com/Rapture-Ready-...9361372&sr=8-1

All three editions are published by different companies. Two of which no longer exist. One was bought and merged and later sold again, and the other folded completely with their titles managed by another indie company.

For this particular title the printed editions were abandoned with only the ebook by S&S still active.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by Fbone

All three editions are published by different companies. Two of which no longer exist. One was bought and merged and later sold again, and the other folded completely with their titles managed by another indie company.

For this particular title the printed editions were abandoned with only the ebook by S&S still active.

Even if they aren't subsidiaries of S&S (and I still cannot confirm or deny this), I still see no compelling reason why the eBook should be priced more highly than any other available edition.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by tompe

I do not think you can use old books as examples. For old books were most of the books on the mass market price level have already been sold it seems rational to have a high ebook price.

Huh? I can't understand that. Because the book is old it makes sense to charge more for it? Charge lots when it is new, lower the price for a bit, then put it back up again?

Also the book will be available easily used and you cannot compete with that.

Sure you can. The costs of selling an eBook are extremely low. If you are competing with used book sales then you are not cannibalising your own new sales, so every sale is extra revenue you would not have had otherwise. Used sales give you no money. Any money is more than no money.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

Huh? I can't understand that. Because the book is old it makes sense to charge more for it? Charge lots when it is new, lower the price for a bit, then put it back up again?

For an old book were new customers will not be so many the optimal price point is probably a higher price. What is hard to understand in that? People buying an old book will buy it because they want to read just that book and can therefore pay more. If they just wanted to read a good book it is more rational to buy a new book.