Would you pay more for ebook than paperback?

[pdurrant]

Looking back over my purchases, I think that my "buy" point for ebooks has gone down over the years.

[Quake1028]

Not really, IF the paperback is out for cheaper. If it's a buck or so, fine, I am e-book only now. I have paid up to $16.99 for an e-book, the audio/video enhanced version of 11/22/63 on release day. Worth every penny. I have paid $12.99 & $14.99 for several new releases and had no regrets. So, if it's a new book, and I want it badly, I will pay almost anything. If it's older, I will wait for a sale. Simple, to me.

[Sydney's Mom]

No, I will not pay more for an ebook. And $12.99 is my limit on an ebook - more than that, and I put a request in at the library.

[unkilbeeg]

I won't pay more for an ebook. The bottom line for me is that the ebook is worth less. Disregarding publishers' costs, or "value pricing," etc, the ebook delivers less overall value.

I'm not talking about nebulous notions of "feel" or "smell," etc. I like paper books well enough, and probably still read more dead tree than I do electrons, but the "romantic" aspects aren't very important, and for some situations the ebook is the better experience.

So it's not to say that the ebook delivers no value, or that in some respects it doesn't deliver superior value, overall it's still less. Illustrations are less useful, including covers. Ebooks are more linear, less random access -- it's like going back to scrolls after a lifetime of codices.

But most importantly, it has no residual value when I'm done with it. I can't lend it or sell it or give it away. It can't be passed around between all my friends (yeah, even if it comes back a ragged shade of its former self...) I am a re-reader, so most of the time I don't get rid of books permanently, but ebooks remove the choice.

This is true even if it is non-DRMed in the first place. Selling is out of the question, and giving or lending, although possible, is a bit morally questionable. (I'd make exception for Baen books, since they seem to be in favor of such lending.) Even disregarding any of that though, it's a lot less convenient.

So for any given book, the ebook price will have to be less than the paperback or I won't buy it.

[Pookeysgirl]

I don't really look at the price for the paperback/hardback. I pay what I think it's worth. Sometimes only $1, sometimes over $14.99. Depends on the author and how badly I want that particular book. I have most the Dresden books (all except one) and have paid about $12.42 per book. I would like to keep it at $9.99 or under but sometimes I just can't wait any longer

[Xanthe]

Originally Posted by unkilbeeg

I won't pay more for an ebook. The bottom line for me is that the ebook is worth less. Disregarding publishers' costs, or "value pricing," etc, the ebook delivers less overall value.

Ditto that. I will never pay more for an ebook than for a paper book. I place more value on owning an actual paper book than I do a text file, no matter what argument some might raise or comparisons they might draw. High-priced ebooks trigger the "I am being ripped-off" response in me, logical or not.

[LuceBianchi]

That depends. Is the paperback secondhand? :P

If the paperback is not a used copy, then no. Never. If the paperback is a used copy, I will carefully consider whether the price or the copy being searchable and never wearing out is more important to me.

[spindlegirl]

Used paperbacks for me have been awesome. I've bought some for $2 over 15 years ago that are good.

[carld]

Of course for some of us it's a choice between buying the ebook, not reading it, or hoping that the library eventually stocks an ebook copy.

[~Kate]

Sure - I already DO pay more for ebooks. Because I can get a lot of regular books at thrift shops and discount book stores cheaper. Or read at the library for free. But I like the ebooks because of convenience, because they are digital (and lasting almost "forever"), and reading something "clean" that is not already used, yellowed, and falling apart.

[oj829]

Not bragging, mind you, but Amazon charged $17 and change for the new Pete Townshend hardback ("Who I Am"), and Google Books and B&N charged $18.99 for the ebook.

[SolRaven]

Yes. The convenience is worth it.

[applesauce]

I have to say depends on the book, if it is something I am desperate to read, then I would pay anything. Say a new Game of Thrones book. But for a book that was going into my HUGE slush pile of waiting to read, then I would wait for the price to drop. I can only read with an ereader, paper is no good with my vision. I have brought more than 300 books that I still have not read, and have about 50 in my wish list that I am willing to wait on a price drop to purchase. Off the top of my head there would be less than 10 books I am waiting on to be published that are in the now now and right now at any price list.
But the reality is it is no different than if it was paper, those must have now books are the ones I would snap up day of release as a hard cover.
As I see it I am just paying day of release price in a formate that works for me.

applesauce

[rkw]

Originally Posted by alanHd

Having just finished the last Dresden files book and eagerly awaiting the release of Cold Days on amazon, i was just about to pre-order the ebook when i noticed it costs more than the paperback.

I know they can charge what the want but that just smacks of greed.
There is no way i am going to order it now, no matter how much i want to read it.

No way can they justify that. no shipping or materials.

one really pissed of customer......

Something I have not read mentioned here is what my experience with Kindle book pre-orders. The actual price at the release date is almost always lower than the pre-order price. In fact I cannot recall a time when I did not get charged less for my pre-orders though I rarely do pre-orders of an ebook because, well, ummmm, why? Not like they will run out. I just put it in my watch list and a tickler in my contact/to-do list if it is really important to me. Otherwise I just wait to remember about remembering.

Has Amazon changed this in the last year or so? It has been at least that long since I pre-ordered any book.

[sparklemotion]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I got over comparing the price of ebooks to any kind of print equivalent a long time ago. It's worth what it's worth to me; plain and simple. The price of an existing (or non-existent, pre-order) paperback book doesn't even factor in my decision (if I have no intention of actually purchasing the paperback, that is) any more.

This is my feeling as well.