The eventual impact of ebooks on the used book market

[ApK]

Originally Posted by DuskyRose

I don't think price has anything to do with quality

That does appear so currently, but it should. It would make sense if there was a direct correlation between price and quality.
I don't mean quality of the content, I just mean if you have the overhead of good editors and designers, it would make sense if that cost was passed on. If you don't, it would make sense if the book was cheaper.

ApK

[DuskyRose]

Originally Posted by ApK

That does appear so currently, but it should. It would make sense if there was a direct correlation between price and quality.
I don't mean quality of the content, I just mean if you have the overhead of good editors and designers, it would make sense if that cost was passed on. If you don't, it would make sense if the book was cheaper.

ApK

I think the publishers have always covered their own ass' by passing along the cost to either the buyer or the author's share of the pie.

And when the works' not been put in, (which seems to be the complaint among a lot of authors) I don't think the publishers lower the prices of their books. They're always going to get as much as they think they possibly can. Always.

And being cheaper isn't an indicator of quality of ebooks. Many have caught on that it's better to sell a LOT of ebooks at a cheap price than just a few at a higher price. After all, it's not like they'll run out. And they don't have the problem of transporting stock around the country, and having to deal with physical returns. And giving out Freebies can earn reviews and good word-of-mouth they can't buy otherwise.

So, no I don't really think price and quality have ever really been tied together. It's always been that they charge the most they think they can get, no matter how much they've put into it.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Waylander

In Britain the publishers have also made the move away from MMPB's. However, the bigger books that are now the norm, i.e. B format books, are nearly always the same price as their smaller cousins, so I just don't see the point. In fact, some MMPB's (or those that are left) are MORE expensive than the bigger books! How does that work, and what was the reason for changing to a bigger size while still charging basically the same? Even if there is a price rise, it is usually from something like £6.99 to £7-£8.99, which is not that much more, and as I said, the MMPB often cost this in the first place.

The bigger books the shops have to order and pay for. For MMPB's they can tear away the cover and return that only for the books they do nto sell. And they only pay for the books they sell. So of course publisher want to sell bigger books.

[Lady Blue]

Originally Posted by tompe

The bigger books the shops have to order and pay for. For MMPB's they can tear away the cover and return that only for the books they do nto sell. And they only pay for the books they sell. So of course publisher want to sell bigger books.

I know that's routinely done, but it seems like such a wasteful practice.

[calvin-c]

Originally Posted by ApK

No, the idea is: if people buy new ebooks instead of NEW pbooks, then eventually there will be no used pbooks to buy. All used books were new once first.

Very logical but, as somebody said, if the world were a logical place men would ride sidesaddle. I've certainly seen no diminishment in the supply of used pbooks so, if they're going to disappear then I think it'll take a long, long time.

[covingtoncat73]

Originally Posted by calvin-c

Very logical but, as somebody said, if the world were a logical place men would ride sidesaddle. I've certainly seen no diminishment in the supply of used pbooks so, if they're going to disappear then I think it'll take a long, long time.

Heh. Good point. It would take a long time. They are still printing pbooks and, if a pbook is printed on acid-free, it can last a long time. I love it when I can find an uber-cheap hardcover of a book I really want to keep because I enjoyed it so much in eBook. I don't even mind if it has a few markings, if it is a first edition.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by calvin-c

I've certainly seen no diminishment in the supply of used pbooks

Of course not. This is a prediction about the future. We're still in the dawn, or at best mid-morning, of the ebook age.

Originally Posted by calvin-c

Very logical but, as somebody said, if the world were a logical place men would ride sidesaddle.

Hehe. I've always liked "If the world were logical, professional athletes would hang around talking about the enormous salaries school teachers were pulling in."

[ApK]

Originally Posted by DuskyRose

And when the works' not been put in, (which seems to be the complaint among a lot of authors) I don't think the publishers lower the prices of their books. They're always going to get as much as they think they possibly can. Always.

Yes, that's the way it is. But it's not the way it should be. And it's not a given that it always has to go on the same way.
For example. we, as consumers, can drastically lower the amount publishers can get for bad work by refusing to buy it.

[DuskyRose]

Originally Posted by ApK

For example. we, as consumers, can drastically lower the amount publishers can get for bad work by refusing to buy it.

But isn't that the same old problem?

How do you know something something isn't up to your own standards unless you buy it to read it first? Then it's kind of late to avoid having paid for something you didn't like.

Samples and reviews only go so far. Everyone has their own Red Flags that throw them off a book.

I don't intentionally download for free, or pay for, something I think isn't going to measure up to the quality I want to see.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by DuskyRose

But isn't that the same old problem?

How do you know something something isn't up to your own standards unless you buy it to read it first? Then it's kind of late to avoid having paid for something you didn't like.

Demand a refund. Dispute the charge with your credit card company.
Make sure to tell the merchant and the publisher (and forums and bloggers) why.

[rkomar]

Originally Posted by calvin-c

I've certainly seen no diminishment in the supply of used pbooks so, if they're going to disappear then I think it'll take a long, long time.

Used book shops used to be plentiful around my neighbourhood, but recently they've been dying like flies. As there are fewer places to take used books, more and more people will just toss them into the recycling bin rather than put them back into circulation. The change seems to be happening more quickly than I would have hoped for.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by rkomar

Used book shops used to be plentiful around my neighbourhood, but recently they've been dying like flies. As there are fewer places to take used books, more and more people will just toss them into the recycling bin rather than put them back into circulation. The change seems to be happening more quickly than I would have hoped for.

Used book stores disappeared in a lot of places 10-20 years ago especially in dense population areas. I think it was because of the higher rent/demand for street level business properties. Thrift stores still seem to flourish though and while most don't take trades, occasionally some do. Plus the books are generally so much cheaper, you are not losing anything financially, just the abstract feeling that you are getting something for your books. Smaller thrift stores generally have cheaper prices (50 cents-1.00) and have better quality, newer books, but less selection. Bigger thrift stores have 1,000,s of books but may be as high as $3.

I have yet to spot a book in the recycling bin in my building. I think most people donate them or put them in a place like a laundry room or bus stop where others can take them.

Helen

[rkomar]

We have a few thrift shops nearby, but the books aren't sorted, and the selection isn't great, so you have to be ready to go through a lot of books to maybe find something interesting. I find that I'm just not willing to put in that kind of time and effort. Maybe after the last two used book stores close down...

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by rkomar

We have a few thrift shops nearby, but the books aren't sorted, and the selection isn't great, so you have to be ready to go through a lot of books to maybe find something interesting. I find that I'm just not willing to put in that kind of time and effort. Maybe after the last two used book stores close down...

yes they are usually not sorted. I have almost always been able either find to find a few books in under 10 minutes or decide there was nothing I wanted though. I don't do paper books any more, but I did buy some for a friend in the north in a town without book sellers of any kind last year and I was amazed to buy 20 books of the type that she likes for $10 in a very short time. And they were mostly recently published so unlikely that she had read them.

Helen

[harriska2]

I'm also on the swap website and at first got rid of tons of books as I switched to ebook. It has *really* slowed down in the last year or so - I have lots of books on my swap site still available. I realize ebooks may lead to a diminished used book future - but I wonder if the cost of books will go down because people tend to buy "new" ebooks that that have money going to the pocket of the author (especially with self publishing) rather than used books which give nothing to the author. I buy a lot of used old books - especially elementary school science books - because the new ones are really crap.