How much do you pay for fiction ebooks?

[birdbrainbb]

I try to stay around $3 a book or less, but I make exceptions. For instance, I'll pay more for a book if it's in support of something-- like this Kickstarter project I just supported. Three books for $25 is way more than I'd pay normally, but I want to support the project (& read the books, obviously) so I don't mind splurging a bit.

I'll also go higher if it's a book in a series I'm reading! But probably even then not more than $8 or so.

[crich70]

I've bought a few for $9.99 but usually I try to buy books that are either being offered free or that are just a couple bucks. There are a lot of good .99 books at Amazon.

[usuallee]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I should expand on my previous statement and say that I never buy ebooks when they are at hardback prices. I'll always wait for the paperback release before buying the ebook, when the price falls. I have such a long TBR list that waiting a year is of no importance to me.

Just to chime in late, I pretty much agree with this sentiment. For a long time I was buying way more ebooks than I was reading, as a result I have a backlog of perfectly fine books. I have amazon wish lists and if I notice a book's price has dropped considerably, I'll snag it. Of course, there's always the impulse purchases and the occasional hardback indulgence.

Am I the only one who instinctively sort of wrinkles their nose at an ebook priced too low? Say, under $6.99? The "you get what you pay for" principle I suppose. I had a number of highly unsatisfactory encounters with indie and self-published novels when I was new to ereading, and I may be permanently prejudiced now.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by usuallee

Am I the only one who instinctively sort of wrinkles their nose at an ebook priced too low? Say, under $6.99? The "you get what you pay for" principle I suppose. I had a number of highly unsatisfactory encounters with indie and self-published novels when I was new to ereading, and I may be permanently prejudiced now.

You aren't the only one. I have two friends, who don't know each other that will not by anything on sale as they assume it is inferior. One actually thinks that toilet paper of the same brand/packaging etc. is inferior if it is being sold at a lower price. He has a more discerning bum perhaps.

I wouldn't pay a nickel for anything I thought I wouldn't use, although I have bought things I didn't use but I have bought cheap or even free books by an author I admire even before ebooks. Rarely disappointed.

Helen

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by usuallee

Am I the only one who instinctively sort of wrinkles their nose at an ebook priced too low? Say, under $6.99? The "you get what you pay for" principle I suppose. I had a number of highly unsatisfactory encounters with indie and self-published novels when I was new to ereading, and I may be permanently prejudiced now.

I certainly take the view that, sales apart, an author who prices a book at 99p apparently places little value on his or her own work, and that makes me wary.

[crich70]

There is a good reason I stick to lower priced books. Being on disability my income is small so I have less funds to work with (after regular monthly bills are deducted) and therefore if I bought a bunch of books at say $5-$6.00 a piece it would add up quickly leading me to have less left over for any necessary expenses that came along. I'm sure I'm not alone in that either. And not every author who prices their book at .99 has little regard for their own work (IMO) though I imagine some might think that way due to lack of confidence (especially if a new writer). Some might also figure I'll put this low price on this short piece that I've written and that will draw people to check it out and maybe buy my longer pieces that will be priced at a higher cost. So if they don't want to just give it away and want to draw in future buyers they set the cost of some of their pieces low as a result. Just my opinion of two reasons why some do set their prices so low.

[jersysman]

Personally, I like the lower prices and don't look at the lower price as an author not valuing their work. I just look at it as those authors trying to get noticed on a stage that is becoming more and more saturated with product. I, in fact, look for those books priced $2.99 and below.

[issybird]

It's not just that life is too short to squander on reading bad books, it's that reading bad books is actively painful. Moreover, the indie book that isn't dreadful is the very rare exception in my experience and it's certainly not worth my time to sift the Everest looking for the random nugget.

Frankly, I don't get the limited funds argument. If I couldn't justify spending any money at all on ebooks, I could still read happily for the rest of my life on public domain books and elibrary offerings. Occasional Kobo megacoupons also knock down the price of mainstream books to indie levels.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by issybird

Moreover, the indie book that isn't dreadful is the very rare exception in my experience and it's certainly not worth my time to sift the Everest looking for the random nugget.

My experience too. And yet my average price is still $3.00. It comes of being able to wait for wishlist items to become available on a special offer of some kind.

(& having bought around 200 books this year, keeping my average purchase price low is a necessity for me!)

[Yapyap]

A higher price for a self-published book isn't really any indication of quality either (I've seen atrociously written ones where the authors are happily attempting to charge what they see as a fair price of $9.99-12.99, where I'm pretty sure the books have never seen as much as a beta reader with a critical eye, never mind a proper editor or even a proofreader), so to me, for self-published books, a low price is rather preferable to a higher price.

Of course a price of $3.99-$6.99 shows the author values their work, but frankly, more often than not, it turns out they do so mistakenly - and in the meantime, I could get a few years' old trad-pubbed book for that price (which may also be rather bad, but there's at least a better chance of it being readable).

In any case, cheap or not, I'm only reading self-pubbed books based on recs from people I know these days.

As for limited funds arguments and not getting them ... not everyone wants to read public domain books and nothing but that, and not everyone lives in a country (or a part of a country) where there are e-books in libraries at all, never mind a decent selection. (And, needless to say, not everyone lives in a country with Western income levels.)

[samy2]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Price is completely irrelevant to me. If I want a book, I buy it, regardless of price.

Even if it's 100 bucks or more?

[samy2]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

Should one always assume the highest price is the fairest price? Maybe one retailer cuts corners by underpaying staff or shifty dealings. But what about the guy who puts in 12 hour days to keep his business afloat and must have reasonable prices to attract buyers. Do we assume lack of integrity and shady dealings every time we see a lower price? Sometimes a higher price is only there for the benefit of the end seller and the creator may get even less then from lower priced outlets.

Helen

Very true. Not only for ebooks.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by samy2

Even if it's 100 bucks or more?

I have bought books on programming in the 90's that were like fl. 100 or more. (fl. = (Dutch) Florins, or Guilders, which would be around €45 or $61 nowadays.) Those were just "normal" books on programming subjects, by "normal" writers.

Also, I've often bought text books (for university level study) that were €100 or more, written by people like Prof. Dr. Ir. Mr. Mrs. Peter Janssen, Ph.D. M.D. Jr.

[samy2]

But here its about fiction ebooks.

[afv011]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I certainly take the view that, sales apart, an author who prices a book at 99p apparently places little value on his or her own work, and that makes me wary.

Or maybe they're just trying to break into the market and create some audience.