Why is backlist so expensive? - Page 2

cromag · 03-18-2015, 05:52 PM

I rarely buy any ebook for $7.99.* It would have to be a brand new title that I was waiting for, from an author I really, really like.

I have been buying quite a few backlist titles as ebooks from favorite authors in the $2 to $4 range. If I was faced with your situation I would be happy to buy the used paperbacks, but the shipping and handling that Amazon vendors charge adds up. Fortunately, I have a very good used book store not too far away. I get up there frequently and used mass-market paperbacks are usually in the $1 to $3 range, plus my gas ($5 at current prices, assuming I was going to the bookstore and not combining it with other shopping). I don't count the time spent there as an expense since I enjoy it!

* I should note that I have paid $6 to $9 for ebook anthologies (or so-called "ebook boxed sets") that combine several backlist titles each. In this case the price per original book is still in the under $3 range. Just wanted to be clear.

theducks · 03-18-2015, 06:41 PM

I mostly buy Baen Bundles, so I rarely pay 'cover list'

disconnected · 03-18-2015, 08:36 PM

I checked the buy at 7.99 option but I do often wait for sales.

I think (hope) that backlist pricing will change over time. It's still early enough in the ebook era that backlists are still being made available as ebooks for the first time -- so if there is some pent-up demand they will sell, even if the price is relatively high.

When Rex Stout's ebooks appeared a couple of years ago they were mostly around ten dollars; they're mostly about half that now. Agatha Christie's books are mostly about four dollars now.

Obscure Golden Age mysteries are still appearing at the 7.99 price (and I've bought quite a few of them) but I don't think that price will last for too long.

goldilocks · 03-18-2015, 08:54 PM

Although I buy ebooks under $7.99--unless it has more than one story, I can understand why the backlist books cost more.

Most new books have digital copies. Most backlist books likely have to be scanned, ocr done, and proofread. Scanning and doing OCR are the easy jobs. But when it comes to proofreading you have to read the book, not only for words, but punctuation. It is very time-consuming. I know, I have scanned over 800 books! Sometimes I wonder if is really worth it...

I did not vote on the poll because none of the responses really applied to me. But I found the topic interesting.

odamizu · 03-18-2015, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

... A 15 year-old romance is not worth $7.99. Actually, it is not worth $3.99, but it sends me off to sleep with happy thoughts.

Why is a 15-year-old romance worth less than a new romance? The author put in the same amount of time, energy, blood, sweat, and tears regardless of whether you read it when it first came out or 15 years later. If a book is worth $7.99 (or more) to me, I'm willing to pay it no matter how old it is.

JSWolf · 03-18-2015, 09:41 PM

The first option in the poll should be eBook and not Kindle as there are other formats besides Kindle. The last two options make no sense at all. The last option should be "wait for the eBook at a reasonable price".

Tarana · 03-18-2015, 09:54 PM

I selected Kindle @ $7.99, but in reality I shop around and nearly always can wait until there is a sale. I know which authors never go below a certain level in ebook, but most you can get for $4.99 or less. Kobo coupons have been pretty good about this.

Hrafn · 03-18-2015, 10:02 PM

Quote:

How would you purchase a backlist from your favorite author

Generally as DRM-free omnibus editions, particularly from Baen.

SteveEisenberg · 03-18-2015, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by odamizu

Why is a 15-year-old romance worth less than a new romance? The author put in the same amount of time, energy, blood, sweat, and tears . . .

It wouldn't be worth less to me, either.

But looking from another angle, Apple and Microsoft don't charge based on the amount of time, energy, or cost it takes to produce a product. Why should an author or publisher?

As to how much I would spend, it depends on the situation. If the favorite author (Archer Mayor) is easily available from the library, I personally won't pay anything. Hopefully my annual pre-publication reserve request sometimes results in another copy being purchased at near-full price.

The one favorite I will pay for is Hong Kong author Nury Vittachi. Most of his books don't get published in North America, so I'll have to pay what the market will bear should he again write an adult title.

odamizu · 03-18-2015, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

But looking from another angle, Apple and Microsoft don't charge based on the amount of time, energy, or cost it takes to produce a product. Why should an author or publisher?

I'm not saying they should. I'm saying that a book is worth what it's worth no matter whether it's new or old. If a book is worth $7.99 to me (not what it's worth to the author or the publisher, but to me), I'll pay it. The worth has to do with the book content, not how old it is. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

cromag · 03-18-2015, 11:59 PM

Aside from any other argument that might be made, a backlist title is one that (presumably) has already made a profit for both the author and the publisher. A reasonable pricing strategy would reward fans for their loyalty, provide a lower cost introduction for potential new fans, and be a good way to encourage "completists" who might buy up available titles.

GeoffR · 03-19-2015, 04:37 AM

Add $9.98 to the paperback price for Amazon's cheapest shipping option to New Zealand and $7.99 for the ebook starts to look cheap.

pwalker8 · 03-19-2015, 07:33 AM

Quite a few years ago, I heard one of my favorite authors describe his backlist as his 401K. Given the old model of re-releasing backlist books on a rotation basis (kind of like Disney use to release their classic movies) so new readers could find them, then a good author whose books held up well could keep up their income stream, even once they get older and their output starts to slow down. I say this to explain why authors don't just give away their old backlist books.

Ultimately, a book is a book. It doesn't really matter if it's just now being published for the first time, or if it was first published 30 years ago. The only question is do the readers want to read the book? Why would a book that was first published 30 years ago be any less valuable than a book being published today for the first time? I can understand why used paperback books are less valuable, but do we expect a backlist book to cost less when it's being republished? I certainly haven't noticed such a trend in some 40 years of buying books.

Personally, I buy backlist with a hoop and a holler, simply because it means that I have easy access to my favorite books (all 3000 of them <smile> ) I re-read books a lot, so backlist books are valuable to me.

issybird · 03-19-2015, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cromag

Aside from any other argument that might be made, a backlist title is one that (presumably) has already made a profit for both the author and the publisher. A reasonable pricing strategy would reward fans for their loyalty, provide a lower cost introduction for potential new fans, and be a good way to encourage "completists" who might buy up available titles.

I would think both Amazon and the BPH have excellent algorithms regarding the elasticity of demand and the maximization of income from backlist books. As with others, I'd take a wait and see approach. The odds are the books won't get more expensive and I'd expect the prices to dip over time. And if I wanted to read it now sufficiently badly to justify eight bucks, I'd just go ahead and buy it, even if I felt a little ripped off. Kind of like buying an ice cream cone for the cost of an entire pint of premium ice cream. Sometimes you just satisfy that itch. Life's short.

Phogg · 03-19-2015, 07:59 AM

If a used copy is a whole lot cheaper, I may buy one and ship it to a service like dollarscans.
There would have to be a compelling desire for the particular book in question though.
I have a healthy " to be read" list as it is.

View Poll Results: How would you purchase a backlist from your favorite author
Kindle at $7.99	34	62.96%
Brand new paperback at $8.49	2	3.70%
Used paperback at $3.99	16	29.63%
I don't buy ebooks	3	5.56%
I don't read--why am I here?	1	1.85%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 54. You may not vote on this poll

03-19-2015, 07:33 AM	#28
pwalker8 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,196 Karma: 70314280 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Device: iPad Pro, iPad mini, Kobo Aura, Amazon paperwhite, Sony PRS-T2	Quite a few years ago, I heard one of my favorite authors describe his backlist as his 401K. Given the old model of re-releasing backlist books on a rotation basis (kind of like Disney use to release their classic movies) so new readers could find them, then a good author whose books held up well could keep up their income stream, even once they get older and their output starts to slow down. I say this to explain why authors don't just give away their old backlist books. Ultimately, a book is a book. It doesn't really matter if it's just now being published for the first time, or if it was first published 30 years ago. The only question is do the readers want to read the book? Why would a book that was first published 30 years ago be any less valuable than a book being published today for the first time? I can understand why used paperback books are less valuable, but do we expect a backlist book to cost less when it's being republished? I certainly haven't noticed such a trend in some 40 years of buying books. Personally, I buy backlist with a hoop and a holler, simply because it means that I have easy access to my favorite books (all 3000 of them <smile> ) I re-read books a lot, so backlist books are valuable to me. Last edited by pwalker8; 03-19-2015 at 07:42 AM.

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03-18-2015, 05:52 PM	#16
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 26,294 Karma: 459765791 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	I rarely buy any ebook for $7.99.* It would have to be a brand new title that I was waiting for, from an author I really, really like. I have been buying quite a few backlist titles as ebooks from favorite authors in the $2 to $4 range. If I was faced with your situation I would be happy to buy the used paperbacks, but the shipping and handling that Amazon vendors charge adds up. Fortunately, I have a very good used book store not too far away. I get up there frequently and used mass-market paperbacks are usually in the $1 to $3 range, plus my gas ($5 at current prices, assuming I was going to the bookstore and not combining it with other shopping). I don't count the time spent there as an expense since I enjoy it! * I should note that I have paid $6 to $9 for ebook anthologies (or so-called "ebook boxed sets") that combine several backlist titles each. In this case the price per original book is still in the under $3 range. Just wanted to be clear.

03-18-2015, 06:41 PM	#17
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,062 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	I mostly buy Baen Bundles, so I rarely pay 'cover list'

03-18-2015, 08:36 PM	#18
disconnected Fanatic Posts: 527 Karma: 4504715 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: US Device: Kobo Forma, Libra, H2O2e2, Clara, Auras, Kindles, Nooks, Sony, iPAQ	I checked the buy at 7.99 option but I do often wait for sales. I think (hope) that backlist pricing will change over time. It's still early enough in the ebook era that backlists are still being made available as ebooks for the first time -- so if there is some pent-up demand they will sell, even if the price is relatively high. When Rex Stout's ebooks appeared a couple of years ago they were mostly around ten dollars; they're mostly about half that now. Agatha Christie's books are mostly about four dollars now. Obscure Golden Age mysteries are still appearing at the 7.99 price (and I've bought quite a few of them) but I don't think that price will last for too long.

03-18-2015, 08:54 PM	#19
goldilocks Addict Posts: 344 Karma: 1222222 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Florida Device: Sony PRS-505	Although I buy ebooks under $7.99--unless it has more than one story, I can understand why the backlist books cost more. Most new books have digital copies. Most backlist books likely have to be scanned, ocr done, and proofread. Scanning and doing OCR are the easy jobs. But when it comes to proofreading you have to read the book, not only for words, but punctuation. It is very time-consuming. I know, I have scanned over 800 books! Sometimes I wonder if is really worth it... I did not vote on the poll because none of the responses really applied to me. But I found the topic interesting.

03-18-2015, 09:41 PM	#21
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,758 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The first option in the poll should be eBook and not Kindle as there are other formats besides Kindle. The last two options make no sense at all. The last option should be "wait for the eBook at a reasonable price".

03-18-2015, 09:54 PM	#22
Tarana Wizard Posts: 4,038 Karma: 38840460 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Minneapolis Device: PWSE, Voyage, K3, HDX, KBasic 7 & 8, Nook Glo3, Echos, Nanos	I selected Kindle @ $7.99, but in reality I shop around and nearly always can wait until there is a sale. I know which authors never go below a certain level in ebook, but most you can get for $4.99 or less. Kobo coupons have been pretty good about this.

03-18-2015, 11:59 PM	#26
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 26,294 Karma: 459765791 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	Aside from any other argument that might be made, a backlist title is one that (presumably) has already made a profit for both the author and the publisher. A reasonable pricing strategy would reward fans for their loyalty, provide a lower cost introduction for potential new fans, and be a good way to encourage "completists" who might buy up available titles.

03-19-2015, 04:37 AM	#27
GeoffR Wizard Posts: 3,821 Karma: 19162882 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Te Riu-a-Māui Device: Kobo Glo	Add $9.98 to the paperback price for Amazon's cheapest shipping option to New Zealand and $7.99 for the ebook starts to look cheap.

03-19-2015, 07:59 AM	#30
Phogg PHD in Horribleness Posts: 2,320 Karma: 23599604 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: In the ironbound section, near avenue L Device: Just a whole bunch. I guess I am a collector now.	If a used copy is a whole lot cheaper, I may buy one and ship it to a service like dollarscans. There would have to be a compelling desire for the particular book in question though. I have a healthy " to be read" list as it is.