Your Current Book Buying Habits - Return to Agency Pricing

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I don't ever remember liking a book more (or less for that matter) because of the price I got it for.

I actually can remember just this, at least, I think it was true.

There were at least 2 series I followed that originally released in MMPB that switched to hardback mid-series. At that time, I was reading between 100-150 books a year and bought a lot of my books used, but I'd buy my favorites new.

I remember disliking both of those stories that were released in hardback. I've never felt that I knew for sure if I "graded" the books more harshly because I had to pay 3 times more that I had for previous books in the series, or if I just didn't like those stories.

I don't think I ever re-read those to see, because I no longer follow either of those series.

[darryl]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I don't ever remember liking a book more (or less for that matter) because of the price I got it for.

Very true. But paying too much for something can leave a sour taste if you let it.

[crossi]

When you have a large backlog of bought but not yet read books why buy immediately when there is a good chance that by the time you are ready to read it you can buy it for much less? There are not a lot of books I need to read right now no matter what the price.

As for those who say they are price agnostic, that is obviously untrue. Even if they are like the average reader and only read 5 books a year and so don't mind paying full hardback prices (Unlike those who read a book a day), so they are OK with new hard back prices, say $25. What if they raised it to $50 for the same book? Or $100? Eventually those "agnostics" are going to say it's too much even for only 5 books.

[DiapDealer]

"At $4.99, I'd give this book 5 stars. However ... its $8.99 price tag leaves me no choice but to reduce that to 3.5"

"I highly recommend this book if you can find it for under $6. Otherwise, I suggest trying something else."

"This book was OK ... but only because someone gave it to me. I'd've hated it if I had to pay for it."

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

"At $4.99, I'd give this book 5 stars. However ... its $8.99 price tag leaves me no choice but to reduce that to 3.5"

"I highly recommend this book if you can find it for under $6. Otherwise, I suggest trying something else."

"This book was OK ... but only because someone gave it to me. I'd've hated it if I had to pay for it."

I've seen made reviews that have said exactly that. It seems relatively common for people to assign a specific monetary value to a book.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I've seen made reviews that have said exactly that. It seems relatively common for people to assign a specific monetary value to a book.

Oh, I've seen it too. It's just not something to which I can relate.

At the price of a relatively forgettable (or slightly better) twelve-pack of beer (bottles), I find the enjoyment I get out of a novel (even an average one) to be quite the bargain--electronic OR physical. What it costs a publisher to "make" an ebook doesn't cross my mind. I simply can't think of any cheaper pasttime involving retail purchases that I would enjoy as much (or even equally).

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by crossi

When you have a large backlog of bought but not yet read books why buy immediately when there is a good chance that by the time you are ready to read it you can buy it for much less? There are not a lot of books I need to read right now no matter what the price.

As for those who say they are price agnostic, that is obviously untrue. Even if they are like the average reader and only read 5 books a year and so don't mind paying full hardback prices (Unlike those who read a book a day), so they are OK with new hard back prices, say $25. What if they raised it to $50 for the same book? Or $100? Eventually those "agnostics" are going to say it's too much even for only 5 books.

But book prices don't double like that. Prices go up gradually, and each increase is small enough as to be relatively meaningless. I do think a little bit about $25 for a hardback, but I'll still buy it if it's a book I want to keep. I have a couple of preorders in right now that are over $25 each.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Catlady

But book prices don't double like that. Prices go up gradually, and each increase is small enough as to be relatively meaningless. I do think a little bit about $25 for a hardback, but I'll still buy it if it's a book I want to keep. I have a couple of preorders in right now that are over $25 each.

I read an article in the last few days - I don't remember if it was at MR or somewhere else - which pointed out that book prices have in fact remained pretty much constant in real terms over the last century, while disposable incomes for the average family have dramatically increased in that same time period. Books are far, far more affordable now than they were then.

[crossi]

Sure. Some books are worth more than others. Especially technical books. That doesn't change for ebooks. But even the most "agnostic" keep some price to value ratio in mind to at least some extent for every purchase of, well, everything. Sure, I've splurged on something that was to my mind slightly overpriced compared to it's worth if it was in my disposeable money range and not TOO much more than it was worth. I simply can't imagine not keeping it in mind AT ALL except for someone like Gates where cost is meaningless.

Consider the Harlequin books. Between their various lines they put out about 40/month. They were all but mass produced, short and cheap. Women would buy 10 at a time each month on a regular basis. If Harlequin had tried to set even regular paperback prices much less hardback prices on them their customers would have dried up because most would have thought that they were not worth that even though the price of a regular paperback was well within their means.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I read an article in the last few days - I don't remember if it was at MR or somewhere else - which pointed out that book prices have in fact remained pretty much constant in real terms over the last century, while disposable incomes for the average family have dramatically increased in that same time period. Books are far, far more affordable now than they were then.

Also, here is my little unscientific study of paperback prices through the years.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=102755

[conan50]

Book publishers are stuck in the past decades on pricing. $10 is ridiculous for anything but a non-fiction ebook now.
Think about these younger generations and all their options. How are the publishers ever going to win them back, much less get them to fork over $10 or more for an ebook?
If they are not streaming videos and music illegally:
A month of Crunchyroll $6.99
A month of Netflix $8.99
A month of Pandora $4.99
A month of Hulu+ $7.99
(Note there are free versions of: Hulu, Cruchyroll, Pandora)
Each less than the price some major publishers want for a single fiction ebook. Add in social media on smartphones and free services like Youtube and video games and it is game over for the future of traditional publishers, at least the game as they once knew it.
I have picked up probably around 40 free ebooks in the past few months, and I will likely never read most of them. The ebook market is flooded with fiction. The new price of fiction ebooks = free.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by conan50

I have picked up probably around 40 free ebooks in the past few months, and I will likely never read most of them. The ebook market is flooded with fiction. The new price of fiction ebooks = free.

I'm saddened to hear that you place no value on a good book. For me personally, quality means a lot more than price, and that's why I buy books from mainstream publishers and am happy to pay the asking price.

Yes, of course you can download 40 free books in a month. There might even be one readable one amongst them. But personally I don't want to have to wade through the 39 that are total crap to find it.

[GERGE]

I preordered Seveneves for $12.99, seems it is $16.99 now. Neal Stephenson gets my money, I don't care about the price, he gets it.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by GERGE

I preordered Seveneves for $12.99, seems it is $16.99 now. Neal Stephenson gets my money, I don't care about the price, he gets it.

Damn. I knew I should have pre-ordered. Oh, well. I'm still buying it.

Originally Posted by conan50

Think about these younger generations and all their options. How are the publishers ever going to win them back, much less get them to fork over $10 or more for an ebook?
.
.
.
The ebook market is flooded with fiction. The new price of fiction ebooks = free.

If the new price of efiction is free, there's no incentive for publishers to try and "win" younger generations "back."

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm saddened to hear that you place no value on a good book. For me personally, quality means a lot more than price, and that's why I buy books from mainstream publishers and am happy to pay the asking price.

Yes, of course you can download 40 free books in a month. There might even be one readable one amongst them. But personally I don't want to have to wade through the 39 that are total crap to find it.

This is pretty much my take on it as well.