Why e-books?

[piperclassique]

What, apart from storage space, portability, choice of font, reading in the dark, free pd books?
Dunno, really.

[darryl]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Naturally I disagree with your opinion entirely, but hey .... that's why we have opinions.

Regardless of medium, the stories/message/knowledge books impart hold equal value for me. The media then adds or subtracts from that value (thus why the advantages ebooks provide make me value them higher than other media). The savings publishers may realize because of the nature of epublishing have no bearing on my valuation of their product.

I'm happy that the medium I prefer is quite often cheaper than the others, but I 'm perfectly willing to pay an equal price (or slightly more) for ebooks. *shrug*

Very logical and reasonable. And I also value the ebook format more than the printed formats, to the point that I doubt I will ever buy another printed book for myself to read. However, it does not follow that the format that has most advantages to me, even if all of such advantages were objective, should be the most expensive. This is particularly so when the format concerned is significantly cheaper to produce. In such a case only a lack of price competition can lead to such a result.

At the moment we are in a position where the Big 5 seem to be inflating ebook prices in the ultimately futile belief that to charge inflated prices will save their outdated print book business models. And the further mistaken belief that their titles are so superior in quality as to not have to compete with KDP and other Indie/Self-Published titles.

The pricing of paper editions is valuable information simply as confirmation that ebook prices are being inflated over what they would be if set properly according to the market conditions. Forget the price of paper books. If you pay the Big 5 asking price for ebooks for many titles imho you are being ripped-off.

Also, one parting question? Given publishers are setting prices how do you tell when they are quite simply asking too much and you would be ripped-off purchasing at that price?

[darryl]

Originally Posted by piperclassique

What, apart from storage space, portability, choice of font, reading in the dark, free pd books?
Dunno, really.

What did the Romans ever do for us?

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by darryl

The pricing of paper editions is valuable information simply as confirmation that ebook prices are being inflated over what they would be if set properly according to the market conditions. Forget the price of paper books. If you pay the Big 5 asking price for ebooks for many titles imho you are being ripped-off.

This.
Print book prices are free to float according to market conditions, BPH ebooks aren't. Instead, they are artificially elevated above what the market tells us they are worth for the exact same content. And since the price won't float, the "rational actors" in the market react by not buying those books.

[Cinisajoy]

On ebook pricing, my question is why should you worry about how someone else spends their money?
You don't like the price, don't buy it. BUT, do not tell others they shouldn't buy it at that price.
If the price setter gets the price they want more power to them, if people don't buy then their loss.
Note: I know people that pay inflated prices to get first edition hardbacks.

[piperclassique]

What did the Romans ever do for us?

[darryl]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

On ebook pricing, my question is why should you worry about how someone else spends their money?
You don't like the price, don't buy it. BUT, do not tell others they shouldn't buy it at that price.
If the price setter gets the price they want more power to them, if people don't buy then their loss.
Note: I know people that pay inflated prices to get first edition hardbacks.

I don't intend to come across as telling anyone how to spend their money. I am a big supporter of caveat emptor. However, if people are going to be "gouged" I think they should be gouged knowingly, and therefore choose to share my opinion, which of course people are free to consider or ignore or both.. If they are happy to pay the inflated price and consider it good value, that is fine with me. People's perceptions of value do differ.

I don't know anyone who collects first editions, though I do know someone who connects sports memorabilia. I think both fall into a different category, where they are buying what they consider to be a collectible, often with an eye on future increased value. In many cases I doubt a buyer of a first edition even buys it to read. Only to collect and/or display and admire from afar.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by darryl

I don't intend to come across as telling anyone how to spend their money. I am a big supporter of caveat emptor. However, if people are going to be "gouged" I think they should be gouged knowingly, and therefore choose to share my opinion, which of course people are free to consider or ignore or both.. If they are happy to pay the inflated price and consider it good value, that is fine with me. People's perceptions of value do differ.

I don't know anyone who collects first editions, though I do know someone who connects sports memorabilia. I think both fall into a different category, where they are buying what they consider to be a collectible, often with an eye on future increased value. In many cases I doubt a buyer of a first edition even buys it to read. Only to collect and/or display and admire from afar.

I agree with you completely. Yes, saying you think a book (product) is priced way too high is fine. Though I have noticed some people imply that if one pays that high price then they are stupid or hurting the implier.
Now yes, I might say that I wouldn't pay $12.50 for Pat Benetar's ebook, because I think it is way overpriced but I wouldn't tell DiapDealer not to buy it. He might think that is a reasonable price.
As long as one is not starving their children to buy luxuries, then it is not my business how they spend their money.
If one knowingly gets gouged, well they are the ones that willingly jumped in front of the bull.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by darryl

If they are happy to pay the inflated price and consider it good value, that is fine with me.

Oh, you're too kind. Take pity on the poor fools who don't know any better.

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Now yes, I might say that I wouldn't pay $12.50 for Pat Benetar's ebook, because I think it is way overpriced but I wouldn't tell DiapDealer not to buy it. He might think that is a reasonable price.

If I were a Pat Benatar fan, I would find it imminently reasonable. Anything that provides me with days of pleasant distraction is worth waaaaaay more than $13. It's renting a movie for $4.99 that I consider an incredibly inflated price. Or spending $10 on fast food. Hour for hour of luxury pasttimes: new-release, Big5-published ebooks (from authors I enjoy) are still a ridiculous bargain at 12-15 dollars.

[darryl]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Oh, you're too kind. Take pity on the poor fools who don't know any better.

I'm sorry it does come across a bit like that, though it is not meant that way. It is difficult to make the point that I wanted to make and avoid sounding patronising. Obviously I failed at this. Please rest assured that I do not regard you as being either a fool or as not knowing any better. As I said, perceptions of value differ.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by darryl

I'm sorry it does come across a bit like that, though it is not meant that way. It is difficult to make the point that I wanted to make and avoid sounding patronising. Obviously I failed at this. Please rest assured that I do not regard you as being either a fool or as not knowing any better. As I said, perceptions of value differ.

I wasn't too put out. I would have just stopped posting if that were the case. But thank you for that.

I think the problem is that you seem to think that your opinion that ebook prices are "inflated" to be an undisputed fact. If I get similar enjoyment out of the same story whether in print or on an ereader, how can the price of one be inflated where the other is not?

[darryl]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I wasn't too put out. I would have just stopped posting if that were the case. But thank you for that.

I think the problem is that you seem to think that your opinion that ebook prices are "inflated" to be an undisputed fact. If I get similar enjoyment out of the same story whether in print or on an ereader, how can the price of one be inflated where the other is not?

And on your part I think the problem is with your approach of equating price with your enjoyment of the story (and the ebook format). Whilst this is perfectly valid for arriving at your own perception of value it does not reflect the way prices are set and ignores many factors that at least in my view are very relevant.

I acknowledge that my opinion that ebook prices are inflated is my opinion only and if it is a fact it is certainly not an undisputed one.

Finally, I enjoy most of your posts, even when I don't agree with them, and respect your opinions. I also appreciate the contributions which you make to the community.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by darryl

And on your part I think the problem is with your approach of equating price with your enjoyment of the story (and the ebook format). Whilst this is perfectly valid for arriving at your own perception of value it does not reflect the way prices are set and ignores many factors that at least in my view are very relevant..

My question would be why you consider those factors to be very relevant to book-pricing, but not to other purchases? I'm assuming, of course, that when you purchase your favorite beverage in plastic rather than aluminum, that which one the manufacturer might make more profit on doesn't really factor into your decision. I know it doesn't in mine.

As a consumer, the way prices are set holds no interest for me. I'm not an industry insider. Perceived value is the only thing that concerns me. I'm buying ebooks after all--not selling them.

[darryl]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

My question would be why you consider those factors to be very relevant to book-pricing, but not to other purchases? I'm assuming, of course, that when you purchase your favorite beverage in plastic rather than aluminum, that which one the manufacturer might make more profit on doesn't really factor into your decision. I know it doesn't in mine.

As a consumer, the way prices are set holds no interest for me. I'm not an industry insider. Perceived value is the only thing that concerns me. I'm buying ebooks after all--not selling them.

The short answer is that I don't. The same reasoning is applicable to all purchases. To use your example of bottle v. can, if the same beverage and the same quantity was twice as expensive in a bottle than in a can, I would want to know why. Without being satisfied that the price difference was justified I would have real reservations whether I was getting value for money if I purchased the bottle. If, for instance, the reason for the price difference was that the manufacturer wanted to steer customers away from bottles and towards cans even though bottles were cheaper to produce, then I would feel cheated if I bought the bottle. If I only ever drank from bottles and didn't want to buy cans, I would have no choice but to go without or pay the higher price, thereby rewarding the manufacturer for its bad behaviour. Alternately, if another brand of beverage was available which priced bottles properly I would buy from them. Of course, if the first brand of beverage was of significantly greater quality this would present somewhat of a dilemma. But I won't extend the analogy into theft and piracy at this point.

It is not about profit per se but simply my perception of value. The manufacturer could give away its profit on bottles and it would make no difference to me. The relevance of the price difference to me is that it casts doubt on whether I am getting fair value for my money, which to me is important.

I think we probably should agree to disagree on this. It seems that our differences stem from our different perceptions of value in this type of situation. And whilst I do of course think that I am right I certainly am neither infallible or have a monopoly (to use a much abused word) on the truth.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by darryl

To use your example of bottle v. can, if the same beverage and the same quantity was twice as expensive in a bottle than in a can, I would want to know why.

As would I. Which is why I'm perfectly happy that of the two identical products, the one that comes in the packaging I prefer is almost always a little cheaper (and only occasionally, a tiny bit more).

And that's where we really differ in our opinions/perception. Because I truly perceive the ebook and the physical book (of the same title) to be identical products in different packaging. For me, books (e or p) are the words they contain and the value I take from those words. Period.

It is not about profit per se but simply my perception of value. The manufacturer could give away its profit on bottles and it would make no difference to me. The relevance of the price difference to me is that it casts doubt on whether I am getting fair value for my money, which to me is important.

What if you had no idea what the profit margin was? How would you make decisions on products where you have no idea how much of the price is profit? Does the simple act of finding out change the perceived value for you? If you were happy with paying $x.xx for a product, would finding out later on that Company Y didn't have a dime in its production make you suddenly unhappy with it?

I think we probably should agree to disagree on this. It seems that our differences stem from our different perceptions of value in this type of situation. And whilst I do of course think that I am right I certainly am neither infallible or have a monopoly (to use a much abused word) on the truth.

Fair enough. I have no problem with you thinking you're right.