Samhain Publishing is winding down and will close

[Blossom]

I can say after going through Amazon looking for Retro Romance it's near impossible to find them the way samhain has their books set up. This must have contributed to their closing and the pricing is inconsistent with their site even before the sites sale prices.

It seems to me they didn't care enough about the authors to try and compete with others. While it looks like their prices have come down somewhat without promoting it to the reader how is anyone to know? Patricia Hagan books are now under $5 but even cheaper on the site without the sale price however as most buy from Amazon, Kobo...Etc Samhain lazy way of promotion is what probably did them in.

Sent from my XT1528

[Atunah]

I can't really remember seeing any of those Retro titles in any of my browsing. The only way I even found out about them was long back for some reason I can't remember now, I went to the Samhain site and saw that section. I never saw sales for those books, never saw them anywhere really.

Heck I haven't really seen much of any Samhain titles in my browsing.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Atunah

I can't really remember seeing any of those Retro titles in any of my browsing. The only way I even found out about them was long back for some reason I can't remember now, I went to the Samhain site and saw that section. I never saw sales for those books, never saw them anywhere really.

Heck I haven't really seen much of any Samhain titles in my browsing.

I posted about it when it first came out remember? Samhain gave away that Karen Kay title to announce the line. I was super excited about the imprint so I told everyone. I bought everything as it came out till they raised prices. If I missed the release or didn't have a coupon they were pricey.

Sent from my XT1528

[Atunah]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I posted about it when it first came out remember? Samhain gave away that Karen Kay title to announce the line. I was super excited about the imprint so I told everyone. I bought everything as it came out till they raised prices. If I missed the release or didn't have a coupon they were pricey.

Sent from my XT1528

That was probably it then. Heard it from you and I must have then gone to the site to see what else there was.

Karen Kay, yes that is someone I put on my list for some reason and now I know why, you.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I'm only willing to pay so much for a book that was published in the 70s-80s... $7 is way too high.

As a customer, I feel the same way. But that's mainly because many of the backlist titles I buy run between $1.99-4.99.

(From a customer's perspective) What is a 'fair' price for a backlist fiction book?

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

(From a customer's perspective) What is a 'fair' price for a backlist fiction book?

Depends on how badly I want the specific book.



Keeping in mind these numbers are off the cuff and could change on a whim, there are plenty I'd want at $1-3, fewer at $4-6 and a lot fewer above that. One author I like has put here backlist out at the same price her publisher uses for the current releases in mass market and I'm just not ready to pay that right now for something I already own, albeit in paper and unlikely to be pulled out and read because of that.

Of course the cheaper the better, but scanning, proofing, cover art can be expensive if the author isn't doing it themselves with no guarantee on how many people actually want a copy of this or that old book. If it's thousands and thousands great, but I know some backlist titles sell in the hundreds if the author is lucky. Add a publisher into the mix on some of these titles and they want their big chunk of the list price too.

[maddz]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

As a customer, I feel the same way. But that's mainly because many of the backlist titles I buy run between $1.99-4.99.

(From a customer's perspective) What is a 'fair' price for a backlist fiction book?

If I already own a paper copy, less than £2. If I don't, then less than £5. Basically, the lower the better. It really depends on the author; I'm willing to pay a bit more for some than others.

To me, the advantage of an ebook is that it doesn't take up shelf space, so books I originally purchased in the 80s as new paperbacks and that aren't really being re-read every so often are slowly being replaced by electronic copies.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Depends on how badly I want the specific book.

That's the real answer, right there

Keeping in mind these numbers are off the cuff and could change on a whim, there are plenty I'd want at $1-3, fewer at $4-6 and a lot fewer above that. One author I like has put here backlist out at the same price her publisher uses for the current releases in mass market and I'm just not ready to pay that right now for something I already own, albeit in paper and unlikely to be pulled out and read because of that.

Yeah, for me Strieber and Kunetka's Warday was a no-brainer at $3.99, but Robert Marasco's Burnt Offerings languishes in my list at $6.99. It's a difference of $3.00 and I know that's stupid. But then, when I'm buying books, my brain isn't under my control, I guess.

[fjtorres]

I don't distinguish between new releases and backlist.
Being fresh produce doesn't make a new book any better nor does being old make one any worse.
A read is a read is a read.
If I haven't read it, it's new.
If I've read it, it's price will be a function of my likelihood of rereading.

On the flip side, few if any books are worth more than $10 of my money. They exist but it's a matter of one every few years. That line only dates to 2010 but it's hardened since then. Concrete solid by now. It doesn't kill me to skip pricey books.

My pricing band is essentially $5 +/- $5.

Not a normal distribution, though. My median buy is probably around $3.50.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

I don't distinguish between new releases and backlist.
Being fresh produce doesn't make a new book any better nor an old one any worse.
A read is a read is a read.
If I haven't read it, it's new.
If I've read it, it's price will be a function of my likelihood of rereading.

On the flip side, few if any books are worth more than $10 of my money. They exist but it's a matter of one every few years.

My pricing band is essentially $5 +/- $5.

Not a normal distribution, though. My average is probably around $3.50.

I have to debate on whether $5 is worth it. Heck some books aren't even worth 75 cents.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Heck some books aren't even worth 75 cents.

I've had some that weren't even worth their price of Free.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I have to debate on whether $5 is worth it. Heck some books aren't even worth 75 cents.

That be true.
Samples are great there.
Won't save you from three chapter wonders but it keeps the real dreck at bay.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

I don't distinguish between new releases and backlist.
Being fresh produce doesn't make a new book any better nor does being old make one any worse.
A read is a read is a read.
If I haven't read it, it's new.
If I've read it, it's price will be a function of my likelihood of rereading.

On the flip side, few if any books are worth more than $10 of my money. They exist but it's a matter of one every few years. That line only dates to 2010 but it's hardened since then. Concrete solid by now. It doesn't kill me to skip pricey books.

My pricing band is essentially $5 +/- $5.

Not a normal distribution, though. My median buy is probably around $3.50.

I agree with the first part of this. All books were written at some point the past, the question is how far back in the past. As long as they come out at market price (i.e. the normal price for a paperback release) and it's a book that I want, I'm good with it. Writers have to eat, ya know.

Now, if you are talking about the price point of what will make me pull the trigger on a book from an author that I haven't read before and am not sure if I will like it, well that's a very different question.

[Atunah]

Many new releases in most of the genres I read are 5.99-7.99 from publishers.

So for me back list title, older stuff being re-released, I like to be in the 2.99-3.99 range. Anything up to 3.99 I buy without thinking to much. I mean buying something I already want. I don't ever buy anything randomly without vetting.
I'll also pay up to 5.99 for a author/series I am already hooked on. Otherwise the 6.99-7.99 I only pay for new releases of handful of super great authors I been waiting on. If I can't find it at the library that is.

One author finally has the back list out, Patricia Veryan. I wanted those for years. MacMillan put them out at 7.99. In end of 2015 I believe. I am still waiting for them to come down in price or to find them at the library. Only one I can find there. If they had been 3.99, I would have already bought a few and read them. I own one, but I don't want to start reading it until the prices come down on the rest of them. Doesn't look like they will. So I keep waiting and asking my libraries one by one to buy them.
I am not paying 7.99 for books published in the 1980's.

I read a lot so price does mean something to me. I still have to eat and reading is pretty much my only hobby. I have a budget. I wish I was independently wealthy and never had to look at price of books every again. To just one click whatever, whenever. But that is not my reality and unless I win the lottery, it never will be.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I've had some that weren't even worth their price of Free.

I've found hundreds of those. If you think self-published fiction is bad, try cookbooks, diy and organization.