Ebook Buying Addicts' Support Thread

[VictoriaP]

Originally Posted by Apache

I do not track how much I spend a month on books. I am afraid that it will be more than I even suspect.
Apache

That's actually why I'm tracking mine, for the first time ever. I expect it will be enlightening. Perhaps frighteningly so.

[Tarana]

But now that it's over and I need something new to read... after a 2 minute visit to Baen: $60 out; 16 books in.

You are a binge buyer!! I knew there was your type. You can handle it just fine until you actually sneak in for one and then you can't stop until filled with epages. I fall into the emotional ereader. I don't really need it, but it will make me feel better if I buy it now and don't read it for 3 years than if I wait 3 years and have to pay a different price (it will be either more or less, never the same or similar).

Honestly, it's the SALE thing I have going. When I see a book for $1.99 or less, the temptation is pretty bad if it is scifi or mystery/crime/thriller. So, I don't spend a lot per book, but it adds up. I can resist the full price book though, at least until I get to that series where I need the book before reading the others (yes, I'm that kind of person). So, in order to manage that, I've quit 'daily special' type lists or I'm going to top my $150 yearly goal well before I get to the November/December sales.

[VictoriaP]

Originally Posted by Tarana

You are a binge buyer!! I knew there was your type. You can handle it just fine until you actually sneak in for one and then you can't stop until filled with epages. I fall into the emotional ereader. I don't really need it, but it will make me feel better if I buy it now and don't read it for 3 years than if I wait 3 years and have to pay a different price (it will be either more or less, never the same or similar).

Honestly, it's the SALE thing I have going. When I see a book for $1.99 or less, the temptation is pretty bad if it is scifi or mystery/crime/thriller. So, I don't spend a lot per book, but it adds up. I can resist the full price book though, at least until I get to that series where I need the book before reading the others (yes, I'm that kind of person). So, in order to manage that, I've quit 'daily special' type lists or I'm going to top my $150 yearly goal well before I get to the November/December sales.

Oh yes, the "but it's on sale!" issue--I have that one too, but worse yet is one step beyond: the "first one is free to get you hooked" on a 7-10 book series (or more). "Free" ebooks have cost me a fortune over the years. One freebie in particular led to about $100 in sales of that author's work within two months, plus hundreds more to authors I discovered as a direct result, plus three trips around the country for gatherings related to book releases from the original series....and the friends I made through that whole process (both online & in person, and all heavy readers themselves) have, of course, recommended thousands of dollars' worth more of new and new-to-me authors and genres.

That one "free" book has cost me a fortune. It's also provided me with a seemingly never ending list of future purchases.

Still under $20 this month, and currently reading some things already resident in my TBR collection in an attempt not to spend anything more...just in case a can't miss deal shows up in the last ten days of January.

[Yapyap]

I'm now up to five books bought in January. *is getting mildly worried*

Fifth book was not on my wishlist, but only because I for some reason thought I already had it. Decided to check when I saw it was on sale for $1.99 and realised I didn't actually have it, so that was that.

Still, at least with $8.82 spent in January on five books total, I'm nowhere near my absolute upper challenge limit of "no spending more than $50 a month on books" and well within my "no buying more than 120 ebooks this year" goal. And I've read 10 books (although not all of them have been ebooks), so I'm still doing okay in the read/bought ratio.

But it really is difficult to keep to buying no more than ten books a month, even with a massive TBR list already...

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Yapyap

But it really is difficult to keep to buying no more than ten books a month, even with a massive TBR list already...

Yes, it is! But congratulations on only five books so far.

[Crusader]

I'm pleased to announce that so far this year I haven't bought any books (no ebooks or pbooks). After my splurge last year I think I can survive a couple of months without any purchases, that's until those must-have-now titles are released.

[pdurrant]

"In February" I shall be buying the first ten Gil Cunningham mysteries that are currently on special offer at Amazon.co.uk at just £0.84 each.

Using my standard £1:$1.5 exchange rate, that's just $12.60 for the ten books. I think I can manage that since I'm not going to be buying the March Baen Bundle as I already own too many of the books in it.

15th Century Glasgow murder mysteries... they sound great. And I will have read the first few pages of the first one before I buy them.

(OK, I admit it - I've bought them today. But I'm going to pretend that I've bought them in February!)

[bookaho!ic]

so far only bought 1 this year however worked out I had spend £83.83 on ebooks last year (over 90 books so not bad )

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by bookaho!ic

so far only bought 1 this year however worked out I had spend £83.83 on ebooks last year (over 90 books so not bad )

Many congratulations!

I am not doing quite so well. Amazon will insist on doing offers I can't resist.

[ekster]

Originally Posted by Tarana

You are a binge buyer!!

I am not binge buyer... technically.

Those 16 books is just two purchases, really. Baen's March bundle and the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser bundle.

So it just seems like a lot of books on its own.

Or so I tell myself...

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by ekster

Those 16 books is just two purchases, really. Baen's March bundle and the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser bundle.

I already have the Fafhrd (pronounced "Fafhrd") and the Grey Mouser bundle. And I'm not getting the Baen March bundle because I already have most of them, and I'm not interested in the four that I don't.

But I admit to being a binge buyer.

[Yapyap]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Yes, it is! But congratulations on only five books so far.

Make that seven. Sigh.

Just noticed that books 8 & 9 of Kim Harrison's Hollows series are currently $1.99 each on Amazon, and as I already have the first seven books in the series (all picked up during sales, but those are far more common for the earlier books), I just had to snap them up.

I've still only read the first one, but I do intend to make my way through more eventually... Should probably do it sooner rather than later, really, to excuse buying them all.

[PurpleStar]

Originally Posted by Yapyap

Make that seven. Sigh.

Just noticed that books 8 & 9 of Kim Harrison's Hollows series are currently $1.99 each on Amazon, and as I already have the first seven books in the series (all picked up during sales, but those are far more common for the earlier books), I just had to snap them up.

I've still only read the first one, but I do intend to make my way through more eventually... Should probably do it sooner rather than later, really, to excuse buying them all.

I can't blame you for not resisting The Hollows. I wish I could get them all on sale, but I'm not in the U.S.. Oh well, since they don't want my money I'll just have to keep my paperbacks. *sigh*

[treadlightly]

Originally Posted by VictoriaP

Oh yes, the "but it's on sale!" issue--I have that one too, but worse yet is one step beyond: the "first one is free to get you hooked" on a 7-10 book series (or more). "Free" ebooks have cost me a fortune over the years. One freebie in particular led to about $100 in sales of that author's work within two months, plus hundreds more to authors I discovered as a direct result, plus three trips around the country for gatherings related to book releases from the original series....and the friends I made through that whole process (both online & in person, and all heavy readers themselves) have, of course, recommended thousands of dollars' worth more of new and new-to-me authors and genres.

That one "free" book has cost me a fortune. It's also provided me with a seemingly never ending list of future purchases.

May I ask what that book was? It sounds like it really grabbed you!

[Yapyap]

Originally Posted by PurpleStar

I can't blame you for not resisting The Hollows. I wish I could get them all on sale, but I'm not in the U.S.. Oh well, since they don't want my money I'll just have to keep my paperbacks. *sigh*

I'm not in the US either. I just, uh, take a virtual holiday there every now and then. (Although I just checked and it looks like it's a more international sale than US-only - both of those books would be $4.79 for me on my regular account, which is about as cheap as a non-free book on Amazon gets for me. And that price looks a lot like $1.99 (current base price) + Amazon's $2 surcharge + 20% VAT. It's highly unlikely the sale applies to all countries, though, sadly.)