Catch-22 now an e-book

[elcreative]

Let's see... firstly, Amazon doesn't sell secondhand books, they let third parties sell their secondhand books... and there are loads way cheaper than $US1.99 if you look on other Amazon sites (as low as £0.01)

Secondly, in this case there were, of course, no costs at all involved in producing a 40-something year-old book in eFormat, just take the original computer output from the author... oh, wait a minute, only paper format from then so just do a quick scan and auto-OCR or maybe it actually got a proper proofing with a bit of work... and if you're that outraged by the price then do a google for "Catch-22 eBook" and you'll get 160,000 hits including many free ones (some of which even look as though they may be legal), email a complaint to the publisher and exercise your ultimate sanction... don't buy it!

As for it being a "40 year old book," what does that have to do with the price of anything? Age doesn't affect quality or is it you argument that everything not brand new, should be virtually given away...

Originally Posted by asjogren

$US12.99 - For a book where Amazon sells a used paper copy for $US1.99?

And of course, "This price was set by the Publisher."

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by elcreative

As for it being a "40 year old book," what does that have to do with the price of anything? Age doesn't affect quality or is it you argument that everything not brand new, should be virtually given away...

But the point is that because it is a 40-year-old book, it's very widely available at much, much lower price points for paper copies, and it can be found for free online, so what's the big incentive to buy this spiffy new file? I have it on my shelves in a first-edition hardcover; I'd definitely buy it for my e-reader for $5-$10, but I am balking at the price they're charging.

This is the same issue I'm having with a few other favorite books I would like in digital form--books that are this old or older. They're priced at $13 to $19, and I refuse to pay that for content that I already own or can easily buy cheaply in paper.

[asjogren]

The COMPETITION for this eBook IS the used marketplace. And it is READILY available in that marketplace.

The Publisher blew it with pricing. Like they have done many times in the eBook marketplace. If they had done this with paper, it would be in the bargain bin quickly.

[Kali Yuga]

Originally Posted by asjogren

The COMPETITION for this eBook IS the used marketplace. And it is READILY available in that marketplace.

For you, perhaps. Not for many people, as evidenced by the new paper sales.

I might add, I personally would be perfectly happy reading a used book, I've done it many a time. But many others prefer new books, or cannot buy used (libraries, schools).

If there are enough people to keep the book in print after 40 years -- as in, selling enough new copies for them to sell the paperback and hardcover, then clearly the competition is new paper.

Originally Posted by asjogren

The Publisher blew it with pricing.

It's been an ebook for what, 2 days, and it's rank 970 for Amazon ebooks. For a 40 year old book, that is really not too shabby. Either way, it is way too early to say they are definitively charging too much -- certainly not from someone who apparently isn't willing to pay more than $2 for it.

Originally Posted by asjogren

If they had done this with paper, it would be in the bargain bin quickly.

The hardcover has a list price of $24 (and a low sales rank). The paperback cover price is $16 (and does very well at #702 as of this posting). Ebook is $13.

You sure about your analysis here?

[charleski]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I have it on my shelves in a first-edition hardcover; I'd definitely buy it for my e-reader for $5-$10, but I am balking at the price they're charging.

It would make far more sense then for you to rip up your first-edition and feed it through a scanner, then spend a week proofreading and formatting the output. Easily worth it for the few dollars you'll save.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by charleski

It would make far more sense then for you to rip up your first-edition and feed it through a scanner, then spend a week proofreading and formatting the output. Easily worth it for the few dollars you'll save.

Uh-huh.

What makes sense is for me simply not to indulge in an extra unneeded digital copy--I can certainly live without it, but I would have bought it for a decent price ($5-$10).

So I save $13 and a sale is lost.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Uh-huh.

What makes sense is for me simply not to indulge in an extra unneeded digital copy--I can certainly live without it, but I would have bought it for a decent price ($5-$10).

So I save $13 and a sale is lost.

I might buy it below 10. Well, we will get there in time. No hurry.

[SensualPoet]

Better hurry! The price just went up for Canadians at Amazon's Kindle Store. It's now $8.63.

(Price a few days ago: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...81&postcount=9)

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

Better hurry! The price just went up for Canadians at Amazon's Kindle Store. It's now $8.63.

(Price a few days ago: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...81&postcount=9)

Damn Canadians anyway!!!

[neilmarr]

The ebook's available -- great! I can't buy it -- bad! Now that's what I call Catch 22. Almost as ironic as Amazon secretly arresting all sold copies of 1984, eh? Neil

[elcreative]

Well if you have a genuine first edition hardcover (Simon & Schuster New York 1961) then you should take a look at Bookfinder... I'll buy you the eBook version and copy of the current hardcover printing for a 1st...

Originally Posted by Catlady

I have it on my shelves in a first-edition hardcover;

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by elcreative

Well if you have a genuine first edition hardcover (Simon & Schuster New York 1961) then you should take a look at Bookfinder... I'll buy you the eBook version and copy of the current hardcover printing for a 1st...

Oh, but first I need to chop it up and feed it into a scanner to save $3. You can have it when I'm done, though ...

[SensualPoet]

If you hurry, you can buy the First Edition ebook ...

[Kali Yuga]

Originally Posted by neilmarr

The ebook's available -- great! I can't buy it -- bad! Now that's what I call Catch 22.

Under ordinary circumstances, I'd tell you how poorly you understand the concept of a catch-22. However, since you apparently can't procure a copy...

[astra]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

Under ordinary circumstances, I'd tell you how poorly you understand the concept of a catch-22. However, since you apparently can't procure a copy...

He said it was how He understands it. So, it is his personal interpretation

Btw., it is one of the worst book I have ever read. It is one of the very few (less than 10) I gave up and didn't finish. I think I managed to read 1/3 of it before calling it a day.