What is a Fair Price For E-books - Page 2

nikkie · 02-07-2010, 12:31 AM

$5 seems reasonable for most books which are oldish - for new books I am willing to pay up to $10. I wouldn't pay more than that for fiction.

For technical books, I have paid up to $50 but it makes me very very grumpy - especially because the content is usually outdated within a year or two.

roger the rabbit · 02-07-2010, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I said $6 or less.
But I don't think publishers should be able to dictate to retails what price the retailer should change.

I thought retail price maintenance (price fixing) was made illegal in the UK many years ago.

pdurrant · 02-07-2010, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roger the rabbit

I thought retail price maintenance (price fixing) was made illegal in the UK many years ago.

Yes, in 1964, except for a few things, including books. The Net Book Agreement was only made illegal in 1997, but it had started to be abandoned (by some retailers) in 1991.

It seems it's not legal in the US either. So I'm not quite sure how the publishers expect to enforce it on Amazon. I don't really see the how calling Amazon an "agent" is going to help. I do feel that the courts will think that if it looks and acts like a retailer, it /is/ a retailer.

Sweetpea · 02-07-2010, 11:10 AM

I also wonder how they can enforce the price Amazon is selling it for. Here, we have a fixed bookprice, which means the publisher sets the price and every single bookstore, online or offline has to sell for that price. You can't even put them out for sale, until a few conditions are met (such as the age of the book).

Tattncat · 02-08-2010, 01:35 AM

I said $5 and down for most of my eBooks. If it is something I really, really want I have been known to go as high as 11. Beyond that......I wait for the price to go down.

dsvick · 02-08-2010, 10:12 AM

Right behind my left elbow, a little above the ... oh wait wrong thread.....

I said $10 but that is the range at which I would be most inclined to purchase more often and still consider it fair. Sure I'd pay more if it was for a book I really wanted and thought it was a decent price, but, in general the $7 - $10 range works for me.

desertgrandma · 02-08-2010, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhadin

I think publishers should set their own prices and I should decide for myself whether the book is wiorth the price and whether to buy it or not. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I don't see this as any different than other market commodities. Auto manufacturers set their own price even, and though every car will get you from point A to point B, we accept that one brand or model costs more or less than another.

I have to agree 100%. Let them set the prices. If enough people don't buy.........they will lower them.

Personally, $10 is my tops. $5 and I'll throw the money at you.

My husband hates it when I do that.

kindlekitten · 02-08-2010, 11:00 AM

well quit letting him go to Ladies Night at the strip club with you!

pshrynk · 02-08-2010, 02:05 PM

I will go up to $15 for an author I love and can't wait to get my mitts on. Otherwise $10 is about where I would settle for most new books. Backlisted books should be at the paperback price or less to tempt me.

JSWolf · 02-08-2010, 02:12 PM

I did say $6 or less for a very good reason. As a member of Borders Rewards, I do get email with coupons that give me roughly 25% off. So if I apply that to a $7.99 book, I get $6. And that I feel is fair for a current in print book. A backlist out of print book I'd say maybe $4 would be good. If the book is a current book that's in hardcover, I do think that $9.99 is good. But once the book is in paperback be it trade or mass market, then the eBook should be $6. And the price drop HAS to occur the same day as the different versions come out.

theducks · 02-08-2010, 02:44 PM

$6 or less is the sweet spot. Over $10 is a hard sell (and I resist to the point on NOT Buying). and a good candidate for checking out of the Public Library or not reading at all .
Price fixing was supposed to be illegal here, but we have the best loopholes money can buy.
The only reason printed books don't expire , is they still haven't found a green way to dissolve them after a period of time.
Thank you EPA

dickon25 · 02-08-2010, 06:33 PM

I ticked the 'up to $7' box but that's really just for fiction. I don't re-read novels so refuse to pay much higher. There's plenty to read so I won't even pay premium price for a new book - I just wait till it drops!
Non-fiction is a different story though (ugh, sorry!) - once they start publishing more history books and I get my hands on a reader that'll display them properly (my Sony's no good for maps/charts/piccies etc) my budget will fly out the window!!

GA Russell · 02-08-2010, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Let them set the prices. If enough people don't buy.........they will lower them.

grandma, I gather from the three or four threads on this topic that many people here disagree with you. They do not believe that Macmillan will lower the price even if the public doesn't buy at Macmillan's preferred price.

desertgrandma · 02-08-2010, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GA Russell

grandma, I gather from the three or four threads on this topic that many people here disagree with you. They do not believe that Macmillan will lower the price even if the public doesn't buy at Macmillan's preferred price.

They don't have to lower the price, and I don't have to buy their books.

Easy decision for me!

forcheville · 02-08-2010, 11:37 PM

If it's a new book I really want, eg. Javier Marias' "Your Face Tomorrow" trilogy (not out yet as ebook) I'll pay as much as for the hardback.
Out-of-print and backlist books should cost $5-10 as ebooks to keep me happy.

View Poll Results: Where is your Sweet Spot?
$1 or less	1	1.08%
$2 or less	0	0%
$3 or less	1	1.08%
$4 or less	3	3.23%
$5 or less	17	18.28%
$6 or less	8	8.60%
$7 or less	12	12.90%
$8 or less	7	7.53%
$9 or less	4	4.30%
$10 or less	18	19.35%
Anything up to $15 is fair	10	10.75%
I think publishers should have the right to set their own prices	12	12.90%
Voters: 93. You may not vote on this poll

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02-07-2010, 12:31 AM	#16
nikkie Guru Posts: 614 Karma: 73700 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: WA, USA Device: Android, Kindle Paperwhite, lots of ancient readers	$5 seems reasonable for most books which are oldish - for new books I am willing to pay up to $10. I wouldn't pay more than that for fiction. For technical books, I have paid up to $50 but it makes me very very grumpy - especially because the content is usually outdated within a year or two.

02-07-2010, 11:10 AM	#19
Sweetpea Grand Sorcerer Posts: 9,707 Karma: 32763414 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Krewerd Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	I also wonder how they can enforce the price Amazon is selling it for. Here, we have a fixed bookprice, which means the publisher sets the price and every single bookstore, online or offline has to sell for that price. You can't even put them out for sale, until a few conditions are met (such as the age of the book).

02-08-2010, 01:35 AM	#20
Tattncat Bookworm Posts: 673 Karma: 1029391 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Device: Nook Tablet, Samsung Galaxy Tab3, Sony PRS700, Sony PRS505	I said $5 and down for most of my eBooks. If it is something I really, really want I have been known to go as high as 11. Beyond that......I wait for the price to go down.

02-08-2010, 10:12 AM	#21
dsvick Wizard Posts: 2,737 Karma: 635747 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Northeast Ohio, USA Device: PRS-900	Right behind my left elbow, a little above the ... oh wait wrong thread..... I said $10 but that is the range at which I would be most inclined to purchase more often and still consider it fair. Sure I'd pay more if it was for a book I really wanted and thought it was a decent price, but, in general the $7 - $10 range works for me.

02-08-2010, 11:00 AM	#23
kindlekitten Professional Adventuress Posts: 13,368 Karma: 50260224 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: The Olympic Peninsula on the OTHER Washington! (the big green clean one on the west coast!) Device: Kindle, the original! Times Two! and gifting an International Kindle	well quit letting him go to Ladies Night at the strip club with you!

02-08-2010, 02:05 PM	#24
pshrynk Beepbeep n beebeep, yeah! Posts: 11,726 Karma: 8255450 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: La Crosse, Wisconsin, aka America's IceBox Device: iThingie, KmkII, I miss Zelda!	I will go up to $15 for an author I love and can't wait to get my mitts on. Otherwise $10 is about where I would settle for most new books. Backlisted books should be at the paperback price or less to tempt me.

02-08-2010, 02:12 PM	#25
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,820 Karma: 146918083 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I did say $6 or less for a very good reason. As a member of Borders Rewards, I do get email with coupons that give me roughly 25% off. So if I apply that to a $7.99 book, I get $6. And that I feel is fair for a current in print book. A backlist out of print book I'd say maybe $4 would be good. If the book is a current book that's in hardcover, I do think that $9.99 is good. But once the book is in paperback be it trade or mass market, then the eBook should be $6. And the price drop HAS to occur the same day as the different versions come out.

02-08-2010, 02:44 PM	#26
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,094 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	$6 or less is the sweet spot. Over $10 is a hard sell (and I resist to the point on NOT Buying). and a good candidate for checking out of the Public Library or not reading at all . Price fixing was supposed to be illegal here, but we have the best loopholes money can buy. The only reason printed books don't expire , is they still haven't found a green way to dissolve them after a period of time. Thank you EPA

02-08-2010, 06:33 PM	#27
dickon25 Groupie Posts: 199 Karma: 818 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: UK Device: Sony PRS-505. Pocketbook Inkpad 840	I ticked the 'up to $7' box but that's really just for fiction. I don't re-read novels so refuse to pay much higher. There's plenty to read so I won't even pay premium price for a new book - I just wait till it drops! Non-fiction is a different story though (ugh, sorry!) - once they start publishing more history books and I get my hands on a reader that'll display them properly (my Sony's no good for maps/charts/piccies etc) my budget will fly out the window!!

02-08-2010, 11:37 PM	#30
forcheville Zealot Posts: 104 Karma: 672100 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: Sony prs650, Boox M92, Samsung Slate 7	If it's a new book I really want, eg. Javier Marias' "Your Face Tomorrow" trilogy (not out yet as ebook) I'll pay as much as for the hardback. Out-of-print and backlist books should cost $5-10 as ebooks to keep me happy.

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