Does an ebook sale represent, to you, a lost print sale? - Page 4

Steven Lyle Jordan · 09-15-2009, 08:07 PM

I'm max'ed out, space-wise... any printed book I buy means another book's gotta go. Therefore, I've almost completely stopped buying printed books... it's been over a year since my last print purchase.

Of course, over time there will be many more authors (like myself) who will only produce e-books, and remove the temptation of printed matter to buy... at which point the poll question becomes moot.

doreenjoy · 09-15-2009, 08:13 PM

I'm not sure publishers think e-book sales eat at print sales. After all, they have a higher profit margin on e-books than they do on print books.

What they seem to fear is that e-book *piracy* will eat at print sales.

BearMountainBooks · 09-15-2009, 09:32 PM

It's usually price-dependent for me. I buy the ecopy if it is the cheapest (and it usually is). If the book isn't available at a reasonable price, I generally interlibrary loan it if my library doesn't have it.

So no, no one is losing a sale from me. In fact, if a used copy is cheaper than the ebook copy, I'll buy that. Best way to get my money is sell the cheapest copy--or something so reasonable, I don't think too hard. If the ebook is slightly more than a used copy, I'll probably buy it--because of immediate delivery, but it depends on the book and how bad I want to read it RIGHT THEN.

I have bought a handful of hardback books in my life. Literally under 5 books.

If a book is out by one of my very favorite authors, I will often read the hardback from the library. If I LOVE the book, I'll buy the paperback. But this is for perhaps 4 or 5 authors and I don't buy all the books, only the ones I love.

Example: I recently read that Patricia Briggs will have her next book out in hardcover. The article said it was a "well-deserved" bump up for her. Probably true. I love her books. But...I'll wait for the paperback or ebook. Or get it from the library. I'm happy for her, but I am not paying 25 dollars for something that will cost 8 dollars in a year. I have too much else to read...and I spend enough on books without starting into that habit!!!

Maria

Xiaopanda · 09-15-2009, 09:39 PM

I haven't baught a Pbook in over a year.

i would buy a pbook for reference, or a religious text, just to have, or an Art / photography book etc....

But for general fiction reading, no ebook = no sale.

pwalker8 · 09-15-2009, 09:54 PM

Same as some of the others. For the most part, I simply don't have the space for more books. Any new hard back or paper back books will be specialty books. In addition, I've been purchasing ebook copies of favorite books that I already have in either paper or hardback. All in all, they are coming out ahead of the game.

Solicitous · 09-15-2009, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficbot

One of the reasons publishers seem to fear ebooks so much is the threat that ebook sales will 'cannibalize' print sales.

Didn't the recording industry initially fear this would be the case with mp3 sales and CDs? I personally don't think so, I think what ebooks will do is increase the number of sales overall. What will drop the number of print sales (in Australia at least) is the price of pbooks, they are outrageous. I have not bought a book locally for 6 months or so when I started buying from overseas for about 50% of what it costs locally.

I havent bought my ereader yet but I know I will still buy the pbooks, probably the same number I do now, but I will also buy ebooks. I could read more pbooks right now but the space issues of where to put them is making me look to ebooks for a good portion of my reading.

basschick · 09-16-2009, 01:49 AM

the main reason i got an ebook reader is that our house has no more room for books - they're crammed in every available space. because of that, i was buying less and less paper books and also tended to buy used so i could just give books i didn't like away rather than let them continue to take up space. also i still buy paper books of my very favorites.

in my case, i may actually be buying MORE paper books because of reading more ebooks and finding ones i liked enough to buy hard copies of.

wayspooled · 09-16-2009, 02:14 AM

Sometimes...

It depends on the book. I grew up with printed books and printed books will always be near my heart. These days, I'm trying to winnow my printed library to only the very best things I've read. I'm down from thousands of print books (and I mean small public library volume) to about 300, about 1/3 of them signed, 1st editions or "deluxe" versions on paper made to last a long time.

Ebooks to me are - convenience. I prefer the feel of a book in my hands - but I love the ability to carry a number of books in my pocket. Even e-ink doesn't suffice to give me the same enjoyable visual experience.

So my answer is really - it will reduce the number of printed books I buy. I'll buy an ebook first and then if it turns out to be a special read, I'll buy it printed.

That said - I've bought ebooks I never would have bought printed.

hansl · 09-16-2009, 03:10 AM

I would buy art pbooks. Other non-fiction if I want it for later reference. Fiction books no, except for those I have to buy from my book club, one every three months. However, one of the club's goals is to make nicely crafted books which are a joy for the senses, so for me it would be poinless to be a member if they would publish only ebooks. And such books are nice gifts for the uninitiated :-D
Unfortunately I'm also out of space and start thinking about which books I really want to get old with.

hansl

Crowl · 09-16-2009, 04:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doreenjoy

I'm not sure publishers think e-book sales eat at print sales. After all, they have a higher profit margin on e-books than they do on print books.

What they seem to fear is that e-book *piracy* will eat at print sales.

Here's hoping that they all eventually get two braincells to rub together and spot that the best ways to combat piracy are good availability and pricing on the legal alternatives.

If they try to ignore ebooks then they will force the person that wants an ebook into a choice of settling for the pbook version they didn't want or getting a pirated version and once people choose that second option it will seem so much easier for them to keep taking that option and thus that publisher will have created the piracy they feared.

MerLock · 09-16-2009, 03:44 PM

Depends how badly I want to read a particular book. However, I know I've been purchasing a lot of ebooks from authors I would normally not. I don't make many trips to the local bookstore or like ordering physical books because of delivery time and charges. However, I've been making more impluse buys at online ebook stores due simply to the convenience.

delphidb96 · 09-16-2009, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xiaopanda

I haven't baught a Pbook in over a year.

i would buy a pbook for reference, or a religious text, just to have, or an Art / photography book etc....

But for general fiction reading, no ebook = no sale.

As I cannot find the graphic novel, "Whiteout", by Greg Rucka, in ebook, I bought that one. And I bought the Steve Alten "Meg" series because I can't find but one in ebook format.

Other than that, I pretty much just buy technical books in dead-tree these days.

Derek

Alisa · 09-16-2009, 11:40 PM

Now that I've transitioned to ebooks and have a reading device, I avoid buying paper books. However, before I got an ebook reader I bought a lot of hardbacks. If I didn't have a reader I would still be buying hardbacks. To me, that means that the ebooks are cannibalizing hardback sales though it doesn't fit the poll's scenarios.

=X= · 09-18-2009, 12:18 PM

I chose option 2 "I only buy eBooks" -- I'm paraphrasing

When it comes to fiction and leisure reading I will only buy eBooks and not eBooks. However if there is a good non fiction book I will buy it since content is most important to me.

=X=

PennyPie · 09-21-2009, 03:47 AM

Ummm....what about the used book market? When you buy a book 2nd hand, there's no royalty going to the author, no profits to the publisher. Now, I know this isn't 'piracy', but certainly, isn't the end result the same....a 2nd person (or 3rd or 4th, etc.) getting the experience of reading the author's word, without benefit of contributing to his (and his publisher's) coffers?

Yeah...I can hear the response already....'but ebook piracy allows 10s of thousands of people to read the book'. But if you consider the 100's of thousands of used books sold each year, the amount would be impressive too.

Just a thought.....

View Poll Results: Doea an ebook sale to you represent a lost print sale?
Yes- if there was no ebook version, I would buy a paper copy	29	17.16%
No- I would not buy a print copy even if there was no e-version	93	55.03%
No- I only read from the library and would not buy a print copy OR an ebook copy	7	4.14%
Other- explain	40	23.67%
Voters: 169. You may not vote on this poll

09-16-2009, 02:14 AM	#53
wayspooled Crab In The Dark Posts: 486 Karma: 2328180 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Device: Tablet PC until a 10" comes out that I like	Sometimes... It depends on the book. I grew up with printed books and printed books will always be near my heart. These days, I'm trying to winnow my printed library to only the very best things I've read. I'm down from thousands of print books (and I mean small public library volume) to about 300, about 1/3 of them signed, 1st editions or "deluxe" versions on paper made to last a long time. Ebooks to me are - convenience. I prefer the feel of a book in my hands - but I love the ability to carry a number of books in my pocket. Even e-ink doesn't suffice to give me the same enjoyable visual experience. So my answer is really - it will reduce the number of printed books I buy. I'll buy an ebook first and then if it turns out to be a special read, I'll buy it printed. That said - I've bought ebooks I never would have bought printed. Last edited by wayspooled; 09-16-2009 at 02:18 AM.

09-16-2009, 03:10 AM	#54
hansl Zealot Posts: 112 Karma: 113786 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Germany Device: Sony PRS-T3S, CoolReader on 4'' Android phone	I would buy art pbooks. Other non-fiction if I want it for later reference. Fiction books no, except for those I have to buy from my book club, one every three months. However, one of the club's goals is to make nicely crafted books which are a joy for the senses, so for me it would be poinless to be a member if they would publish only ebooks. And such books are nice gifts for the uninitiated :-D Unfortunately I'm also out of space and start thinking about which books I really want to get old with. hansl Last edited by hansl; 09-16-2009 at 03:25 AM.

09-18-2009, 12:18 PM	#59
=X= Wizard Posts: 3,671 Karma: 12205348 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: Galaxy S, Nook w/CM7	My Selection was partly true I chose option 2 "I only buy eBooks" -- I'm paraphrasing When it comes to fiction and leisure reading I will only buy eBooks and not eBooks. However if there is a good non fiction book I will buy it since content is most important to me. =X=

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09-15-2009, 08:07 PM	#46
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	I'm max'ed out, space-wise... any printed book I buy means another book's gotta go. Therefore, I've almost completely stopped buying printed books... it's been over a year since my last print purchase. Of course, over time there will be many more authors (like myself) who will only produce e-books, and remove the temptation of printed matter to buy... at which point the poll question becomes moot.

09-15-2009, 08:13 PM	#47
doreenjoy 01000100 01001010 Posts: 1,889 Karma: 2400000 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Polyamorous	I'm not sure publishers think e-book sales eat at print sales. After all, they have a higher profit margin on e-books than they do on print books. What they seem to fear is that e-book piracy will eat at print sales.

09-15-2009, 09:32 PM	#48
BearMountainBooks Maria Schneider Posts: 3,746 Karma: 26439330 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Near Austin, Texas Device: 3g Kindle Keyboard	It's usually price-dependent for me. I buy the ecopy if it is the cheapest (and it usually is). If the book isn't available at a reasonable price, I generally interlibrary loan it if my library doesn't have it. So no, no one is losing a sale from me. In fact, if a used copy is cheaper than the ebook copy, I'll buy that. Best way to get my money is sell the cheapest copy--or something so reasonable, I don't think too hard. If the ebook is slightly more than a used copy, I'll probably buy it--because of immediate delivery, but it depends on the book and how bad I want to read it RIGHT THEN. I have bought a handful of hardback books in my life. Literally under 5 books. If a book is out by one of my very favorite authors, I will often read the hardback from the library. If I LOVE the book, I'll buy the paperback. But this is for perhaps 4 or 5 authors and I don't buy all the books, only the ones I love. Example: I recently read that Patricia Briggs will have her next book out in hardcover. The article said it was a "well-deserved" bump up for her. Probably true. I love her books. But...I'll wait for the paperback or ebook. Or get it from the library. I'm happy for her, but I am not paying 25 dollars for something that will cost 8 dollars in a year. I have too much else to read...and I spend enough on books without starting into that habit!!! Maria

09-15-2009, 09:39 PM	#49
Xiaopanda Addict Posts: 230 Karma: 1290 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Brisbane Australia Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I haven't baught a Pbook in over a year. i would buy a pbook for reference, or a religious text, just to have, or an Art / photography book etc.... But for general fiction reading, no ebook = no sale.

09-15-2009, 09:54 PM	#50
pwalker8 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,196 Karma: 70314280 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Device: iPad Pro, iPad mini, Kobo Aura, Amazon paperwhite, Sony PRS-T2	Same as some of the others. For the most part, I simply don't have the space for more books. Any new hard back or paper back books will be specialty books. In addition, I've been purchasing ebook copies of favorite books that I already have in either paper or hardback. All in all, they are coming out ahead of the game.

09-16-2009, 01:49 AM	#52
basschick Wizard Posts: 1,096 Karma: 4695691 Join Date: May 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	the main reason i got an ebook reader is that our house has no more room for books - they're crammed in every available space. because of that, i was buying less and less paper books and also tended to buy used so i could just give books i didn't like away rather than let them continue to take up space. also i still buy paper books of my very favorites. in my case, i may actually be buying MORE paper books because of reading more ebooks and finding ones i liked enough to buy hard copies of.

09-16-2009, 03:44 PM	#56
MerLock Evangelist Posts: 411 Karma: 1034889 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: none	Depends how badly I want to read a particular book. However, I know I've been purchasing a lot of ebooks from authors I would normally not. I don't make many trips to the local bookstore or like ordering physical books because of delivery time and charges. However, I've been making more impluse buys at online ebook stores due simply to the convenience.

09-16-2009, 11:40 PM	#58
Alisa Gadget Geek Posts: 2,324 Karma: 22221 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Paperwhite, Kindle 3 (retired), Skindle 1.2 (retired)	Now that I've transitioned to ebooks and have a reading device, I avoid buying paper books. However, before I got an ebook reader I bought a lot of hardbacks. If I didn't have a reader I would still be buying hardbacks. To me, that means that the ebooks are cannibalizing hardback sales though it doesn't fit the poll's scenarios.

09-21-2009, 03:47 AM	#60
PennyPie Cocoa & Toast...mmmmmm... Posts: 275 Karma: 1000 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ohio Device: Sony PRS-700, iPhone	Ummm....what about the used book market? When you buy a book 2nd hand, there's no royalty going to the author, no profits to the publisher. Now, I know this isn't 'piracy', but certainly, isn't the end result the same....a 2nd person (or 3rd or 4th, etc.) getting the experience of reading the author's word, without benefit of contributing to his (and his publisher's) coffers? Yeah...I can hear the response already....'but ebook piracy allows 10s of thousands of people to read the book'. But if you consider the 100's of thousands of used books sold each year, the amount would be impressive too. Just a thought.....

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