Ebook prices drive me insane

[FlorenceArt]

Interesting

I've also wondered what more the non-free versions of public domains offer. I'd be willing to pay a couple of dollars for the effort to digitize, check and publish a public domain book, but not if all they're doing is taking something offered by a community of volunteers and just slap a price tag on it.

I haven't researched ebookprice.info very thoroughly, but I did make a search on an author's name and it seemed to work. Probably more reliable than a title search.

[Over]

How about the different prices between multiple formats of the same ebook?


There should be a revolution, because the book publishing industry didn't really evolve in decades, so I don't think that sitting and waiting for the situation to change will do any good.

[ascherjim]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

What are the top five sites for ebooks? I'm kind of new at this game and have been browsing Smashwords, Amazon and Barnes and Noble, but selection varies, prices vary and so on. I'd like to know what you knowledgeable types look through!!

thanks
Maria

You might add Diesel to your list as well.

[BearMountainBooks]

Thanks--it's not that I really *have* a list at this point. Thing appear rather scattered.

I'll take a look at Diesel. What an interesting name.


Maria
Sage: Tales from a Magical Kingdom

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

Captains Courageous is a public domain book by Rudyard Kipling. It was recommended to me recently, so I went looking for a copy.

After MR uploads, the 2nd place to look is feedbooks, which has Captains Courageous.

I agree that ebookprice.info will often provide multiple titles for the same ebook, and that reduces its usefulness.

[ascherjim]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

Thanks--it's not that I really *have* a list at this point. Thing appear rather scattered.

I'll take a look at Diesel. What an interesting name.

To make it easier, here's the actual site (if you haven't found it already):

http://diesel-ebooks.com/

[BearMountainBooks]

Thanks--no, I hadn't found it. When I typed in what I thought was the URL...well, let's just say, there were no e-books!!!

I still have to look into MR. I've spent the last week researching the various sites and the formatting requirements and whatnot. I finally, tentatively decided on putting the first book up on Smashwords. I've still got research to do on MR. For a book buyer/reader, it's got to be a headache to keep multiple accounts--to even decide to register to BUY books at all these sites. I know I'm looking around thinking, "Put the book up on...ALL these sites???"

Boggles!!!

Maria
Sage: Tales from a Magical Kingdom

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by formerroadie

There is no "material" involved in e-books and very little overhead "server storage." They have no excuse for selling them at ridiculous costs. For example, I like to buy Brill books when I can because they have some very central volumes for my work. They cost on average over $100 a volume and they go and charge the same price for their e-book versions. It makes me so mad.

If you're talking about technical manuals, textbooks, etc, they are always going to be expensive due to the high cost of production, and the very restricted market. The cost of printing is a negligible component of the cost of such a book.

[BearMountainBooks]

Wow. Now they've got some BOOKS!!!

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

Interesting

I've also wondered what more the non-free versions of public domains offer. I'd be willing to pay a couple of dollars for the effort to digitize, check and publish a public domain book, but not if all they're doing is taking something offered by a community of volunteers and just slap a price tag on it.

In the case of "scholarly" editions of classic books, such as Penguin or Oxford World Classics, you get introductory essays, explanatory footnotes, appendices with all sorts of useful information of textual variations, etc. etc. All this is well-worth paying for. Eg, the Penguin "Enhanced eBook Edition" of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" is a superb example of what you can do with an eBook.

The "unadorned" commercial versions of public domain texts are generally sold at very low prices.

[jedi2602]

Originally Posted by Semantic

This is one of the reasons I'm thinking of getting a kindle (you can use it outside the US via amazon giftcards) - that book for instance is $15 ($18 AUD) with most books $10.

I tried that when the Kindle first came out. Amazon still wanted a US credit card on the account that was going to download the book, even though I was using a gift card for the actual purchase. Had to send the kindle back and get credit, was a huge balls up!

[jedi2602]

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

The prices of ebooks will remain unreasonable until there is wide spread adoption of electronic readers and ebook piracy starts hitting the publishers bottom line.
So far the average age of users I think is over 30 once the younger generation adopts
it they are the ones that are used to getting things free of the internet like movies, songs, Tv shows so would not like to pay $20-25 for something they might only read once
So you will have to wait for another 4-5 years.
Before ebooks have a watershed moment like the music industry did with mp3.

I can't wait for the day ... I have an ebook reader and so do my 14 and 16 year old daughters.

Even though I am over 30 (ouch!) I am well aware where to get free ebooks, and pirated ebooks even, but I'd much rather support an author and *pay* for their hard work! It is the publishing companies I guess that are ripping us off by making us pay the same price as a hard cover book. Which will backfire on them, as I am not desperate enough for this particular book to buy it at this price. I'll wait until Fictionwise have it and they'll probably have it with a 100% micropay rebate, which allows me to buy more books at no cost

S

[jedi2602]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

If you can use eReader format B&N is selling it for $9.99...
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/boo...39166239&itm=1

thanks for the link, I can use eReader (after some finagling), but B&N want a US credit card for purchase Not much good to us Aussies!

[Blue Tyson]

Yes, you are completely wasting your time looking at Barnes and Noble. Don't bother.

[neilmarr]

I'm with you guys. There is no excuse for high ebook prices. The hard work goes into the treebook version -- the editing, design, promo, etc. Production and distribution costsw of ebooks is virtually zero -- and that's what their price should be until e-reading starts to seriously impact treebook sales.

My own wee publishing house is tied by major retailers to (I think) over-pricing the ebook covers to our paperbacks. At our own site, where we have control, they're priced at a nominal £1 or $2.

If anyone here wants anything from our catalogue, though (www.bewrite.net), please just drop me a line and I'd be more than happy to send your ebook/s free of charge. It's a fair deal because I owe you folks for some fine company and some very sound practical advice.

Cheers for now. Neil