Ebook prices drive me insane

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by jedi2602

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!

Now, only if the book is in pre-order.

[SolRaven]

I don't know if this has been mentioned in this thread, but I believe part of the reason publishers are so resistant to ebooks is because other than marketing, authors won't need them to distribute their digital copies. As an author you might find it hard to give a publisher a cut of the profit of the book that you just spent a year writing when you can publish it your self digitally.

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by SolRaven

I don't know if this has been mentioned in this thread, but I believe part of the reason publishers are so resistant to ebooks is because other than marketing, authors won't need them to distribute their digital copies. As an author you might find it hard to give a publisher a cut of the profit of the book that you just spent a year writing when you can publish it your self digitally.

While I agree that an all ebook world (if it ever exists) will greatly limit the role of the publisher, I think it is unfair to suggest that marketing is all they would have left to do. Personally I think that the most valuable role that publishers traditionally do is the editing of the book; i.e., and we are not talking about just correcting spelling and grammar errors either. Ideally we are talking about helping the author trim and tighten their manuscript (And in some places adding to it). A couple authors have published "uncut" versions of some of their books... often I think to the detriment of the original published version.

Now that being said, there is no particular reason why editors need to be tied to publishers. I can imagine a world where editors are free lancers who are hired by authors before they they finally self publish their books. But even then I am sure publishers might have other valuable roles.

--
Bill

[SolRaven]

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

While I agree that an all ebook world (if it ever exists) will greatly limit the role of the publisher, I think it is unfair to suggest that marketing is all they would have left to do. Personally I think that the most valuable role that publishers traditionally do is the editing of the book; i.e., and we are not talking about just correcting spelling and grammar errors either. Ideally we are talking about helping the author trim and tighten their manuscript (And in some places adding to it). A couple authors have published "uncut" versions of some of their books... often I think to the detriment of the original published version.

Now that being said, there is no particular reason why editors need to be tied to publishers. I can imagine a world where editors are free lancers who are hired by authors before they they finally self publish their books. But even then I am sure publishers might have other valuable roles.

--
Bill

That's exactly what I am saying. For the amount of money that authors give to publishers over the life of a book, an author could hire proof readers, editors and illustrators on their own for much less in the end. It's like paying an HOA fees, or hiring your own landscaper, and other contractors, as needed, for your own SF house. Which is cheaper?

Also, I don't think an all digital world will happen anytime soon, but as the digital world gets bigger, as a publisher, I would resist the very slow demise of my, once, omnipotent publishing power.

[IncarnadinePress]

Originally Posted by SolRaven

I don't know if this has been mentioned in this thread, but I believe part of the reason publishers are so resistant to ebooks is because other than marketing, authors won't need them to distribute their digital copies. As an author you might find it hard to give a publisher a cut of the profit of the book that you just spent a year writing when you can publish it your self digitally.

Don't underestimate the technical challenge of producing a well-formatted, saleable eBook. While most of the users on this forum are extremely technologically adept, most people, including authors, are not. Isn't it a better use of their time to become better writers, rather than learning how to be passable eBook coders?

Until there is a single eBook standard and a truly fool-proof, one-click tool for creating that standard, publishers and their vendors still have a vital production role to play.

[Hellmark]

Don't forget editors. Many ebook authors are forgoing editors, and the effects are very present. I see a lot with bad grammar, typos, etc.

[BearMountainBooks]

I can't really fathom why publishers aren't moving faster with ebooks. A couple articles I read (one from Tor's Patrick Hayden) mentioned it is partly a time management thing. They have thousands of backlist, they have new books, they have all the same chores--and ebook is an additional one. And of course it isn't as though they have new staffing.

And yes, I'd agree that editing is probably one of their most valuable functions. Their "branding" and marketing don't hurt any either.

Maria
Sage: (multiple formats; Amazon or Smashwords--$1.00)
Catch an Honest Thief (Kindle only format: $1.99; a cozy mystery)

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by SolRaven

That's exactly what I am saying. For the amount of money that authors give to publishers over the life of a book, an author could hire proof readers, editors and illustrators on their own for much less in the end. It's like paying an HOA fees, or hiring your own landscaper, and other contractors, as needed, for your own SF house. Which is cheaper?

With a publishing contract, the author doesn't have to pay those fees up front. Also, a publisher has contacts--advertising, distributors, news reporters--that individual authors generally don't, and no amount of money can get them.

I do think we'll see a lot more self-published books in the future, and some of them will be good. But a lot of them will be poorly (or not) edited and shoddy, and "self-published" will retain its stigmatic reputation.

[SolRaven]

Originally Posted by IncarnadinePress

Don't underestimate the technical challenge of producing a well-formatted, saleable eBook. While most of the users on this forum are extremely technologically adept, most people, including authors, are not. Isn't it a better use of their time to become better writers, rather than learning how to be passable eBook coders?

Until there is a single eBook standard and a truly fool-proof, one-click tool for creating that standard, publishers and their vendors still have a vital production role to play.

I haven't. The key word is "still." I ask, if publishers consider ebooks completely innocuous, why do they seem hesitant to embrace and help us buy more books more easily? Right now I have several books on paper that I'd like to carry around w/ me digitally, and I can't find ebook versions.

[SolRaven]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

With a publishing contract, the author doesn't have to pay those fees up front. Also, a publisher has contacts--advertising, distributors, news reporters--that individual authors generally don't, and no amount of money can get them.

I do think we'll see a lot more self-published books in the future, and some of them will be good. But a lot of them will be poorly (or not) edited and shoddy, and "self-published" will retain its stigmatic reputation.

That's true and I've considered that as well. Authors who would hire their own to bring their ebooks to market would be well established authors who are already prepared financially to produce their own ebook, and would also be able to hire someone to take care of any and all details that it would entail. They would have a financial burden up front, but their back end would be much larger. I also believe that eventually an entirely new business will crop up that specialize in producing ebooks only. As ebooks take over the larger market share, print only publishers will be forced to sign contracts to produce only an authors physical books while they are allowed to sell all of their digital copies on their own. As an author, if I sold 80% books digitally, and 20% paper, I'd likely consider cutting a publisher out that wasn't willing to work with me, or finding another paper publisher that would.

[KarenB]

www.eharlequin.com

www.regencyreads.com

Both have very reasonable priced ebooks and switching to self promoting mode mine is even more reasonably priced.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54305

Luv Karen.

[Crowl]

Originally Posted by SolRaven

I haven't. The key word is "still." I ask, if publishers consider ebooks completely innocuous, why do they seem hesitant to embrace and help us buy more books more easily? Right now I have several books on paper that I'd like to carry around w/ me digitally, and I can't find ebook versions.

I think you are wrongly attributing their current actions to malice when the reality is more likely to be a combination of a lack of a clear business imperative and a fair degree of ineptness.

The ebook market is growing rapidly, but it is still just a tiny part of the overall market and with financial conditions the way that they are a fair amount of businesses are going to take more of a short-term view even if it would be more sensible for them to do otherwise.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by IncarnadinePress

Don't underestimate the technical challenge of producing a well-formatted, saleable eBook. While most of the users on this forum are extremely technologically adept, most people, including authors, are not.

Based on many of the eBooks I've seen, neither are Publishers.

[BearMountainBooks]

Shaggy--that made me laugh! You're right. A lot of the publishers treat ebooks as an afterthought--if they bother at all.

[rvdparis]

Just a quick revival of this thread:

Can anyone explain the pricing structure of eBooks or regular hardcover or softcover books? Is it market based? Is it to recoup fees? Is it marketing costs?

I've been in contact with a small e-publishing and distributing house AND a large, national (French) retail boutique on the subject of why certain of their eBooks are advertised, for example, on Amazon.com, for two-, sometimes three-times CHEAPER than their own advertised prices. The large company never got back to me, but the small one has been writing me back, concerned about such mysteries. He—actually, his distributor—can't explain why a book on a publisher site is 42.95 USD, as well as on Amazon, and on HIS site it's 110 USD. AS AN EBOOK!

So can anyone explain

1. Why ebooks are expensive at all?

2. and why ebooks could possibly be more expensive than their hard/softcover counterparts, or why ebooks on certain sites can be 2 or 3x more expensive than on their publisher sites, or Amazon.com?

At first, I thought it might be anti-piracy, that Amazon DRMs their books with topaz which 99% guarantees they can't be pirated, so publishers give them a discount, so they can sell cheaply? But making things so expensive on other sites may encourage piracy, as the small distributor told me.

Who can explain how this all works? It's so fascinating how a technology that promises to stop cutting down trees, and therefore cut overhead costs, can remain so expensive.

Thanks for your time, R