Are you prepared to pay the same price for an ebook as for the print book?

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Secrets in Death comes out in digital and hardcover 5 Sep 2017. Like all In Death books the paperback comes out 6 months later (in this case 2 Jan 2018) and the digital price is usually dropped by the publisher at the same time. If you want it on release in Sept. the options are $15.99 for the eBook or $31.57 ($36.00 list price) for the hardcover.

Wow just wow. In shock.
Will wait on the book in the thrift store.

[darryl]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Secrets in Death comes out in digital and hardcover 5 Sep 2017. Like all In Death books the paperback comes out 6 months later (in this case 2 Jan 2018) and the digital price is usually dropped by the publisher at the same time. If you want it on release in Sept. the options are $15.99 for the eBook or $31.57 ($36.00 list price) for the hardcover.

The plain fact of the matter, a fact which many publishers seem either not to grasp or not to care, is that there are in fact more options than that. I'm not going to go so far as to say I condone piracy, which is of course one of those options but not the only one. But nor should we ignore it and pretend that it doesn't exist. There will no doubt be some piracy whatever the price. However, based on anecdotal evidence, I suspect that the higher the price is set the more the book will be pirated. If this is in fact the case I'm sure that the publishers are aware of it and take it into account. Fortunately, it seems that the vast majority of people are law abiding and do not resort to piracy, even if they perceive themselves as being ill-treated. But a great many of these still won't buy the book, at least not at that time. They may choose to wait for the price to come down, and I'm sure potential sales are lost as some of these people lose interest in the book over time. Others may endure some delay and borrow from a library or even from friends or family. And, of course, as time passes used copies increasingly become available.

[GeoffR]

If you buy a lot of books (like most of us here do) you might take into account the average price you pay, rather than just the price of certain individual books.

I wouldn't want to pay $16.99 for every book I buy, I couldn't afford to. But since many of those ebooks I will get during special promotions at $0.99 or $2.99 or $4.99, I don't mind paying $16.99 for some. The average price I pay for a publisher's ebooks works out to be much less than their normal list price.

Contrast with paper books where there is no opportunity for such steep discounts, the average paper price ends up closer to the normal list price. So in practice ebooks are much cheaper in comparison to paper than the difference in list price alone would suggest.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

So in practice ebooks are much cheaper in comparison to paper than the difference in list price alone would suggest.

Very true. My average price paid this year is just over £2.00. And that's for big publisher ebooks, not indies.

[tubemonkey]

No, I would choose another book to read instead.

For me, ebooks must either be free or purchased with free credits. Under no circumstances would I ever spend my own money for an ebook. I will spend my own money for an audiobook, provided the price is under $3.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

For me, ebooks must either be free or purchased with free credits. Under no circumstances would I ever spend my own money for an ebook.

You place no value on books, or the work of authors? I find that very sad .

[MikeB1972]

I couldn't care less what the price of a print book is, for exactly the same reason that I don't compare the price of paperclips with cheese.

[MikeB1972]

Originally Posted by darryl

The plain fact of the matter, a fact which many publishers seem either not to grasp or not to care, is that there are in fact more options than that. I'm not going to go so far as to say I condone piracy, which is of course one of those options but not the only one. But nor should we ignore it and pretend that it doesn't exist. There will no doubt be some piracy whatever the price. However, based on anecdotal evidence, I suspect that the higher the price is set the more the book will be pirated. If this is in fact the case I'm sure that the publishers are aware of it and take it into account. Fortunately, it seems that the vast majority of people are law abiding and do not resort to piracy, even if they perceive themselves as being ill-treated. But a great many of these still won't buy the book, at least not at that time. They may choose to wait for the price to come down, and I'm sure potential sales are lost as some of these people lose interest in the book over time. Others may endure some delay and borrow from a library or even from friends or family. And, of course, as time passes used copies increasingly become available.

So, do you think the "give me what I want at the price I want or I'm taking it for free" stance is defensible?

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by HarryT

You place no value on books, or the work of authors? I find that very sad .

Most of the authors I read are dead and their works are in the public domain.

[pwalker8]

I have no issue paying the same price for an ebook as for the print edition. I find that I don't even notice the print edition price much anymore. How much I'm willing to pay is predicated solely on how much I want to read the book.

[toddhicks209]

It depends on the book's content, size and potential plus how much I want the book.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by MikeB1972

So, do you think the "give me what I want at the price I want or I'm taking it for free" stance is defensible?

I try to avoid going off the rail on these type of discussions, honestly I do but since the OP went in that direction, I'll give my 2 cents worth.

I buy books for selfish reasons. I like to read and more specifically, I have favored authors that I like to read. Authors aren't going to write more books unless they can make money at it. That's just a hard, cold fact.

A lot of people want their books either free or super cheap. Some pirate, some use libraries, others buy used. One can argue the moralities of each case, but from my selfish point of view, none of these will put money in the author's pocket and encourage him or her to write more books. That's why I have no problem buying books, to encourage authors to write more. That underlying fact also drives my view on copyright, i.e. copyright is to encourage the arts. Books should be available to the buying public to be eligible for copyright. I don't mind paying for it, but I do mind not being able to buy it. Heck, it's also why I tip well. I like good service and believe in encouraging good service with a good tip.

(and just to clarify before someone comes out with guns a blazing, no I'm not saying you are a bad person if you use libraries or used book store. I've used both. I'm just saying that in neither case does the author get more financial encouragement to write more books. )

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

I try to avoid going off the rail on these type of discussions, honestly I do but since the OP went in that direction, I'll give my 2 cents worth.

I buy books for selfish reasons. I like to read and more specifically, I have favored authors that I like to read. Authors aren't going to write more books unless they can make money at it. That's just a hard, cold fact.

A lot of people want their books either free or super cheap. Some pirate, some use libraries, others buy used. One can argue the moralities of each case, but from my selfish point of view, none of these will put money in the author's pocket and encourage him or her to write more books. That's why I have no problem buying books, to encourage authors to write more. That underlying fact also drives my view on copyright, i.e. copyright is to encourage the arts. Books should be available to the buying public to be eligible for copyright. I don't mind paying for it, but I do mind not being able to buy it. Heck, it's also why I tip well. I like good service and believe in encouraging good service with a good tip.

(and just to clarify before someone comes out with guns a blazing, no I'm not saying you are a bad person if you use libraries or used book store. I've used both. I'm just saying that in neither case does the author get more financial encouragement to write more books. )

I might give a bit of an argument on your last sentence. I think on libraries the authors do get a small percentage but not positive.
On used book stores, the author might gain a new fan that wouldn't have found them otherwise who is now willing to buy new books or ebooks. Yes, I have done that too.
But then on used book stores and especially thrift shops, many times the author has already quit writing. In the case of cookbooks, many had a very limited print run to begin with and if it was a charity book to begin with the buyer if they so wished could still donate to the original cause. (I have hundreds of those.)

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I might give a bit of an argument on your last sentence. I think on libraries the authors do get a small percentage but not positive.

In the US the author gets paid for a library book as a sale just like any other book (ie, they get paid once [based on list price for print and Net sale price on digital AFAIK], when the library buys the book). In the UK there is a system where the author gets paid a bit when their books are borrowed [it's a bit more complicated than that, look up Public Lending Right for more info) in addition to when the book is initially purchased. Ireland has something similar to the UK. Don't know about elsewhere.

[sakura-panda]

I didn't vote, but I guess my response would be "Yes", since I don't compare printed vs ebook when I shop; I consider them independently of each other. I'm thinking that the poll is intended for readers who do consider price before they choose which book to purchase and I didn't want to skew the poll.

When I want to read a particular book Right Now, I will buy the ebook, at whatever it's cost may be. With some series, when the earlier books are half the price of the latest book, I wait until the *next* book comes out, and the previous book has dropped in price. There are series where I am not willing to wait for that price drop, and as long as I read it Immediately After Purchase, I will pay whatever the asking price is.

(On at least one occasion, I have purchased a book and not only did it switch to free before I read it, but it was in my TBD pile for a few years before I finally opened it. Furthermore, I bought the next two of the series in a three book omnibus, so I *paid* for a *free* book *twice*! Now it has to be a *really* good deal for me to buy a book ahead of when I'm ready to read it.)

Print books I buy at the local independent bookstore. If I find something I want to read while browsing, I don't look up the ebook; I just buy the copy in my hand. I don't read a lot of print books, so these are always trade paperback books that have been discounted. I try not to go often, because of how much I spend each visit, but I am easily swayed by my kids and end up there more often than I would like.