How many 'must-buy' authors do you have from Big 6 publishers?

[SameOldStory]

Originally Posted by snipenekkid

Backlist sales would seem to represent something akin to recovery of sales lost to the used market today. If publishers play it the right way and actually put the backlist titles out there AND competitive with used prices. And a buck a book is going to pressure the used market.

What is the harm in putting a 30+ year old title out in ebook form for a buck? Sitting there it's dead remaindered stock. Listed for sale it's at least representing income potential of some sort at whatever price seems right.

Server overhead is a sunk cost for all online sellers/retailers and if they don't use them then it's as bad as leaving good stock out of reach to your customers who want to buy whatever the thing is being sold.

You, and I, certainly agree. Along with most of the MR members I think.

I'm thinking, though, that the major publishers just can't let a book go out there if it's less than $10.

That or they may think that while you're reading that book you aren’t spending more for the latest Dale Brown book (I'm not picking on Dale Brown, just an example).

[tompe]

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

You, and I, certainly agree. Along with most of the MR members I think.

I'm thinking, though, that the major publishers just can't let a book go out there is it's less than $10.

That or they may think that while you're reading that book you aren’t spending more for the latest Dale Brown book (I'm not picking on Dale Brown, just an example).

The reason is probably much simpler. A 30 year old back list book will probably not sell so many copies so they have to charge at least so much it cost to put it out.

[SameOldStory]

Originally Posted by bgalbrecht

You must be reading other authors, or have been buying from other stores than I do. If I had to repurchase the books I from the Agency 6 before they went to the agency model, I'd probably have to pay at least 150% of what I paid for them via sales at Fictionwise. I have no "must buy" authors from the agency 6, but I've bought a few, mainly with discounted gift cards, because the books were discounted or I wanted to read something from a GOH at an upcoming convention.

To some degree, I've stopped buying from the major publishers and have little, or no, regrets. As other have said, why spend so much money on what will amount to a short time distraction? In the way of movies, I won’t buy one for $20 - $25 either. I can wait.


You've made me think. And the more I think about it, what I said in the previous post is probably very true. I wouldn't spend full price to replace my favorite paper books, but if they were only $2 or $3 I probably would. In that case, I really would be buying less "new" fiction.

[SameOldStory]

Originally Posted by tompe

The reason is probably much simpler. A 30 year old back list book will probably not sell so many copies so they have to charge at least so much it cost to put it out.

Simpler still - In the past, publishers didn't bother keeping the electronic files after they thought that the run was over. Now they'd have to recreate the book again.

I downloaded an (ummmm) unauthorized book last year. The file was so bad as to make it an unenjoyable read. I gave up trying to correct all of the mistakes and just deleted it.

I do wonder if the cost to the publisher for such re-conversion might be a cost they just don’t want to put up with. Especially for a low selling price.

[snipenekkid]

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

You, and I, certainly agree. Along with most of the MR members I think.

I'm thinking, though, that the major publishers just can't let a book go out there is it's less than $10.

That or they may think that while you're reading that book you aren’t spending more for the latest Dale Brown book (I'm not picking on Dale Brown, just an example).

Originally Posted by tompe

The reason is probably much simpler. A 30 year old back list book will probably not sell so many copies so they have to charge at least so much it cost to put it out.

Looking at it that way I see there is logic to the idea of not putting out the backlist at a low-ish price. One reason would be it puts new authors without those backlist titles at a pretty large disadvantage for sales. So maybe the price just needs to be what it will be.

...I wonder what is on TV today?

[CleverClothe]

Originally Posted by elcreative

Myth time again... one book generated hence no further costs So where do we get this book from? How about costs of servers (even if leased, it costs), staff to maintain (don't tell me you don't scream if the site you want is down), electricity, costs of doing business (paying card companies who want their cut, proper distribution of royalties, artwork for covers) etc... funnily enough these costs differ very little for paper or ebook AND make up a much larger proportion of the book cost than the no longer needed paper, printing and distribution ever did... Not saying it isn't cheaper but there are plenty of additional costs still included...

Damn, really must finish reading thread before replying... no matter how irritated...

Servers = Fixed Cost (compared to sales), and payed for by the retailer
Staff = Fixed Cost
Electricity = See Servers
CC Fees = Variable Cost, but payed for by retailer
Royalties distribution = See Staff
Artwork = Fixed Cost

So, lets take a look at what the list really looks like:

Ebook Variable Costs:
DRM (%) (Not applicable if selling through Amazon)
Royalties (%)

Paper Variable Costs:
Royalties (%)
Materials ($)
Printing Labor ($)
Storage ($)
Shipping ($)

What you can see from the two lists is that ebook variable costs are a percentage of the price you sell an ebook for. Therefore, you will always make a unit profit on an ebook sale. So the goal is to maximize the overall profit from those sales to cover the fixed costs that are mostly shared between paper and ebook.

[bgalbrecht]

There are a number of reasons why you don't see that many backlist ebooks from the big publishers:

1) If the paper book is out of print, the rights have probably reverted to the author.
2) If the paper book is in print, if the contract was original signed before around 2000, the publisher probably doesn't have the ebook rights.
3) If the publishers have electronic files, they're probably PDF or other print prepress files that are not suitable for creating ebooks.
4) Even if the publishers were willing to pay the couple thousand it would cost to create ebook editions of the backlist books (not including author advance or royalties), they aren't interested in charging a couple dollars for them even if it meant that they'd recoup their cost quicker through higher sales (not that that would be guaranteed anyway). They are afraid that the backlist sales will cannibalize new book sales, especially if the backlist books are priced lower than new book sales.

[elcreative]

Servers... increasing cost as catalogues expanded... and rarely owned but usually leased...

Electricity... increasing especially with the greens aim of pricing us all out of using energy...

CC fees paid by retailer... so, still comes out of final price... consumer pays not retailer (they don't have any money other than what we give them)

Staff... probably relatively fixed...


As far as "You will always make a unit profit on an ebook sale..." Where does that come from, there is no such thing as always making a profit... it depends on end unit price (never heard of loss leaders), the state of the market and many other economic variables...

And these days the the current goal is to stay in business never mind maximising profit from sales... never seen BOGOF offers etc... mainly to offset supermarket sales and get customers in... personally the current marketplace model is doomed, killed as much by the customer as the publisher/retailer... just like small shops on every high street and in every village, we all want the convenience but as everyone wants to pay the least possible then it's goodbye to small shops and current booksellers... specialists used to rely on bestsellers to help support the longer tail in their specialities but not possible any more...

Originally Posted by CleverClothe

Servers = Fixed Cost (compared to sales), and payed for by the retailer
Staff = Fixed Cost
Electricity = See Servers
CC Fees = Variable Cost, but payed for by retailer
Royalties distribution = See Staff
Artwork = Fixed Cost

So, lets take a look at what the list really looks like:

Ebook Variable Costs:
DRM (%) (Not applicable if selling through Amazon)
Royalties (%)

Paper Variable Costs:
Royalties (%)
Materials ($)
Printing Labor ($)
Storage ($)
Shipping ($)

What you can see from the two lists is that ebook variable costs are a percentage of the price you sell an ebook for. Therefore, you will always make a unit profit on an ebook sale. So the goal is to maximize the overall profit from those sales to cover the fixed costs that are mostly shared between paper and ebook.

[Janette55]

For ebooks at present, none, but for paper books I have 10. Five are set on autobuy on certain series. But all of these books are from series that I read.

In the ebooks I will not be buying from the Big Six, at leastg I will do my best not to, but I don't know all of them.

I do know that on a forum, maybe this one but different thread (agency pricing is part of the title), there is a list of companies.

I was surprised at how many of the authors I have on that list. So, it will be hard to not buy from them, but I am going to do my best.

[sufue]

Originally Posted by ellenoc

When they went to agency pricing, I went to the library. I do buy reasonably priced ebooks, which these days means $7 and less, whether backlists authors are putting out themselves, smaller pubs that are smarter, or indies.

+1

Although my target for the e-book of a backlist p-book I already own is only about $3, or maybe $4 max for a truly favorite author...but still that's pure additional income (can argue all day long about whether it's profit, but it's definitely additional income) to the author/publisher since I would never have re-bought in paper.

I do agree with ellenoc that I will go up to about $7 or so for indie authors, or smaller pubs, or filling in gaps in a backlist that I don't already have, or something like that. Beyond that, the library beckons...

[crossi]

I no longer buy any fiction in paper editions. I never ever bought hardback fiction. Since I won't pay more than $7 for a ebook novel the number of my autobuys has dropped drastically. The odd thing is I haven't really missed them.

[GreenMonkey]

As far as the original question (I chimed in on the costs related to ebooks earlier)...I've got Robin Hobb and GRR Martin. That's it. Those purchases are a given to me, unless my budget is in really terrible shape. But I buy hardcovers anyway.

[carld]

I buy Jim Butcher's Dresden Files books, but that's it.

[GA Russell]

As I understand it, the agency controversy regards only eBooks.

I keep my eye open for good deals with the Doubleday and Quality Paperback Book Clubs, but I have no must-buy Big Six authors for eBooks.

[TenaciousBadger]

I have quite a few unfortunately (makes me tear my hair out) but I've resolved I can't pay over 18 bucks for a popular fiction novel. It's just insane. Most I've ever paid was 13 and something.
I've resolved to just stay put until the paperback version comes out which also brings down the ebook price.