Big ebook price difference between UK and US

tech_au · 04-12-2009, 10:25 PM

I don't know why there are such big price differences on some ebooks between the UK and the US.
I just bought the Alexander Cipher for 4.50GBP(approx AU$9) from whsmiths and at BooksonBoard its $US19(approx AU$28). Quite a big difference?
Anyone got any ideas why there would be such a big difference for the same book?

lilac_jive · 04-12-2009, 10:29 PM

Dunno, that book is 11.99 US dollars on Sony's store.

wallcraft · 04-12-2009, 10:57 PM

This seems to be a book that was first published in the UK by Harper-Collins. It is already in paperback in the UK, which probably explains its low ebook price. On Amazon in the US the publisher for the, just released, hardback and the Kindle ebook ($9.99) is Grand Central Publishing.

kevindorsey · 04-12-2009, 11:04 PM

Life is very expensive in the UK, even on books it seems

DanT · 04-12-2009, 11:05 PM

It's the regional publisher spitting that we got from pbooks. Usually in pbook each region has their own publisher and they do their own thing.

From amazon.com The Alexander Cipher was publish on March 18, 2009 in hardcover by Grand Central Publishing which is a subsidary of hachette

from amazon.co.uk The Alexander Cipher UK version was publish 5 Nov 2007 by harperscollins UK in paperback

So both publisher make ebook.

The US publisher decide that it would be a great idea put ebook at hardcover price.

UK one base their price on their paperback version.

tech_au · 04-13-2009, 02:13 AM

Ah, Its the same regional stupidity happening here. I knew hachette was involved somewhere

The US prices are usually always better than the UK prices but this is a rather dramatic reversal. Funny that harper collins didn't publish it in the US as well.
I guess it pays to check both the US and UK prices before deciding to buy

HarryT · 04-13-2009, 03:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevindorsey

Life is very expensive in the UK, even on books it seems

The original poster was actually saying that this particular book was cheaper in the UK than the US.

tech_au · 04-13-2009, 07:33 PM

Yeah, it is a welcome change that some UK ebook stores are getting competitive with the US stores. Maybe Waterstones needs a little help because the ebook of Alexander cipher is dearer than the paperback at the moment and also 1 pound dearer than WHsmiths.
Incidentally the second book in the series Exodus Quest(released Nov 2008) is now available in epub ebook for the same 4.50GBP price.
I guess the US publishers are trying to make some money out of it with the excessive price.

Alisa · 04-13-2009, 07:40 PM

Well, the shipping charges must be pretty big between there and the US.

04-12-2009, 10:25 PM	#1
tech_au Oz Bookworm Posts: 516 Karma: 4056 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Australia Device: Sony PRS 505,PRS 650	Big ebook price difference between UK and US I don't know why there are such big price differences on some ebooks between the UK and the US. I just bought the Alexander Cipher for 4.50GBP(approx AU$9) from whsmiths and at BooksonBoard its $US19(approx AU$28). Quite a big difference? Anyone got any ideas why there would be such a big difference for the same book?

04-12-2009, 11:04 PM	#4
kevindorsey Evangelist Posts: 488 Karma: 258 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: kindle	Life is very expensive in the UK, even on books it seems Last edited by kevindorsey; 04-12-2009 at 11:09 PM.

04-12-2009, 11:05 PM	#5
DanT Connoisseur Posts: 56 Karma: 719 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Kobo Glo	It's the regional publisher spitting that we got from pbooks. Usually in pbook each region has their own publisher and they do their own thing. From amazon.com The Alexander Cipher was publish on March 18, 2009 in hardcover by Grand Central Publishing which is a subsidary of hachette from amazon.co.uk The Alexander Cipher UK version was publish 5 Nov 2007 by harperscollins UK in paperback So both publisher make ebook. The US publisher decide that it would be a great idea put ebook at hardcover price. UK one base their price on their paperback version. Last edited by DanT; 04-12-2009 at 11:07 PM.

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04-12-2009, 10:29 PM	#2
lilac_jive Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,870 Karma: 27376 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Device: PRS-505	Dunno, that book is 11.99 US dollars on Sony's store.

04-12-2009, 10:57 PM	#3
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	This seems to be a book that was first published in the UK by Harper-Collins. It is already in paperback in the UK, which probably explains its low ebook price. On Amazon in the US the publisher for the, just released, hardback and the Kindle ebook ($9.99) is Grand Central Publishing.

04-13-2009, 02:13 AM	#6
tech_au Oz Bookworm Posts: 516 Karma: 4056 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Australia Device: Sony PRS 505,PRS 650	Ah, Its the same regional stupidity happening here. I knew hachette was involved somewhere The US prices are usually always better than the UK prices but this is a rather dramatic reversal. Funny that harper collins didn't publish it in the US as well. I guess it pays to check both the US and UK prices before deciding to buy

04-13-2009, 07:33 PM	#8
tech_au Oz Bookworm Posts: 516 Karma: 4056 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Australia Device: Sony PRS 505,PRS 650	Yeah, it is a welcome change that some UK ebook stores are getting competitive with the US stores. Maybe Waterstones needs a little help because the ebook of Alexander cipher is dearer than the paperback at the moment and also 1 pound dearer than WHsmiths. Incidentally the second book in the series Exodus Quest(released Nov 2008) is now available in epub ebook for the same 4.50GBP price. I guess the US publishers are trying to make some money out of it with the excessive price.

04-13-2009, 07:40 PM	#9
Alisa Gadget Geek Posts: 2,324 Karma: 22221 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Paperwhite, Kindle 3 (retired), Skindle 1.2 (retired)	Well, the shipping charges must be pretty big between there and the US.

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