So I did some research on Amazon.com about prices of hardcovers, paperbacks, and e-books. And yes, he was right and I was wrong. But I still feel that my price ranges are not bad - because after all they are what I am willing to pay.
What I am Willing to Pay
In US dollarsHardcover: $8-$12
Paperback: $3-$8
E-Book: $1-$5
Reasoning
The more something costs to produce, and reproduce - the more it is going to cost. The cheaper it is to produce, and reproduce the lest it should cost.Here is a comparison based on my limited knowledge and opinion:
Initial Production Cost: Hardcover = Paperback = E-Book The initial cost to get the book formatted is probably the same for all three formats.
Reproduction Cost: Hardcover > Paperback > E-Book My day job is computer programming. I happen to know that reproducing electronic files is a snap. Even given a little allowance for the controversy and licensing issues surrounding e-books right now - it is still vastly cheaper to reproduce an e-book then a paperback or hardcover.
My Point
I have seen a lot of e-books that are more than $10! Only on rare occasions will I pay more than $5. I have also seen a lot of e-books that cost more then the paperback. Why would I ever buy the e-book if the paperback is cheaper? And I love e-books.Now comes the all important question - am I crazy? Are my expectations and the prices I am willing to pay for e-books unreasonable? What do you think?
I know there are many who look at the content as the thing that's really valuable. I agree, philosophically. But there's a real choke factor for me when the same content is presented in a paper book that only costs $.75 more than the ebook. That's why I still buy some paper books.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. I would pay more for a book say ny an author I loved opposed to an unknown. But you hit thr nail on the head -on qhy purchase the ebook if the paperback is cheaper.
ReplyDeleteI will pay the extra for the paper books when I know the author and I am fairly confident what I will get is a quality read that I can share with a friend. Ebook for me is usually a cheaper way to get introduced to a new author. I too find myself not willing to pay a big lot for them.
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