Writing this post I thought it best to do research instead of talking about my own views exclusively. Not everyone thinks the same so let’s find out how others feel on the subject.
The general response to the question what is the most you would spend on an ebook was 9.99 and was stated as only for reference books or that fave author that you’d sell a kidney to get their newest book.
Barnes & Noble nook (ebook reader device) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
On the max price you think a book should be priced it was 4.99-5.99 for the most part.
Excellent feedback from those I contacted thanks to everyone. Now as to why they came up with these figures.
Many feel traditional publishers ie. the big 6 are pricing as they are is because of an attempt to protect their sales. Price it high and we’ll protect our numbers mentality. We all know how well that’s going for them. With small press and self published authors elbowing in and taking over and taking a bigger and bigger slice of the pie each day why are they doing this? The view is behind in the times. They price the books higher and yet the author get’s only a small drop of the 9.99 a self published author on the other hand gets a much higher cut as they don’t have anyone else to share it with. It goes crazy on a grass roots campaign and then get’s so many books purchased the big 6 is beating down their door to get them to sign a contract.
There is no perfect price I don’t think anyone can really say there is. A big six will have many more people to pay than a self published or even indie author but having said that once the work is put in and that file is created it just sits there waiting for some eager reader to come along and buy it. You put in the work once and then it’s just profit there on out.
In my time reviewing I’ve come to learn some things. For a start don’t be totally cheap spend the extra 2-3 dollars and buy it full price help the author out. That sale price looks good but does the author get a cut of it? No so unless we’re talking a huge chunk of change give the author the sale.
Ebooks are no different buy and be willing to spend don’t expect it all to be free or 99cents though those are a good way to discover a new author. Getting that taste of what they have to offer.
Which leads to the other and main issue. ( at least I think it is ) It isn’t just how it’s priced but the perceived value. How do you price a book when people assume things because it’s free or only 99 cents? Are $9.99 books better than .99cent ones? Some perhaps and for ten dollars you expect a big six perfect book with no spelling, punctuation or grammar issues. It’ll be edited and worked on for months before released. It’ll have a pretty cover and will look so nice and eye catching you will not be able to resist. So it’s got to be good right? Well what if it isn’t? What if that 1.99 book from that self published author really is the one that you’d have liked better. The editing, the drafts, the cover they did that all themselves. The work that a dozen people at the big six would have done that one lone person did, do you feel bad about spending that two dollars now? I for one have read a couple of ebooks lately both self published and cannot for the life of me figure out why a big six or even small to mid size publisher hasn’t grabbed them. Excellent books, quite frankly better than some big published books I’ve read.
Most that I know and questioned are authors themselves or book bloggers so only happy to give that author the sale. I love requesting a book I want be purchased from my library the author gets the sale and many get to enjoy it not just me. The ebook sale makes me feel good too as an even larger cut of that sale goes to the author.
So how much are you willing to pay? I personally have no problem in a 99cent book I love indie authors and publishers and wish more of them the success they deserve. I love that it allows me to get an idea for what the authors books are like and then I can go and get some more. I think all authors big and small should have a book or two at this price to give new readers who are hesitant a chance to try their work. The actual price of an ebook that I myself would be willing is not higher than $5. If I’m paying more I feel I may as well get the physical copy. What irks me and many others is when publishers price an ebook at the same price as a physical book. Poor big publishers have much to learn and probably why they are loosing on sales. Lesson here do not price that way!
So that’s my take on it but really what would you spend on an ebook? Why that amount?
Is there too high an amount for you?
What do you think of low priced books? Do you feel it’s lower quality work?
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frellathon
Latest posts by frellathon (see all)
- What are you willing to pay for an ebook? - May 27, 2012
I got my Kindle Touch recently and then realised that many of the books I wanted to buy were actually CHEAPER in the physical form. That's just rediculus. I am saddened that the big publishers are doing this. I now use my kindle for mostly indie books and the rare times books are on sale.
Well said and very interesting. Way for a book blogger to bite back!
Well said and very interesting. Way for a book blogger to bite back! I would pay those orioles and like when a book in a series is 99 cents for the first and higher for the new. Makes me more likely to try the book series! Stephen Kimg won't be having me read any of his unless I go to the library. I won't pay 20 bucks for a book!
I want to pay several dollars less than the paperback. I don't want to pay more than a dollar or two for a story less than novel-length. Novels priced higher than 5.00 tend to sit on my wish list a LOT longer than those that are 4.99 or less. On a personal, author note, I asked my small-press publisher to drop the prices of my ebooks, and he did, without complaint.
As an indie author I like that traditionally published books are being sold for $9.99 and above. As you mentioned it certainly makes them a harder impulse buy. Laying down that kind of money for a book is usually something people reserve for their most beloved authors. I've been disappointed countless times coming home from the bookstore with ten dollar paperbacks that end up being crap.
I also agree that indie authors should be moving their price point up from .99 cents or $2.99 to somewhere in the $4.99 range. Five bucks is still a great deal for a book and the last thing I want to do is train readers to expect great novels for less than a buck. Certainly not a sustainable model for any author who lives off his writing.
Finally, to me it makes perfect sense why a publisher would be charging more for an eBook than they would for the print version. Think about it. They've already printed say 100,000 copies of a given book which is costing them money (warehousing, transportation etc.). Why would they want to encourage readers to rush out and buy the electronic version before you're sure you can make the money back you've already spent. If demand for the book suddenly dries up then publishers are left holding thousands of books. It's a tough situation without any easy answers.
Anyway, those are just my two cents.