It is that time of week again! You guessed it -Tell Me Something Tuesday; a weekly meme hosted by the fabulous author of the Heven and Hell series, Cambria Hebert. If you would like to participate, visit her blog and grab next week's question and add your link. This week's question:
What do you think Ebooks should be priced at? How much is too much and what is fair?
They should all be free! Just kidding. Kinda. Overall, an Ebook should never be more than the Hardcover or Paperback formats. It takes more money to print the books so a digital book should be cheaper. For me it also depends on a few other things, but as a rule I will not pay more than $9.99 for any Ebook no matter what. I stalk Amazon and Barnes & Noble to see what Ebooks are on sale. In fact, just tonight I found a book that has been on my wish list for weeks marked down from $3.99 to $0.00!! Score!
Another thing that matters is whether the book is traditionally published or Indie. The most I have paid for an Indie book was $4.99 and that was for Feyland: The Dark Realm by Anthea Sharp. I think it was worth every penny and then some because not only was it an awesome story, but the editing was flawless. And there's the clincher: some Indie books are a disaster and I can't even finish the first chapter because I can't get past the grammar issues. However, unless you read all the reviews - if there are any - you never know what you are going to get, so I won't pay more than $0.99 for the first book in a series. If I like it I will buy the rest which are usually under $5.00 each.
As for traditionally published books in Ebook format, I am even more strict. There are only three books on my Nook and Kindle that I paid full price for and they are all from the same series and only because the series moved to hardcover. I will never pay full price for a new author's book unless I have read it first and love it; that is what the library is for. I love the Daily Deals on both B&N and Amazon because you can find some really popular books cheap! However, I like to have a real book in my hands whenever possible and if the Ebook is priced similarly to the print version I will buy the print. Other people, like my mom, buy all books via their eReaders. They don't care how much they are, but not all people have that luxury, certainly not myself. I give myself a 'book allowance' so I won't spend too much. So for people like me who are on a budget or only have a gift card, the price of a book matters.
The Breakdown: No more than $9.99 for any Ebook, though I am more comfortable around $4.99 or less.
**Please buy your books or get them from the library - do not download them illegally. Piracy is a big problem and if we want our favorite authors to keep writing we have to pay them!**
**Please buy your books or get them from the library - do not download them illegally. Piracy is a big problem and if we want our favorite authors to keep writing we have to pay them!**
What to you think? How much are you willing to pay for an Ebook?
Great Answer! I too, won't pay more for an Ebook than a print version of a book. I am most comfortable at 5 $ and below as well but have paid more a few times. I also really liked your note about Piract because it is a huge problem that many authors deal with.
ReplyDeleteI put that note there because in this last week I have seen a few authors, including you, that have been hurt by the problem. Rachel Vincent had some issues this last week with illegal downloading that she discussed on Facebook. I am also appalled by how many people have found my page by looking for a title epub. I pay for all my books or borrow them and I see no reason why others cannot do the same.
DeleteI actually got a few for free on my Kindle last night. Fresco by Patti Larsen, Contingency by Peggy Martinez, Illicit Magi by Camilla Chafer, and the one I really wanted was Amaranth by Rachael Wade.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to get me a shiny Ereader... especially if I get good at bargain hunting like you Krista and discover free ebooks... :-) I wouldn't pay more than £5... Not when I know I could probably get the printed version cheaper if I wait awhile and find it in my local discount book shop...
ReplyDelete