Pricing

[gb18]

Just another example....give whatever reason you wish for idiocy, but here is why I will not pay these prices for "0's and 1's"..............

Hardcover

$14.73

$28.00 List Price

(Save 47%)

Buy from BN.com

Available for Pre-Order
This item will be available on Sep 27, 2011.details

Eligible for FREE Shipping details

NOOK Book (eBook)

$13.99

Read in Seconds

Read exclusively on these devices & apps

[sandie52]

I'm not sure what you are saying.

I see the Nook book is about $1.00 less than the hardcover with the membership discount - so you have to take into consideration the $25.00 per membership fee.

But there are two reasons I choose ebooks - like the note says I can read it the minute it comes out and not have to wait for the shipping and I like instant gratification.  And secondly I only buy hardcovers of books I want to keep and my bookshelves are getting pretty full.

Add to that I can't keep 25 books in my purse in case I get stuck somewhere and have nothing to read.

[Tim40744]

Random House sets the price of the ebook. The ebook price *may* be reduced when the paperback edition is released.

[gb18]

Like I said.....but to each his own.  Personally, I like to give my used books to some charity thrift store or a friend.  My Nook is loaded with books, too.....but not with ones priced like the example.

Doesn't matter why or how the prices are set.

[Nallia Distinguished Bibliophile]

---

gb18 wrote:

Like I said.....but to each his own.  Personally, I like to give my used books to some charity thrift store or a friend.  My Nook is loaded with books, too.....but not with ones priced like the example.

Doesn't matter why or how the prices are set.

---

OK, then just don't buy them, as you're already doing.  It's your choice.  I don't see the problem here.

[gb18]

No problems whatever; just trying to open some eyes.....

[doncr]

Don't look for the agency pricing model for eBooks to change any time soon.  BN loves it.

From this article:

The agency pricing model for e-books, in which book publishers set the retail price and retailers take a commission, is working well for Barnes & Noble: Amazon now can’t undercut it on e-books from the “big 6” publishers, all of whom use the agency model. (And are being sued for it.) “We think agency is going to take hold as the dominant form of pricing for e-books going forward. It makes a lot of sense for a lot of reasons,” Lynch said in an investor call this morning. “Clearly, agency expands our gross margins".

[yocalif]

though ebooks have been around awhile, they are still new to the masses.  Thanks to the new ereader revolution millions are now buying ebooks, and as the ereaders price become commoditized so eventually will ebooks. 

[Nallia Distinguished Bibliophile]

---

gb18 wrote:

No problems whatever; just trying to open some eyes.....

---

OK.  I wasn't really sure where you were going since you just posted to state that you won't buy it at that price and said you didn't really care about anyone else's opinions.  It seemed more like a statement than a post made for discussion.

This isn't meant to be snark, I just don't see much point in threads started that are not made to encourage discussion.

[beeyebickiebuy]

---

Nallia wrote:

---

gb18 wrote:

No problems whatever; just trying to open some eyes.....

---

OK.  I wasn't really sure where you were going since you just posted to state that you won't buy it at that price and said you didn't really care about anyone else's opinions.  It seemed more like a statement than a post made for discussion.

This isn't meant to be snark, I just don't see much point in threads started that are not made to encourage discussion.

---

Quick!  Someone tell phoneboy and Theriot_Publising that we need some posts here that will encourage discussion.  

[Nallia Distinguished Bibliophile]

---

beeyebickiebuy wrote:

---

Nallia wrote:

---

gb18 wrote:

No problems whatever; just trying to open some eyes.....

---

OK.  I wasn't really sure where you were going since you just posted to state that you won't buy it at that price and said you didn't really care about anyone else's opinions.  It seemed more like a statement than a post made for discussion.

This isn't meant to be snark, I just don't see much point in threads started that are not made to encourage discussion.

---

Quick!  Someone tell phoneboy and Theriot_Publising that we need some posts here that will encourage discussion.  

---

ROFL

[gkaiseil]

Maybe there should be a free application that puts random characters on a page to create an eBook. Eventually a readable book maybe produced. Sort of like a hundred monkeys on a hundred typewriters...

But then there would be trolls that would complain about the quality of the produced text.

[Droiddict]

Since we're having a discussion...  I see posts and reviews that complain about the prices all the time.  On thinking about it, I THINK that the prices don't bother me that much.  I would rather pay $14 or so for a new best seller than buy the hardcover for $25. Most of the books that I do buy at B&N are currently in paperback and I don't mind paying the same or even a little more for the ease of carrying them around in a Nook.  Considering I can also read them on any computer or smartphone, and B&N stores them for me, I think it's a good deal.  There is also usually the thought in my mind that I have enjoyed shopping at B&N stores over the years and I would not like to see them go out of business.  If they are managing to stay afloat on the strength of their ebook and Nook sales, so much the better.

[lynpAZ]

I agree Sandie, but not sure if you or anyone else could help me with something...

I get coupons from B&N. Says I can use these for online purchases, but I cannot figure out how to use them when purchasing eBooks. If this actually possible? If we are paying just about the same amount for an eBook as a hard cover, when purchasing the hard cover you can use the coupon, so why not eBooks?

Thanks

[bklvr896]

---

lynpAZ wrote:

I agree Sandie, but not sure if you or anyone else could help me with something...

I get coupons from B&N. Says I can use these for online purchases, but I cannot figure out how to use them when purchasing eBooks. If this actually possible? If we are paying just about the same amount for an eBook as a hard cover, when purchasing the hard cover you can use the coupon, so why not eBooks?

Thanks

---

No you cannot use them for eBooks.  Search Agency Model or Agency 5 to find out more about pricing, but the price for all of the books that are published by the big 6 publishing houses and Smashwords is set by the publisher, not BN and no discounts or coupons can be applied unless the publisher decides to discount the book.  For these eBooks, the publisher is the seller, B&N is the "agent" for the publisher and is simply a source for you to buy the book from the publishers.

And yes, there are lawsuits, but the agency model in and of itself is probably not illegal.  To win using a price fixing argument, they'd have to prove collusion between the publishers, in that they all agreed to charge such and such price for each book.  Absent a whistleblower or documentation that would prove that this was discussed, it doesn't appear to have much hope as far as I can see.  A publisher deciding to become the seller of the book and offering the retailers, such as B&N the opportunity to sell the book for them and get a commission, well, I don't see how that violates any laws.  

[normysmom]

Until all of the authors and owners of the book rights for all of the stories I love are out from under a publisher's thumb as far as getting paid for the work they do, I am willing to pay reasonable prices for ebooks...for all of the other good reasons previously posted as well. After all, authors are supporting families, future writing blocks, careers, etc. with their percentage...their time is worth my dollars if the stories are good and, since I usually revisit the books I love, the actual cost of each book diminishes with each read. If I want to "loan" a book to a close friend or family member, I can always register the nook app on their computer so they can read it.

[furyu]

Let's not forget that none of us would be discussing (or not discussing, as the case may be) this issue were it not for the fact that writers/authors, produce the novels and stories and poems and memoirs and essays, etc., that become hard covers and/or paperbacks and/or now, ebooks.  These writers deserve to earn the same amount for their hard work (and in my opinion, they do not receive nearly enough for their work product) regardless of how that work is distributed.

If ebooks were to be greatly reduced in price compared to their printed counterpart, somebody would have to take a cut in profit.  Of course, it wouldn't be the publishers or the distributors because they have all the clout, even though the publisher and the distributors are the ones who actually save money on ebooks.  It would be the writer who'd lose out.   

Reading on an eReader compared to a printed book has many advantages.  Not only the convenience of portability of many books in one package but also the convenience of being able to immediately look up definitions of words, and doing research on ideas presented in the book that you might not be familiar with.  I really love that feature on my NC, to be able to immediately go to the internet and research something and then quickly return to the book... and thereafter annotate it to the ebook itself.  There are many other conveniences and niceties of ebooks versus printed.  I never thought I'd say this but I'm starting to prefer ebooks over printed ones for the reasons stated plus the fact that my own library is bulging at the seams.  I'll have to add on to my home and expand my library room if I continue purchasing printed books to the extent that I once did.   I suspect it's cheaper for me now to buy ebooks.   

Given all this, I don't find the cost of books, and new releases, objectionable at all.   In fact, they are a pretty good deal.  But those who do find the cost objectionable can find many books that are either free, or very inexpensive, or available for loan.  

[deemure]

---

gb18 wrote:

No problems whatever; just trying to open some eyes.....

---

I think there are other eyes that need to be opened.

Search these forums, read the previous discussions. This is not news. There is also some sound logic as to why ebooks cost what they do. Beyond that, last time I looked you were free to decide not to buy at prices that are mainly being set by publishers and they are not charitable organizations, but businesses. They base prices on what they want to get paid, what the market will bear. So far, the market is giving publishers what they want and will help encourage them to improve content and to provide even more in ebook form. I bring this up a lot, but recently a more obscure, older book that I read over 30 years ago just hit ebook form. It will never "earn its keep" as an ebook, but part of the price paid for other ebooks helped it get to market. This book had to be brought to digital form, needed to be formatted for the different devices it will be read on, proof read, distributed, supported, and etc. I thank all the best sellers for making it possible. In case anyone is interested the book is "A Distant Mirror" by Barbara Tuchman.

[Nallia Distinguished Bibliophile]

---

furyu wrote:

Let's not forget that none of us would be discussing (or not discussing, as the case may be) this issue were it not for the fact that writers/authors, produce the novels and stories and poems and memoirs and essays, etc., that become hard covers and/or paperbacks and/or now, ebooks.  These writers deserve to earn the same amount for their hard work (and in my opinion, they do not receive nearly enough for their work product) regardless of how that work is distributed.

If ebooks were to be greatly reduced in price compared to their printed counterpart, somebody would have to take a cut in profit.  Of course, it wouldn't be the publishers or the distributors because they have all the clout, even though the publisher and the distributors are the ones who actually save money on ebooks.  It would be the writer who'd lose out.   

Reading on an eReader compared to a printed book has many advantages.  Not only the convenience of portability of many books in one package but also the convenience of being able to immediately look up definitions of words, and doing research on ideas presented in the book that you might not be familiar with.  I really love that feature on my NC, to be able to immediately go to the internet and research something and then quickly return to the book... and thereafter annotate it to the ebook itself.  There are many other conveniences and niceties of ebooks versus printed.  I never thought I'd say this but I'm starting to prefer ebooks over printed ones for the reasons stated plus the fact that my own library is bulging at the seams.  I'll have to add on to my home and expand my library room if I continue purchasing printed books to the extent that I once did.   I suspect it's cheaper for me now to buy ebooks.   

Given all this, I don't find the cost of books, and new releases, objectionable at all.   In fact, they are a pretty good deal.  But those who do find the cost objectionable can find many books that are either free, or very inexpensive, or available for loan.  

---

Well said.

[FaerieLin]

Should an author be paid based on the format the book is published in?  What about an editor's salary?  Do they edit less if the format is electronic?

The cost of a book is more than the medium.