June 22, 2011
What would give eBooks the SAME value as physical books?
by Melville House
Author Nathan Bransford recently did an unscientific poll to determine what people thought you should pay for the eBook version of a $25 hardcover book. Here’s his results:
In response, GalleyCat has asked for various opinions on the best eBook price points. At one end of the spectrum, author John Locke, who recently joined the million Kindle club at Amazon, argues:
When I saw that highly successful authors were charging $9.99 for an e-book, I thought that if I can make a profit at 99 cents, I no longer have to prove I’m as good as them … Rather, they have to prove they are ten times better than me.
Meanwhile Macmillan CEO John Sargent wrote:
Generally e-book editions of hardcover new releases will be priced between $14.99 and $12.99; a few books will be priced higher and lower. This is a tremendous discount from the price of the printed hardcover books, which generally range from $28.00 to $24.00.
Both arguments are perfectly valid since they’re discussing very different types of books. Locke’s titles are the genre titles that would previously have been purchased as mass market paperbacks, whereas Sargent is talking about buying eBooks of books that are new and only available in hardcover.
Still, the underlying question of how digital value relates to physical book value is an interesting one (as are most questions related to value) and will play a critical role in the future of the publishing industry. What ALL these opinions prove is that people value digital content far less than physical books. For example, it’s quite astonishing that an iPhone app like our own The Hollywood Economist, which contains the entire book PLUS video footage and additional features is priced at $4.99 while the paperback book costs considerably more. Clearly extra or superior content is not enough to make a digital book rival a physical book in terms of value.
What would an eBook or book App need to contain to make it equally valuable to a physical book? Here is an unscientific poll of our own. Naturally, this doesn’t contain scratch the surface of the possibilities for digital books, so I’d also love to hear reader’s comments and suggestions.
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24 Comments
Thanks for the link! The image you posted is actually the one from last year, rather than the one from this year. The majority in the most recent poll is in the $5.00-$9.99 range.
Thanks for the link! The image you posted is actually the one from last year, rather than the one from this year. The majority in the most recent poll is in the $5.00-$9.99 range.
How about the removal of the DRM enforced additional restrictions that don’t apply to physical books:
The ability to lend an e-book as many times as we want for as long as we want to whoever we want.
The ability to buy from whichever retailer we choose rather than be tied to specific retailers by our choice of e-reader.
The ability to sell, give, bequeath or donate an e-book to whoever we want.
To actually own our copy of the e-book rather than licensing the right to view it.
I am not calling for a complete end to DRM necesarrily, just an acceptance that the additional restrictions reduce the value of the e-book when compared to a physical book
How about the removal of the DRM enforced additional restrictions that don’t apply to physical books:
The ability to lend an e-book as many times as we want for as long as we want to whoever we want.
The ability to buy from whichever retailer we choose rather than be tied to specific retailers by our choice of e-reader.
The ability to sell, give, bequeath or donate an e-book to whoever we want.
To actually own our copy of the e-book rather than licensing the right to view it.
I am not calling for a complete end to DRM necesarrily, just an acceptance that the additional restrictions reduce the value of the e-book when compared to a physical book
“Owning them” isn’t an option? Yeah, how about “owning ebooks, rather than effectively licensing them.” That would be a huge change.
“Owning them” isn’t an option? Yeah, how about “owning ebooks, rather than effectively licensing them.” That would be a huge change.
That is what I said! Though to be fair, what you are proposing would require MORE DRM; when you loan or give an ebook away, you no longer have it. Which is a big difference between digital copying & physical lending.
That is what I said! Though to be fair, what you are proposing would require MORE DRM; when you loan or give an ebook away, you no longer have it. Which is a big difference between digital copying & physical lending.
I want all of the rights and benefits that I get with a physical book. I should be able to loan an ebook, give it away, or sell it.
Also, the typography, design, and layout of the epub files is often terrible. Feels like I’m reading something in a 1990′s version of Microsoft Word. I’d pay more for well-designed, searchable pdf’s generated with the correct page sizing for my Nook.
I want all of the rights and benefits that I get with a physical book. I should be able to loan an ebook, give it away, or sell it.
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Also, the typography, design, and layout of the epub files is often terrible. Feels like I’m reading something in a 1990′s version of Microsoft Word. I’d pay more for well-designed, searchable pdf’s generated with the correct page sizing for my Nook.
I don’t think that the DRM needs to be made more complex, the functionality is already there (at least in the US). EPUB and Kindle e-book formats already allow lending of e-books, the restrictions that an e-book can only be lent once and only for two weeks are purely arbitrary limitations imposed by publishers. If lending a book is technically feasable then why isn’t it possible to transfer ownership?
I don’t necessarily expext any of this to be implemented, but I do think publishers need to recognise that the restrictions reduce the value of the e-book compared to the paper equivalent, and understand that readers expect a reflection of this reduced value in the e-book pricing.
I am not interested in books that contain videos or games (if I wanted that I would watch TV or turn on the xbox).
I don’t think that the DRM needs to be made more complex, the functionality is already there (at least in the US). EPUB and Kindle e-book formats already allow lending of e-books, the restrictions that an e-book can only be lent once and only for two weeks are purely arbitrary limitations imposed by publishers. If lending a book is technically feasable then why isn’t it possible to transfer ownership?
I don’t necessarily expext any of this to be implemented, but I do think publishers need to recognise that the restrictions reduce the value of the e-book compared to the paper equivalent, and understand that readers expect a reflection of this reduced value in the e-book pricing.
I am not interested in books that contain videos or games (if I wanted that I would watch TV or turn on the xbox).
Un-DRM’d, platform-independent versions. Basically what O’Reilly offers with their tech books.
Un-DRM’d, platform-independent versions. Basically what O’Reilly offers with their tech books.
What about the argument that a “big” name author can do $.99 because of the huge exposure they have = volume?
Rich
http://www.allstarpress.com
What about the argument that a “big” name author can do $.99 because of the huge exposure they have = volume?
Rich
http://www.allstarpress.com
What about the argument that a “big” name author can do $.99 because of the huge exposure they have = volume?
Rich
http://www.allstarpress.com
What about the argument that a “big” name author can do $.99 because of the huge exposure they have = volume?
Rich
http://www.allstarpress.com
What about the argument that a “big” name author can do $.99 because of the huge exposure they have = volume?
Rich
http://www.allstarpress.com
What about the argument that a “big” name author can do $.99 because of the huge exposure they have = volume?
Rich
http://www.allstarpress.com
What about the argument that a “big” name author can do $.99 because of the huge exposure they have = volume?
Rich
http://www.allstarpress.com
What about the argument that a “big” name author can do $.99 because of the huge exposure they have = volume?
Rich
http://www.allstarpress.com
I think one of the reasons this price is higher, is that people have come to expect that they must pay a reasonable amount of money for reasonable quality, it seems that if the ebook is one-tenth (for example) of the hardcovers price, than it simply cant be as good as it. I’m not saying thats what all people think, just that it seems to be the general opinion.
I think one of the reasons this price is higher, is that people have come to expect that they must pay a reasonable amount of money for reasonable quality, it seems that if the ebook is one-tenth (for example) of the hardcovers price, than it simply cant be as good as it. I’m not saying thats what all people think, just that it seems to be the general opinion.