Amazon wants publishers to slash ebook prices

[Chanel]

Also, ebooks being priced below $5, makes them more affordable for my demographic of teenagers, as opposed to a $10 paperback.

 

[Parson]

I only went with that format because I know its popular, and they will sell in the long run. But my paperbacks are outselling my ebooks right now when it comes to customers I know personally who have bought a copy.

I hope that continues IF you are making more money from the paperbacks. My time in the forum has told me that usually more money per copy is made by selling the ebooks.

 

[Chanel]

There is more to consider than just page length. To produce an ebook you still have advertising and editing, and most of the other costs of a book other than the paper and printing. So an ebook half the price of a paperback might not be such an illogical cost. On the other hand I would almost always buy the ebook rather than the paperback. First, because they are almost always at least somewhat less expensive. Second, I find physical books a nuisance to carry around and store. And Third, I love having my latest novel on my phone to listen to or read whenever I have the chance.

Also, paid advertising is optional, so I wouldn't factor that into the price either. Amazon offers a 70% royalty for ebooks priced over $2 simply because there is no printing/shipping involved.

 

[Cathbad]

Earlier this year, my sales reversed - I have been selling more paperbacks than eBooks - which I am happy about!

 

[Chanel]

I hope that continues IF you are making more money from the paperbacks. My time in the forum has told me that usually more money per copy is made by selling the ebooks.

Which format brings in more money isn't an issue for me, as long as people are buying. I'm not losing money from my paperbacks seeing as how they only print them when I make a sale, unlike a friend of mine who printed 30 copies to sell from home and only sold 5. Most friends and relatives wanted paperbacks of my book, so that was mainly for them.

 

[Cathbad]

I hope that continues IF you are making more money from the paperbacks. My time in the forum has told me that usually more money per copy is made by selling the ebooks.

The percentage is larger... but it depends what your eBooks are priced at. The same book I'm making 70 cents off eBook, I'm making $1.44 in paperback. On another, I make $2.10 off the eBook, and $1.68 off the paperback.

 

[Vertigo]

If you're publishing a paperback along with an ebook, I wouldn't factor the cost of editing into an eBook price. If you ONLY have an ebook, maybe. I Prefer hardcovers and paperbacks. I don't read ebooks. I only went with that format because I know its popular, and they will sell in the long run. But my paperbacks are outselling my ebooks right now when it comes to customers I know personally who have bought a copy.

That would be completely unreasonable. It would be like saying all the cost of editing etc. should be born by the hardback and not the paperback. If the ebook is the edited version than it is totally reasonable to include that cost in the price of the ebook. For a long time the publishers have been saying that the cost of printing the physical book is actually a small percentage of the total costs. I'm not sure that's not a little disingenuous but can accept that mass printing can actually be quite cheap. However it does cost something and I do think the ebook should be priced less than the paperback, and, to be fair, that is usually the case so long as the paperback is not being discounted for some reason.

 

[Chanel]

That would be completely unreasonable. It would be like saying all the cost of editing etc. should be born by the hardback and not the paperback. If the ebook is the edited version than it is totally reasonable to include that cost in the price of the ebook. For a long time the publishers have been saying that the cost of printing the physical book is actually a small percentage of the total costs. I'm not sure that's not a little disingenuous but can accept that mass printing can actually be quite cheap. However it does cost something and I do think the ebook should be priced less than the paperback, and, to be fair, that is usually the case so long as the paperback is not being discounted for some reason.

That would be completely unreasonable. It would be like saying all the cost of editing etc. should be born by the hardback and not the paperback. If the ebook is the edited version than it is totally reasonable to include that cost in the price of the ebook. For a long time the publishers have been saying that the cost of printing the physical book is actually a small percentage of the total costs. I'm not sure that's not a little disingenuous but can accept that mass printing can actually be quite cheap. However it does cost something and I do think the ebook should be priced less than the paperback, and, to be fair, that is usually the case so long as the paperback is not being discounted for some reason.

an eBook is literally just a file. With paperbacks/hardcovers, You have printing, and shipping (which can include materials along with postage if you ship from home) These are ongoing costs, so they need to be factored into your price. This is why createspace royalties get lower when you have 200-300 page paperbacks priced too low. You need to charge more to cover what goes into selling them. paying your editor is something you're only doing once the book is finished, and paid marketing is optional, so those things don't count.