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March 7, 2011

How Much Do YOU Pay for Books? [Discussion]

One of the most common questions we receive from authors is “how do I price my books?“ The truth is, there are so many factors playing into this that the solution is sometimes as individual as the book itself.

Since so many authors are readers in real life, we thought one way to examine is to ask you: how much do YOU pay for books? We want to know:

  • How much did you pay for the last book you purchased? What was its genre? Where did you purchase it?
  • Are you willing to pay more for traditionally published books versus self-published books? Why?
  • Should eBooks cost less than their printed counterparts?
  • Should you pay less for a book you purchased online versus one you bought in a brick and mortar bookstore?
  • Should a used book cost less than one that is new?
  • Do you take tax/shipping (or the lack thereof) into account when deciding whether to purchase a book?

Please leave a comment below addressing any (or all) of the above questions. Also, please send the discussion along to your friends whether they’re authors or not — we’d love to get a varied input.

We’ll use some of your responses to guide next week’s post on book pricing, so please share your thoughts!

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  • I paid $19.95 for a recently purchased paperback from Chapters. Traditionally published fiction by a Canadian Author.

    I think we could pay the same for traditionally or self-pub books. We need to base our decision on the quality of the book. Good & bad lives in both arenas.

    E-Books – most that I buy do cost less than hardcopy.

    Less for a book online – not necessarily. The seller is the one that has to run around getting that book to your doorstep. We always pay for convenience, don’t we?

    Should used be less than new – Definitely! Otherwise, why not buy new??

    Tax/shipping – I only worry about this if it is out of line with the norm.

  • I haven’t published yet but I’m writing in hopes to publish. I love books.

    I paid about 19.99 however it was a Jack Kerouac classic and a special print version…really wanted it. I usually don’t pay that much as I don’t have the salary to cover it. I usually pay 6.99/7.99 around there. The cheaper the better as I have a love for words and new worlds but I’m still working on my own personal success. Bills must come first. But I need inspiration and a way to move forward so I roll coins to get a new book.

    I purchased it at Chapters.

    It depends on the author, how many books have been published/sold. I’ll pay for a self-published if I have some sort of solid idea it’s going to be worth it. Otherwise, a little cheaper as you have to earn your way to the top like everyone else. Why? I’ve read a lot of bad books so, famous or not famous I need some sort of reason to know you’re worth it.

    Yes, eBooks should cost less. No printing involved, no paper, no shipping, simplistic…less product.

    Yes you should pay less for a book purchased on line, as with any product online you expect it to be cheaper.

    Yes a used book should cost less than one that is new…eww and it’s just like a used car. Not as neat and tidy.

    I take shipping into account but not tax. If it’s a larger book I’ll just get it in a store as it’ll be the same price.

  • Actually haven’t bought a single print book since I got a Kindle for Christmas… Have bought a number of ebooks though. Several at 99 cents, a bunch more in the $2.99-$5.99 range. Only one book over that though, and that was by accident (clicked to buy it when I hadn’t meant to, but read it/kept it anyway).

    I’m OK with ebooks up to about $6. Much over that, and I have to *seriously* know I want the book to buy it.

  • The last book I purchased was on my Kindle, and I paid $9.99 for it.

    I would be willing to pay the same for a indie-pubbed book than a trad-pubbed book, but I have to know that I’m going to like it (whether that means a free sample or excerpt on the writer’s website, what have you). I actually take indie-pubbed books more seriously if they have a higher price point– say at $12.99 as opposed to $7.99.

    E-books should absolutely cost less. I love my Kindle, but I hate paying $10 per book and I would buy more books if they didn’t cost so much. On the flip side of that, I am again willing to buy higher-priced indie e-books (in the $2.99 range). I haven’t been willing to buy anything priced at $.99 yet. I don’t know why, I guess I’m just a book snob!

    I don’t think you should necessarily pay less online, but (and this plays into your last question) I hardly ever think about shipping costs. I take the bus to the local brick-and-mortar store, so either way I end up paying the same price.

    Used books should cost less. I love finding deals on Amazon Marketplace for used books, especially if I’m looking to fill in an author’s backlist.

    I never used to pay attention to shipping costs (or taxes, even), until I noticed that I was actually paying more on some transactions from Amazon Marketplace after the standard $3.99 shipping was factored in. I now have a Prime account and have started buying more new books than used because of free shipping.