UK Book Club discussion

How much are you willing to pay for your books?

I only buy kindles now and my general price point when shopping randomly seems to be £4.99 or less. If I'm looking for a specific title that I want to read now, I may go up to £6.99 occasionally but never above that.

Totally depends on the book, I generally buy second hand books and they average between £2.50 to £3.50 at my fav store so that tends to be what I'm willing to pay elsewhere. I will splash out occasionally on a newer book (generally only when I've had a gift of money or vouchers though) if it's one I really want but then I'll shp around and find it a cheap as possible. I'm more governed by the fact that I don't have much spare cash so would probably be a bit more flexible if I had a bit more to spend (but then again maybe not).

I'll do this w/US $ - like all others, love a deal but depending upon the occasion - like at airport or a funky bookstore, or whatever $25 is usually my max for a favorite author in hardbook. Ebooks 1.99 to about $10. Depends. Smashwords.com has some good prices for ebooks. The Timeless Counselor: The Best Guide to a Successful Psychic Reading

I tend to buy the majority of my books at used book stores ($5 - 10 Canadian), partly out of frugality (being cheap) and partly because I like to find older books that I've become interested in and they aren't necessarily available in the new book stores any more. But at the same time, I have no problems heading over to the new book stores to buy books ($20 - 25 range) as I do like to give them business too. I also have started buying online a bit more and prices vary depending on what type of book I'm buying. I guess I just like buying books.. :0)

I tend to buy used books, usually pay £1, it depends if it's one i'm really after. If i buy new books it's normally from Amazon and for my favourite authors so hardback when they first come out at £10-£15. Very rare i buy from the high street.

It varies a lot for me. For most second hand books I'll only pay up to £2 but for the ones out of print I'll pay more even if they are tatty.

For the majority of my books I usually buy online, and Amazon often has books for around £3.50, but Waterstones sometimes entices me with their 3 for 2 offer.

If I'm after a specific book, then I'll tend to buy a second hand copy via Amazon ( usually no more than £3). But I'm also prone to Waterstones 3 for 2 and second hand/charity shops

I think anything under £4 for Kindle is reasonable, £8 for paperback and £12 for hardback. The main problem I found when trying to keep the costs down for readers was the extortionate markup placed on the books by the publisher. I make less that a pound for each book sold on some sites and my books on Amazon in particular were ludicrously overpriced to the point where no one will buy them (to my utter frustration and dismay). I tried and tried to lower the price but they would not listen to me and I had to publish cheaper versions on Lulu.
What I'm trying to say is, it's not always (or even often) the author who has set the high price but those in real control. Maybe it is a clever ploy to keep self published authors down and protect the publishing industry by ensuring they are more competitively priced?
Someone, somewhere may have a cunning plan but it sure isn't me. :-)

MJ; if you have sited some very good points. I too tried to change my price on Amazon to no avail. I hadn't thought of Lulu and will go there. I am on Smashwords and set a price. Cheaper books, we, who love to read, are always looking for that, but being an author, the few pennies earned are always such a joy to hold. Buys a cuppa at least. Indie authors, march on and keep your day job. : DThe Skye in June

June wrote: "MJ; if you have sited some very good points. I too tried to change my price on Amazon to no avail. I hadn't thought of Lulu and will go there. I am on Smashwords and set a price. Cheaper books, we,..."

Lulu was easy to use and enabled me to put out a cheaper version June but for the sequel I'm looking into createspace to see which is best. I published through Authorhouse and they were not sympathetic to my cause either. I really felt very low at one point as I couldn't see anyone paying the prices set but luckily I was wrong and sales have been better than I thought.
I'm still out of pocket I reckon but then I'm captivated by the joys of writing, have a smile on my face most days and it does keep me out of trouble as the good lady used to be a golf widow, now I'm home and on a pc most of the time. lol

thank you, MJ, will look into Lulu. I did publish through Createspace and liked the process and will use for republishing one book and for my new novel. My first two years w/first novel, money out, out but now third year, w/ebook sales up, maybe a black sum will take the place of the red one. Agree w/the joy of writing and sharing. Weekly I receive emails of how much readers enjoy the books. And reviews are good. So, Dear Author Lady, keep writing! I will. The Timeless Counselor/A Complete Consumer's Guide to a Psychic Reading

Katie wrote: "It varies a lot for me. For most second hand books I'll only pay up to £2 but for the ones out of print I'll pay more even if they are tatty.

For the majority of my books I usually buy online, and..."

sainsburys is usually good too with 2 for £7 x

Merlin wrote: "I agree with MJ about we authors have little control over the price of our printed books, even Lulu, of course PoD books are priced a little higher purely because they are not mass produced.

Not..."
Hi Merlin

Marketing? How have you advertised your book and spread the word? I have had great difficulty in that department myself, once I had saturated my friends and contacts the sales slowed down dramatically. It does not matter how cheap you make it if no one has ever heard of it?

Thanks Merlin, I really liked your video and loved the music. Mine is below. I'm doing all I can around my full time job but somehow it never seems to be enough? I guess I'm asking a little too much of myself. Good luck with your books mate, I hope sales improve for you.

Best wishes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLgiGD...

Merlin wrote: "That's an impressive video MJ , shorter than mine, I think my three are a bit long and need an edit, but too many other things taking prioity.

Appreciate your good wishes and I'll race you to th..."

lol

Sandy wrote: "Katie wrote: "It varies a lot for me. For most second hand books I'll only pay up to £2 but for the ones out of print I'll pay more even if they are tatty.

For the majority of my books I usually b..."

I have to agree - the supermarkets offer great value for people who read popular fiction. i often go for the 3 for £10 deals. I have splurged on hardbacks, which are around £10 - £12 in supermarkets. I have also found books I wouldn't normally find in a bookstore as I wouldn't know the author. But if I want something specific, its Amazon and then Watestones.

Shelley wrote: "Sandy wrote: "Katie wrote: "It varies a lot for me. For most second hand books I'll only pay up to £2 but for the ones out of print I'll pay more even if they are tatty.

For the majority of my b..."

Thanks Shelley, I agree with your comments and therein lies the problem; most people think like you and me and Amazon is such a powerhouse, but it is Amazon which is inflating the prices of many good books to astronomical levels and refusing to lower them - (My book in hardback for instance is £12-50 on Authorhouse but £21-49 on Amazon???) When I found out I was as low as anyone could be, I make less than 70p off each book sold on there and that's the lowest profit margin of all sites. How do they justify such a price tag? What possible overheads could induce such costs? They won't even tell me their profit margin.
I'm sorry if I sound bitter, it's probably because I am. lol

Thanks again.

MJ......I have read articles about how little Authors such as yourself are paid, but your post still shocked me.
I'm not surprised you feel low. I'm perfectly happy to pay a fair price for my books, but it disgusts me that the authors are given so little back for all that hard work.
We need a Fairtraid organisation for writers!!

Susan wrote: "MJ......I have read articles about how little Authors such as yourself are paid, but your post still shocked me.
I'm not surprised you feel low. I'm perfectly happy to pay a fair price for my book..."

Thanks Susan - I genuinely am not too bothered about the money as I wrote it for my children. The real issue which really bugs me is the cost to the readers being so high that it makes my book a less attractive proposition compared to it's 'rivals' and therefore they are not inclined to buy it. I wanted to produce it for a reasonable price as it's hard enough to compete with the big guns as it is.

Thanks for your comments, greatly appreciated. My choice of publisher for the sequel will be made largely on who can produce quality books but keep the cost down for my readers. :-)

MJ.....I see your point exactly.
What sort of age is your book intende for? It looks as though it would be an exciting read.

It's aimed at teenagers/young adults but more adults seem to be enjoying it. I know of readers from 9 to 73 and I have 43 reviews averaging 4.7 out of five at present so I'm incredibly happy with that. It has mistakes, I'm the first to admit that, mainly because I couldn't afford a professional edit, but it seems to be going from strength to strength and I'm constantly being badgered for details about the sequel.
www.jakewest.co.uk for details and any help spreading the word or reviews gratefully received. :-)

I've tried not to advertise on this site as I'm conscious of the fact it's a site for readers. Self praise is no recommendation after all. Do you write Susan? If so, what genre?

Thanks for asking.

I never realised any of that about pricing. That would explain why when I'm on Amazon I find books that seem to be outrageously priced considering they are by debut authors. It absolutely does put you off so it's a real shame they are doing that. Good luck with your book MJ.

I don't find hardbacks comfortable to read so I tend to stick to paperbacks and won't pay much more than £6.99. I like to take advantage of the 3 for 2's. I also order a lot of my books from Amazon and get second hand copies from Oxfam but because of the additional postage costs it often works out about the same as if I went down to the high street. I expect ebooks to be cheaper because of the lower production costs - I think the most expensive one I have bought so far was £4.99 because it was a best-selling author and I'd been following the series.

Emma wrote: "I never realised any of that about pricing. That would explain why when I'm on Amazon I find books that seem to be outrageously priced considering they are by debut authors. It absolutely does put ..."

Thanks Emma and I think you have it just about right. Again though, self published works are priced just over your threshold because they are POD and not mass produced. The big publishing houses have an advantage in that regard and I suppose it's only fair as they protect the industry that way which can't be a bad thing, can it? As frustrating as it is at times for new authors, it's the way of the world and we have to try to break in by producing that little piece of extra quality/imagination.
I actually meet one of your criteria at least - the Kindle version is £2-73 and smashwords ebook is similar. yey !

Pricing is very tricky, particularly for new authors. I guess that ultimately the market will decide, but one thing is certain, the evolution of the e-book has changed the market beyond all recognition. All my purchases are now e-books. Personally, I will not download a free e-book (unless its over 80 years old)as a point of principle. I want authors to receive a payment for what they have produced. If a book that I enjoy takes me say four hours to read and it costs me £2.99, that's fantastic value. It wasn't long ago that the same book could have cost £8.00-£10.00

Quality attitude David. Thank heavens for people like you. :-)

Thank you. That's very kind of you to say so, but it's just something I feel strongly about.

Author and Reader M J Webb wrote: "It's aimed at teenagers/young adults but more adults seem to be enjoying it. I know of readers from 9 to 73 and I have 43 reviews averaging 4.7 out of five at present so I'm incredibly happy with t..."

MJ, I've downloaded your book, I shall read it to my eight year Grandaughter when she comes for sleepovers,after reading it myself of course, just to check there are no scary bits!
To answer your question, no I don't write, just love books.

Well, if you write honest reviews on the books you read and spread the word about them wherever you can, you really are the bee's knees.

What genre do you read mostly?

I've just had a call from my publisher stating that my book has been selected (a tremendous honour apparently) for review by the best online review company there is. I only have to pay £1800 for the package which includes a few add ons.

Tempted? Hmmnn... Wonder how much I could sell one of the kids for? JOKE !!!!

Merlin wrote: "Hey MJ,

You sound as lucky as I am, I had an E mail yesterday telling me I'd won several million Euros in a computer generated lottery based upon Email addresses.

For an undisclosed small f..."

Ha ha - You get nothing for nothing in this life mate.

Nice one.

A confusing thought: A hardback book is released at a high price, we wait for the much cheaper paperback. That makes sense as the hardback has a much thicker cover, dust jacket and probably better quality paper.

So, why does a kindle book go down in price after a paperback is released given that it doesn't change?

I guess your paying for the privilege of having the book before other people. Once its out in paperback its 'worth' less and therefore comes down in price.

If your reading a hardback does your kindle get heavier? :p

Yes Dave!!

Helen wrote: "A confusing thought: A hardback book is released at a high price, we wait for the much cheaper paperback. That makes sense as the hardback has a much thicker cover, dust jacket and probably better ..."

Maybe they don't want to make the e-book price more attractive than the hardback.

That's my conclusion too! I'm not convinced the big publishing companies have thought ahead with e-readers. Think they decided real readers won't entertain the idead - which was my initial thought. But curiosity etc.

There was an article in the Wall Street Journal about ebook vs hardback pricing a week ago, the publishers say they have to make the margins on ebooks higher as it cannibalizes paper book sales and they need to subsidize tradtional printing or they will disappear. Here is a link to the article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001...

Good article, thanks for that.
POW

Have to say, I just put the book on a list and wait for the e-price to drop. I loved buying paperbacks but when I found a couple of bugs in two books I was re-reading from 20+ years ago, it put me right off! Kindle is so much easier and lighter too.

Helen wrote: "Have to say, I just put the book on a list and wait for the e-price to drop. I loved buying paperbacks but when I found a couple of bugs in two books I was re-reading from 20+ years ago, it put me ..."

I worry about bugs in my books, some of them I haven't seen in months as they're double stacked.

I do that with normal books, unless it's a series I love I just wait for the paperback to appear reduced on Amazon. I don't want paperbacks to disappear entirely, they're still good for camping when you buy a £2 copy that's not too important to get bent or stood on.

It freaked me out somewhat. Found myself not reading books bought ages ago, like those for a series. Although not quite ready to get rid either.

What do you guys think? Have free e-books killed the market? Do too many people not buy any books because they have dozens of free ones to choose from every day?

I'm probably being a bit harsh but I find the free ones are generally pretty crap. I downloaded several when I first got my kindle but I now don't bother looking though the morass of mediocrity looking for an occasional gem.

Ian wrote: "I'm probably being a bit harsh but I find the free ones are generally pretty crap. I downloaded several when I first got my kindle but I now don't bother looking though the morass of mediocrity loo..."

I did a free promo about two weeks ago because I was basically looking for reviews, and gave away thousands of copies; I thought that might get me at least 100 reviews. Now I'm finding out I might be lucky to get 10 out of that.

But in a way I hope the free book craze is dying out - it means writers like me who aren't chasing the lastest flavour-of-the-month trends, who have aspired to publish all their lives, might hopefully make something from their books (hopefully).

You might get some success targeting people to approach and offer a free copy in return for a guaranteed read and proper review.....not just a star rating. You could see their other reviews before approaching to see what sort of stuff they tend to like. I know there's a few people in our group who would probably go for that....Packabook(Suzi)who has a website specialising in books set in foreign climes and Ellie come to mind...but no doubt others who I can't think of.

Ian wrote: "You might get some success targeting people to approach and offer a free copy in return for a guaranteed read and proper review.....not just a star rating. You could see their other reviews before ..."

That's good advice. I've tried searching for those users by those names but they don't come up, so I'll make sure to keep an eye open as I use the forums.

Ellie blog http://madaboutliterature.blogspot.com/
Suzi blog http://www.packabook.co.uk/

Ah, perfect. Thanks.

M.J. wrote: "June wrote: "MJ; if you have sited some very good points. I too tried to change my price on Amazon to no avail. I hadn't thought of Lulu and will go there. I am on Smashwords and set a price. Cheap..."

I couldn't get on with Lulu at all. I much prefer Createspace. The quality is better as well.

I doon ok in the week went to the pound shop in Oxford and got, Tinker tailor soldier spy by John le Carre and The Dead of Jericho by Colin Dexter, this one is set in my home town of Oxford.

Green metropolis site is good.

I wonder who actually does buy all the new books that make their way to the second hand bookstores where we all shop ?