Dishing Junk is a feature on the PJV where we dish it out! The girls and I have realized that we need a place to sort of vent our book & book blogger troubles. It might be something small and inconsequential that we thought was inappropriate to mention in a review – or it might be a genre-wide gush. This is going to be where we dish it out.
E-book prices and freebies: Does Price Matter?
I’ve been thinking about this post for awhile. I thought about not posting it because maybe I’m just cheap frugal. But I’m sure there are plenty of other readers out there in the same boat as I am – I work hard for my money and after taxes, mortgage/rent, food, and bills, there’s just not a lot of it left. Of course, I want ALL THE BOOKS, but let’s be honest: that’s not going to happen until I win the lottery 
(I heard somewhere you’re supposed to buy a ticket first but I keep forgetting that step).
My book buying habit was getting out of control, so last year I instituted a Book Budget: $25 a payday. Usually, I’ll buy an Amazon gift card every payday and that’s how I keep track of what I’m spending. If there’s a new release out that I want in print, sometimes I’ll use cash instead, but then I don’t buy a gift card that payday. I also supplement my Book Budget by using my local used bookstore (which has an awesome romance section) and my library (which does not have a great romance section and their YA section is hit-or-miss)
What does this have to do with e-book pricing? A lot. I read a book every 2 days on average. When I’m shopping for books, I look at the cost of the book versus my gift card balance. Is it worth $7 to buy an e-book if I only have $9.57 left until next payday? What if I don’t like the book? I can’t trade it in to the used bookstore when I’m done for credit towards something else. This is why I love Kindle’s ‘Daily Deals’ and Freebies. It’s a great way to try a new-to-me author without blowing my budget. If I like the book, I’ll be sure to buy other titles by that author. If I hate it, I’m only out $2-3, which to me is an acceptable risk: I still have money left to purchase something else. And if I already own it in print but it’s a book I love, now I can have the electronic version too!
I honestly believe this is why so many self-published authors have gained such huge popularity – their books are more affordable, so they’re reaching a wider audience. It’s definitely how I discovered several authors who now have publishing deals.
A few months ago, I saw discussion on twitter about how a ranty author said that these deals and freebies (including giveaways) took money out of author’s pockets. I have to disagree – I will probably not buy a full-price book by a new-to-me author (which means I’m not putting ANY money in their pocket), but I WILL buy a discounted or free one. And if I like it, I’ll buy more. If I really like it, I’ll probably buy your whole backlist, because I’m obsessive like that. (I spent three pay periods glomming Kristen Ashley’s backlist, and now I plan her new releases into my budget!!) My measly $25-a-payday budget might not sound like much, but that translates to about $600 a year that I spend on books. The question is, “ranty author”, whose books am I going to spend it on? Will it be yours, or someone else’s? I completely understand that selling books is your livelihood, but you must also understand that reading books is my HOBBY. And while I’d love to buy every book that catches my eye, it’s just not possible. If your books go on sale or a 2-day freebie: I’m a loyal customer, and if I like what you’ve got, I’ll be back for more.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that low and/or free e-book prices are benefical because they introduce readers to new authors, which in turn leads to a larger customer base for authors. If e-book prices were priced under $5 (as an example), I would be more inclined to own both print and e-book copies of books I love instead of having to choose one or the other. (I have preferences as to e-book or print depending on where I am when I’m reading…but that’s a post for another day, lol)
(Also, I understand that pricing is up to the publisher – this is just my little rant, aimed at everyone and no one.)
Do you have a ‘book budget’?
Do you have an e-book price limit?
What about a price limit for ‘new-to-you’ authors?
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I’m with you. Many times that’s how I found a new author.
I have my ‘tried-and-true’ authors, but I love finding new authors. Low-priced books help me do that.
Does book freebies or deals take money out of authors’ pockets? Technically, yes. They’re getting less profit because the price is lower or none. But I’m on your page. Oftentimes, if a book isn’t a reduced price or free, I won’t pick it up unless it’s an author I’m familiar with. Cheap books are a way to hook me onto a new author whose books I’ll eventually pay full price for.
I think complaining about reduced price books as an author is equivalent to complaining that someone reads a book from the library. There’s a big difference between reduced priced books or library books than downloading a pirated copy off the internet.
From a marketing stand-point – it might actually put more money in their pocket. If the book is part of a series and they offer up the first one for Free or .99¢ for a short period of time this might lead readers who wouldn’t have bought it before to buy this one — and then the next one…
that was my thought process exactly – lure ‘em in and hook ‘em!!
Also besides hooking them, promoted properly a freebie/reduced price weekend, can raise an authors Amazon ranking making the book more visible to users after the sale goes off. Most of us Indie supporters share, share, share when an author has a promotion like this. The link is everywhere. It’s a great marketing tool. People who think they are losing money are just failing to look at the bigger picture. I thought of this post today. While I was spending $30 on the Walking Dead vol. 1-3. LOL.
Oh, I hadn’t thought about author rankings – good point!
I do have a book budget and most of it is eaten up by my Audible membership which is about $24 a month I think. I’ll usually buy about $10 more in eBooks or paperbacks or audiobooks when need more audio fixes. With all the review books coming through I have a hard time justifying a purchase. I solved this through audio books – so I can read when I normally couldn’t read before.
But – still when I purchase an eBook – I will not spend more then $5. If it is more then that, I got to the store and buy the paperback or hardcover. Might as well, right? Or I just don’t buy anything at all – because I can’t venture to a bookstore without spending $25.
I understand their is a cost in creating these eBooks, but I also understand cost to print is probably much higher. There should be at least a few dollar discounts on it.
I haven’t gotten into audible because my car stereo doesn’t have a plug for my kindle (I listen to audiobooks on the way to and from work). I would probably not be able to make my budget if I did
I am trying out audible this month, and I could download the books and transfer to my ipod
Huge win!
I love your idea about purchasing yourself gift cards. I may just do that going forward. Way better budgeting.
Great question you pose. I had been wanting to try Darynda Jones’ Charley Davidson series forever. But HOLY SMOKES are those ebook expensive!!!! Like outrageously so. I would never ever put out that much money for a new to me author.
I happen to have won the first book on a blog hop and of course LOVED IT. Like HUGELY loved it. So I did fork out the money for the other 3 ebooks but geesh it cost me over $40 for 3 ebooks. If I had not won that first book on a blog hop I’d still have not read the series by now. I am sure of it.
My limit for a “new to me” author is no more than $5.
My autobuy authors I’ve had to increase to $8 because DAMN ebook prices have really risen in the last year!!!
I don’t currently have a budget because I am crazy and I should. Hence why I am gravitating to your gift card idea.
PS thanks for the link for the Amazon Deals. I will favourite it.
Parajunkee – what is the path you take to get to the Kindle Daily Deals? I’ve tried to recreate it but I only get as far as the Kindle store?
it’s on the kindle e-book page – there’s a tab that says daily deals.
haha – my pricing is about a dollar below yours – $4 for new and $7 for books available in MMPB.
in 2010 when I had purchased my Nook, I had never heard of Karen Moning. I’m not a big romance reader, so this makes sense. But I stalked the B&N freebie friday deals because I didn’t have a lot of money at the time to buy full-priced books. I scored Darkfever on one friday, and let it sit on my Nook until one day, I curiously began reading it.
It was so good (as you know) that I immediately purchased books 2 – 4, and then pre-ordered 5….5 months before it even released.
Yes, freebies are a kind of downfall for the author, but at the same time, you start somewhere, especially when you are an Indie. I am very unlikely to purchase someone’s book at more than $3 or $4 without having read at least SOME of it.
It’s partly why I have the Indie feature on The Bawdy Book Blog. Helps everyone, authors get to show off their writing, and readers get to see if they like the sample.
Jennifer @ The Bawdy Book Blog
That’s what happened to me with Kristen Ashley!
As far as the ‘indies’, as long as the editing isn’t too bad I’ll keep coming back (and do).
My favorite deals are the ones where the next book in the series is about to be published, and so the previous book is $2.99 or something like that. I’ve been turned on to several great series that way! And, then I can’t wait for the new book to be cheap, so I’m putting money in plenty of pockets!
Exactly! It happens to me too, I get the first book or two and get sucked in…
+JMJ+
I like the idea of having a book budget. I should really do something like that. Do you know the “4% Rule” for clothes that says you should only spend 4% of your net pay on clothes? I wonder what would be recommended for books.
On a bit of tangent, this post reminded me of author Terry Deary’s suggestion that we shut down public libraries because they also take money out of authors’ pockets. We don’t think we’re entitled to free movies, he says, so why do we think we’re entitled to free books? I personally think there’s a place for libraries, but his ideas got me thinking, too.
+JMJ+
I forgot to sign in properly, PJ. Sorry!
4% is an interesting theory
The problem with the ‘libraries take author’s money’ theory is that this assumes the general public all want to buy your book. Also, I’d say reading is fundamental to learning (no matter what you’re reading).
+JMJ+
An analogy can be made with movies. Not everyone wants to own a movie, but everyone agrees that a small rental fee for watching one is fair. Maybe libraries could start following a similar model.
We might have to agree to disagree on this one
I think that our tax dollars could be considered a ‘rental fee’. Granted, I’m not sure what percentage goes to libraries.
I have a book budget or try to anyway, I purchase a GC like you and try not to go over that if all possible. Most of my GC I do spend on deals or special(2 day). I have found several new authors that are now my favorites and have bought the next in the series.
My problem is most my auto buy authors cost from 12 to 14 dollars for their new ebooks. It puts a serious crimp in the pocket but I can’t buy anymore print books I lack the space so they all must go on my kindle. I understand the cost and those author’s are worth it but it’s so nice to see when their books go on sale (I snag them really fast then) and go over my budget LOL.
I refuse to pay more for an e-book than I would for a paperback. I think I paid $9.99 once.
I don’t have a book budget, though I really should, judging from my spend totals each month on books.
I almost exclusively buy eBooks but I prefer to buy those priced at $9.99 for traditionally published books. I feel like I’m getting a deal when they have those eBook sales or they are cheaper, and I cringe a little when I see those marked at $10.99 or above. Which certain publishers seem to be doing more of this year.
The only author I’ll go beyond the $11.99 mark for is Stephen King. My max comfort zone is under $10. And as I buy way more books in electronic format – because they don’t take up space and freak out the minimalist in me – I hope they’ll remain in that range or I will start wishlisting new authors’ books. Or waiting for the sales or freebies.
As far as self-published books, I do set a lower price ceiling for untested/new-to-me authors. Because I don’t know if I’m going to get something with quality editing. (The writing is a risk for any new author trad pub or self, but I feel with self-pubbed there is the risk that no one but the author vetted the work, so the risk is higher.) And I tend to feel much more comfortable in that 99 cent to $2.99 range for new-to-me self-published authors.
Great post topic this week!
Yes – the editing is part of the reason I won’t $3-4 for an e-book for an author I haven’t tried. As far as established authors, there are certain authors/series I only buy print, and some I do e-book, it depends on if I think I’m going to turn it in at the used bookstore when I’m done.
Great post! I don’t have a book budget, but I’m such a frugal person that I don’t really spent much each month on books. It all depends. But I totally agree about discounted pricing. I love the daily deals because it means I can buy some regularly priced $9.99 books for 2-5 bucks and I’m much more inclined to take advantage of that sale. I do what I like to call “book math” in my head – what do I want to spend on books vs pricing, interest, quality, and quantity. And those 9.99 books that everyone is raving about, well, I often overlook them in favor of 2.99 books that are on sale or indie books that are equally appealing.
I totally agree that sales and freebies aren’t taking money out of the author’s pocket, but instead putting more in it (at least in the long run). Sure, they are making less at the time it’s free or on sale, but readers will be back and they might not have tried you otherwise! I try a lot of new author’s just from downloading freebies and falling in love with them. And in return, I also give reviews that might make my friends reach out and purchase their books.
I do the ‘book math’ too! And there are so many authors I tried due to freebies/discounts that I now await their new releases – authors I wouldn’t have tried otherwise.
That is a great idea about buying amazon cards to stay on budget. I really need to start doing that!
tbh, I am shocked at how high the ebook prices are and I am totally with you–if ebook prices were lower, I would be way more likely to purchase both. Thanks for your insightful post, PJ.
Oh yes, the gift cards do keep me on my budget. And I feel really proud of myself if I have money left over when it’s time to get a new one, lol.
Excellent post. This is my favorite part: If your books go on sale or a 2-day freebie… if I like what you’ve got, I’ll be back for more.
I can count at least five series where I got the first book for free and purchased the rest. Since I’m unemployed, my budget is rather small, around $25/month, giveaways included, so I have to be frugal. At some point most of the $9.99 will be on sale for $2.99 or less. Given the number of books I already have but haven’t read yet…I can wait that long.
For me,there’s nothing like spending $7-10 on a book that I end up DNF-ing. It’s a waste of money. Which is why I’m so picky…and frugal.
I love looking for deals and I too am cheap when it comes to buying ebooks. my limit is up to 5 dollars. But I have found new authors while buying them free or or .99.
I love when I read a book I got ‘on special’ and end up loving it – it feels like I won the ‘book lottery’. Then, of course, I need to find all the author’s backlist books and read those too
Oh I agree, I have a 20 a month limit on my books and since I have Kindle I usually try and get the best deals- .99 -3.99. I wont pay over $5 for an ebook, I refuse. It ticks me off that ebooks are so high, its a digital copy. So if its on sale, or free or I get a deal, I buy it and then sometimes if Im addicted to the author and the ebook is say 7…I may make an exception…but thats pretty rare, Id rather just borrow if the book is too pricey. Call me cheap too, but with being a reviewer I rarely have time to get to all my backlog of review books let alone read books over and over.
Agree – I refuse to believe it costs the same to get a digital copy to a customer as it does to get a paper copy to the customer. Give me a break.
I have a whole list of authors (who I now love) who I have tried because their e-books have been discounted under 5 bucks. Now I’ll definitely be buying any future releases. I probably wouldn’t have tried these authors otherwise.
Exactly!
Don’t worry, I’m cheap, too! I pretty much will not spend more than $3 on any book, e-book or paper (thank you Better World Books’ bargain bin!). I just won’t. I don’t have the money to. In fact, I don’t even have an income yet (I’m trying though!).
I’ve been lucky in that I have had a steady steam of Amazon credit, either from winning gift cards, selling back books, or my mom occasionally gets me one, so I can grab Kindle books at my hearts content. In fact, I am super addicted to $0.99 deals. I can almost never resist a book that cheap, and discovering a new author, or a new book by a familiar author! I’m also a freebie addict. I’m reading a free e-book now actually!
The library is my best friend. The librarians already grab my books from the hold shelf when I’m coming through the door, because I’m in so frequently. For being in a district made up of small towns, my library has an amazingly great selection both on the shelves and online. I really don’t need to buy many books at all.
My library gets some good books in, but they either don’t have all of a series, or don’t have what I’m looking for, which is frustrating.
Budget, what is this budget thing? LOL I have really slowed down on the book buying. I am trying to clean out some of my older books, but every now and then I try to go on a binge. I do try to find books on sale though. Some publishers offer discounts on fresh releases, or when they have coupons for money off. I also use the ARe rebate thing and buy 10 get one free deal.
If a book blurb appeals to me, I don’t really pay much attention whether it’s a new author to me or not. I have to say I’m pretty open to trying someone I’ve never heard off. I’ve been burned of course, but I’ve also disliked books by authors I knew and liked.
Offering freebies is a great way to expose people to your work because I know not that many people are like me. It’s the reason the m/m group on GR has so many authors who take up the free story writing thing. It’s not because we have nothing better to do, it’s because you can get a story out there and maybe catch someone’s interest. It’s a promotion tool. It’s a bit like piracy. Yes, it’s bad and artists suffer, but in a perfect world, where no illegal copies exist, would everyone who downloads the latest Bieber song pay money for it? Very few would. If you give me a free chocolate chip cookie, I’ll eat it. If you want me to pay for it? I’ll pass.
I HAD to get a budget, I was going crazy, lol. If a blurb interests me, I’ll usually put it on my wishlist and see if it’s still appealing in a week or so.
That’s a brilliant idea for your m/m group; get a story out there so potential buysers can see if they like your ‘voice’.
(am also loving your cookie analogy)
I don’t have a book budget, but it does annoy me when an ebook is priced higher than a physical copy. All the benefits of ebooks — instant access, eco-friendly, etc. — become a lot less attractive when publishers set the price higher than the hardcover.
When I published my book I did a few freebie days, just to see what the results were. It did help to attract more readers, but maintaining that audience is difficult once the book is no longer free.
Oh – that makes me crazy when the e-book is higher priced than the paper copy!
I’m wondering if the audience slacking off is the same for a new release that’s not free? Or does that stay steady for a while? I’m not privy to that side of how book things work
A book usually sees the highest sales in the first 3 months on the market, because there’s a lot of marketing effort that goes into making audiences look at the shiny new book on the shelves (I work in marketing). Things do tend to slow down after that, regardless of price, because public attention turns to the newest books.
My book was about 7 months old when I tried the KDP Select freebie campaign, and it helped to create a second, post-launch surge. But these spikes just can’t be sustained without significant marketing effort and audience support.
Oh thank you for posting this! I too have to limit myself on book purchases. I don’t have a set amount per month but I should. (I tend to get carried away one month then chastise myself the next) I have a credit card that is linked to my Amazon account so instead of points I earned Amazon credits that I can use towards books. That works out pretty well for me and helps to fund my habit, but I still overspend.
But if it is a new-to-me author I likely will not spend more than $4-$5 unless other bloggers I follow have read the author and are raving about them. (Another reason authors should be nice to bloggers-we rely on each others opinions too!!)
I think I might institute a new monthly budget for myself now. What a great idea!
Thanks – with the gift card it’s easier to see exactly how much I’m spending. It might not work for anyone else, but it works for me!
I don’t have a book budget because I’m unemployed and when I pick up a temp job, I hoard that money. I do have a list of books, I’d like to buy in the next coming months and that money is set aside for them and extras. And as for ebook vs physical, if it is an author I really like then I’ll buy the physical. For example those on my auto-buy lists.
I have a hard time parting with money on author I’ve never read about especially a self published author. A few like M. Leighton, etc I was lucky enough to be lent books by friends so I can try and decide if I’ll like them.
The way I see it with the freebie deals, etc it’s free promo for authors. A few people commenting have said a free book encouraged them to try an author’s backlist and I agree.
Yes – my auto-buy authors are usually paper purchases, unless they only have e-books OR their e-book goes on sale.
Like everyone else, I’m not exactly rolling in it, so I have to be smart with book purchases. It gets even trickier when taken into account that I am in a third world country, and the bookstore markup is sometimes mindblowing. The local library isn’t much help either, I swear they have the exact same books as they had in the 90s, and we don’t even have a separate YA section.
The long story short: the majority of my purchases are ebooks, and if I can get 5 ebooks for $15 instead of 1 print book for the same, damn right I am going to take the ebook deal. It still boggles my mind that there are no digital versions of some of the newer books coming out. Publishers, I would love to support your debut authors, but I am not going to buy the $20 hardcover.
While I LOVE freebies, and regularly scour Amazon (because B&N wont take my money) for them, I often find myself pushing these books towards the back of the TBR list. I feel it’s more important to get through the books I actually paid for, or the titles received for review. So yeah, people like me might be the reason Authors hate these deals.
Oh no – I can only imagine how expensive books are where you are!
That’s an interesting point about the freebies getting pushed to the back of the TBR…
I will usually finish up a series in whatever format I have begun in…hardcover, paperback, or ebook. All new books/series are being bought through my ereader. Not only is it cheaper, it is easier to carry around/read, organize, highlight and bookmark excerpts, etc… I usually am willing to pay over $5 for an ebook. $10 and under is my limit. However, you can usually find them for fairly cheap. It certainly beats paying around $20 per hardcover!!!
That is something I also love about e-books – they’re definitely space savers!! I just have such a hard time paying full price for e-books.
Great topic! I kept mostly to ebooks last year, but this year I just went crazy buying books.
The sad thing is it’s really hard to purchase the latest books on sale here in the Philippines because we don’t get all the books we want (i.e. Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores). Our book sales don’t carry the latest books, and it’s really a race to get the best books in local online bookstores. I try to limit myself to p1500 a month (about $36). One hardbound book here costs $19…if you’re lucky. So I’m really envious of deals in America or in your local bookstores.
But, going back to the topic, I do read new authors but I am very choosy about the genre. I think having a book sale or introductory price is a great way to lure in new readers, especially if you’re a newbie author. They shouldn’t begrudge as that because we are willing to buy their books if we can actually afford them!
It’s not hard to go crazy buying books, lol. A book sale definitely draws me in too
Great post Patti! I don’t have a book budget, but I desperately need to implement one. I like yours actually, $25 seems reasonable and if it’s on amazon, more often than not, you get free shipping. As far as eBooks, it’s usually $4.99, unless you’re my tried and true authors (Gena Showalter, Kresley Cole, JR Ward, Etc.), those authors have no limit, unfortunately. $3.99 For new to me authors, if it’s highly recommended then I’ll bump it back up to $4.99.
As to your post, I completely agree that a freebie or a bargained price will definitely push me to read a book, which might push me to buy more from that author if I like the free book. I’ve downloaded a lot of freebies, most of which are first books in the series and ended up completing the series because I loved the first book so much.
Finally, I completely understand what you mean by book/e-book preference depending on where you are, lol. It’s forced me to purchase the e-book version of a paperback, that I already own, more than once.
Thanks! My book budget is really working for me. I don’t always get the new releases the week they’re released, but I do get them eventually; I just have to pace myself, lol.
I love your budget idea! I like finding new authors and I agree with you whole heartly about lower prices mean more popularity (If the book is good that is).
I love how some authors make the first book in the series Free and the rest are a few bucks. I think that is smart marketing! That’s how I found Croak and Death Whisperes.
Thanks – I’ve discovered and recommended many books to friends through an e-book deal.
I bought a total of seven book in February–due to great deals! All of Vicki Pettersson’s Signs of the Zodiac series when on sale for 99 cents, and even though I have read all of them except for the sixth (and I own all six in paperback) I decided to buy them as Kindle books and either trade or give away. I bought one other book that was at full price (Jumpers by Steven Gould) around $9, but only because it was an omnibus and was cheaper to buy it this way than if I’d gotten the books separately.
Being a blogger has definitely made it so that I spend less on books than I ever have before. I spend more time reading the books I’m sent for free than the books I do buy, which is unfortunate, so I have been trying to sneak in those books that I have purchased when I need a break from the review books.
When buying ebooks, I tend to wait for sales. Eventually even the most popular books and series do go on sale, and I’m lucky enough to get them when they do. I agree with what you said, too; I’m most likely to buy books from authors I know, so if I take a chance on a new to me author when their book goes on sale for under $3, that may actually cause me to buy their next book at full price if I want it badly enough and cannot wait.
I did this yesterday – bought a new-to-me author at $3, liked the book enough to read the next book, which was $5.49. Finished it last night and am going to buy book 3 today
(I love the way you budget out your book buying with gift cards. )
I hope/wish publishers will read this post. As a traditionally published and relatively new author, it’s frustrating to me to see my book listed at 7.99 when no one knows who I am and there are hundreds of other good books out there that are 3.99 and under. If I hadn’t heard of an author, I’d go with this less expensive buy as well.
I think my publisher occasionally discounts books. I’m going to have to see if I can talk them into discounting at least my first book.
Sandy
http://www.sandy-Williams.com
Thanks for the feedback from an author’s POV!
Do your library not have inter-library loan? I’ve found that while my library often doesn’t have a book I’m looking for, if I go online and request that they get it from one of their partners, I can almost always get a copy. I then just request everything I can think of that I want and figure that they will be fun surprises when they show up
I don’t have a book budget yet, but that’s because I’m even more frugal. I’m willing to try out freebies, but I’ve had such bad luck with picking random books from Amazon (unless it was by a blogger suggestion!) that I just don’t want to put any money down since I’d feel like I wasted it.
I also have access to a lot more library books though, especially since I have two Overdrive catalogs I haven’t gone through yet, so that might influence my feelings too. Awesome post!!
Anya @ On Starships and Dragonwings
I don’t know if my library does that, I’ll have to check. The Parish next to ours has a better library system so that would be great.
I totally agree. I have to budget myself or I’ll have a huge pile of unpaid bills to go with my huge pile of new books. Like you, I’m not paying a lot to buy a book from an author I’v never read. I utilize deals from Amazon and B&N and I also got to yard sales, flea markets, the Goodwill, etc. to buy my books. I got 15 of Linda Lael Miller’s books for $15 last year at a flea market. Score!
Wow, 15 books for $15? Go you!! Sometimes our library has a sale and I grab some there too.
Interesting post! I am kind of the opposite. I don’t own an e-reader but have the Kindle app on my phone and my laptop. I tend to think that books are NOT as good if they are cheap. If I had a Kindle, I would probably buy more ebooks of authors I know that I like because it would be easier to read them but for now, if it is a book I want to read, I get it from the library or as a gift. No book budget for me…unless you count the .25 and .50 books I buy at yardsales etc. Those, of course, are never the newest and shiniest ones that I see all of the blogs though. Really great post and comments!
Dana
I agree often they’re not as good due to lack of editing,etc… but for free or only a dollar or two to me it’s worth the risk to find a diamond in the rough
I am totally cheap when it comes to buying books. I am a huge fan of freebie books, and love trying them. Nothing thrills me more than finding a book on my wishlist is free or deeply discounted. It feels like a huge win.
“It feels like a huge win” <– YES!!
I don’t have a lot of money to spend, so I normally don’t spend more than $3.99 for an ebook. My biggest pet peeve is when an ebook is the same price (or even more) than the print copy.
I feel the same way!
I buy books every three months, and they’re usually preorders for hardcovers. I spend a RIDICULOUS amount of money. (I won’t say how much, but let’s just say I’m a bit of a book hoarder… err… collector.) I refuse to spend that kind of money on ebooks. I go to those if I want to spend a small amount of money on something that I want to try. (I laugh at anything priced over 3.99, and that’s pushing it for me.) If I like what’s in the cheap ebook, I’ll include that author in my quarterly insanity.
I have several series I buy in print only. If ebooks were cheaper I’d buy BOTH versions.
I am careful when I buy books, but I only ever buy for my kindle anymore, apart from if there is a book coming out by an author I really love and there’s no kindle format of that book.
I’m basically the only reader in my family, and there are still books everywhere. Also, I don’t pay delivery fees for books to my kindle.
For authors I have never heard of before, and if they haven’t gotten rave reviews by at least a few bloggers I follow, there’s no way I’ll dish out $10! But it’s true that the kindle books are getting more and more expensive, which is too bad. I don’t know if it’s Amz’s fault for making us believe e-books are way cheaper – and because they could sell us the kindle itself, or if it’s the publishers’ fault for seeing how huge the e-book market has become, so they want a bigger part of it in every way possible.
I’m not very good with budgets, though, and while I was reading through the comments on this thread, I went and bought several cheap kindle deals by authors I haven’t read before but want to try…
Great post and discussion.
Great points! I’m not sure who’s fault the pricing is but ebooks are definitely more expensive then they were when I got my first kindle.
It’s a rare occasion when I buy a full-priced e-book. Like really rare. I think I’ve done it…twice. I’m more content at purchasing an e-book when it’s around the $5.00 price range. And usually, I’ll only buy them if I’ve had a positive experience with the author in the past or if it’s a book everyone is talking about.
I’ll occasionally take advantage of a free e-book if I’m unfamiliar with an author. Buuuut, I’m more inclined to go to the library for that. I don’t really want to clutter up my e-reader with books I don’t like.
I’m much more likely to buy when the books are $5 or less.
Price does matter! In the last few years I have spent a lot of money on books but this year I am on a really strict budget. Price not only matters but will steer me away from books. If I can get 2 books from an author I know and love for the price of one book from another author I love—i am probably (unless you are in my 5) going for the 2.
I don’t care if I seem cheap
Yes, I’ll put a book on my wishlist if it’s too high and watch to see if the price drops. I guess that makes me cheap too
This year, I am implementing a Read 15 buy 1 strategy. It worked fine until March, with sale and new releases, but now I am back on track again.
I prefer to find new authors through freebies or cheap e-books, since if I don’t like the book, I can delete it
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That’s a great strategy! My TBR might thank me for implementing that one
My ebook $ limit for an author new to me is $1.99. If a book is only. 99 cents I would mostly buy it even if I didn’t know much about it. I also buy $25 Amazon gift cards to budget my book buying.
Another “gift card” budgeter!! *fist bump*
Totally agree with you that this is why ebooks are taking off and why self published authors are being thrust into the limelight. I will not pay over £5 for an ebook and tend to look for offers and deals. Like you said, if I like it, then I will look for more from the author.
I don’t know who Kirsten Ashley is but I love Katie Ashley’s books which you should take a look at
Great post
I’ll have to check out Katie Ashley. Here’s Kristen Ashley’s goodreads page – her books are cracktastic!!
http://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=kristen+ashley
Yes!
As a free marketeer, I believe people can and should charge whatever they feel the market will bear. But as a consumer, I look for the cheaper eBooks. Last month I tried a new author selling his books for $3.95, loved them, and bought five more of his books. And I’m hesitating to press the “buy now” button on some highly recommended ebooks going for over $7.
LOL, I’m the same way!
Love the way you do your book budget, so simple yet so effective. Might copy that. I will always tend to buy new books by favourite authors as soon as they come out. I have the amazon tweet that showcases daily deals and this way I often come across bargains. And there have been freebies that made go spend money on other books in the same series where I enjoyed them.
Thanks – I think that for me, the simplicity is what works. I love the daily deals and freebies – they’re like my gateway drug
I love this post!!
As a self pubbing author and an avid reader, I’ve published my first novel at .99. By the time I get to book 3, book 1 will be free. At this point, I just want my book in people’s faces – I’m not trying to make money. It’s a marathon I’m running.
I’ve found that most authors I know sell theirs for 2.99, likely to get the 70% commission that Amazon gives out for that price range. Thing is, all the research I’ve read says you may make more, but you’ll sell at about 20% of the rate that you will with your book at .99. So, for me the decision was easy.
As a reader, I’m loathe to pay more than 5$ for an ebook, unless it’s a book by an author I love. So, in my opinion, pricing initial novels in a series, or first/second novels to allow for an easy “gateway” purchase is a smart move.