Saturday, April 23, 2011

Ebook, print book, audio book: Which one?

As I was reading The Brain that Changes Itself, I found myself keeping a spreadsheet listing references and topics, something to look at later. I used the spreadsheet because the book was on loan to me from a friend and I couldn't use a highlighter.

So, today, I started doing some research on the list, and that's when I hit the wall of question: Should I opt for the ebook, the audio version or the hardcover or paperback?

To tell the truth, living on a relatively fixed budget makes the decision somewhat easier. Whenever the opportunity arises, I'll choose the least expensive option, selecting good condition used books whenever possible. Of course, when money was (sort of) no obstacle and if the book was going to stick around in my library, my first choice would be the new hardcover; the second would be the new paperback; or for certain types of books, especially those that required following directions, I'd pick the audio.

Today's research brought up a new question, one that helps narrow my decision but also makes me wonder: What's up with the price of ebooks?

If I have to choose between hardcover (new or used) or ebook version, what's the point of buying the ebook if the price is just a dollar or two less than the hardcover?

I know. The electronic book is more portable, and truth be told, in better economic times, I'd buy both print and electronic versions -- if the latter had a better price structure.

So tell me, what makes issuing an already published book electronically is so expensive? The editing has already been finished; the marketing has already been finished; the distribution has already been finished; calculation of the sales figures has already been finished.

So subtract those figures from the original bottom line for producing the print book and offer the ebook version for a reasonable cost.

Maybe the real question is: Looking to the future, are publishers trying to set a precedent for the price of ebooks




If that's the case, then the publishing world is doomed because writers will soon learn that the cost of hiring an editor and an illustrator on a per project, then pricing the work reasonably, is a better way to go.

Sure, the author will give up some of the marketing and distribution offered by the publisher but face the evidence, the mega publishers have already cut chunks of that part of the cost out of their budget. Too many authors have to market themselves already so that's a moot point.

Good thing we still have small, aggressive publishing houses that understand.

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