Discounted E-Book Pricing Thread

**sullivan_riyria** · May 5th, 2012, 06:11 PM

Another price drop from Orbit: Gail Carriger's Souless is just $0.99. I'm not sure for how long it will be at that price.

**Jaim Grymauch** · May 6th, 2012, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by sullivan_riyria

My publisher (Orbit) put antoher book on sale: EQUATIONS OF LIFE by Simon Morden it was the Winner of the 2012 Philip K. Dick Award

Thanks for the links and your continuing efforts here. They are greatly appreciated.

JC

**sullivan_riyria** · May 7th, 2012, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by Jaim Grymauch

Thanks for the links and your continuing efforts here. They are greatly appreciated.
JC

Glad you find them helpful...I've also started a reddit sub for free fantasy books. It's brand new and can be found here.

**Rob B** · May 16th, 2012, 11:23 AM

Baen is publishing, The Monster Hunters by by Larry Correia, an omnibus of the first three books in that series. The hardcover will be $24 (USD) while the E-version is only $6USD. Yes, $6USD for three novels.

**Loerwyn** · May 16th, 2012, 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by Rob B

Yes, $6USD for three novels.

Who else but Baen?

**DennisC** · May 17th, 2012, 02:26 PM

This thread actually makes me sad. I feel for the authors getting a mere pittance.

**Rob B** · May 17th, 2012, 02:43 PM

Dude, it's all a marketing initiative. Give away the first for free/cheep they'll come back for more at full price.

**DennisC** · May 17th, 2012, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by Rob B

Dude, it's all a marketing initiative. Give away the first for free/cheep they'll come back for more at full price.

Perhaps you're right, Mr. Rob. I would be aaaangry if I were one of these authors.

**Contrarius** · May 17th, 2012, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by Rob B

Dude, it's all a marketing initiative. Give away the first for free/cheep they'll come back for more at full price.

Yeah, I was just talking with somebody about this phenomenon yesterday. It's just like drug pushers -- "psssst, little girl! Ya wanna piece of candy? First piece is only $2.99!"

In fact I just started a new-to-me mystery series yesterday, thanks to a $2.99 first installment. Now, of course, I'm hooked. Arg.

**Seak** · May 17th, 2012, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by DennisC

Perhaps you're right, Mr. Rob. I would be aaaangry if I were one of these authors.

Because you would get more sales? More fans? More money?

I don't think they'd do this if it weren't working. Quoting from a fictional author: "Readers have a loyalty that cannot be matched anywhere else in the creative arts..."

**Loerwyn** · May 17th, 2012, 04:12 PM

Why? They get paid the same regardless of whether the book is on sale or not, as far as I'm aware.

**Seak** · May 17th, 2012, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by Loerwyn

Why? They get paid the same regardless of whether the book is on sale or not, as far as I'm aware.

I think I've heard with eBooks it's different. Was it Hines that had a post about how Amazon cut down his royalties? He may have just been talking about independently publishing. With the biggies, you may get the same no matter what, but obviously I'm not the one to ask.

**Loerwyn** · May 17th, 2012, 04:25 PM

With Hines, he was talking about his self-published titles (Kitemaster, Goblin Tales) rather than his books through DAW.

**DennisC** · May 17th, 2012, 05:28 PM

I can tell that its certainly a good method from what I have read above. I guess so.

At a panel at iCon (in new york at stonybrook university on long island) there was a bunch of authors talking about eBooks and their affect. For one, they unanimously complained about Amazon revising (always downward) their royalties on eBook sales. They also noted that they have no way of checking that their eBooks are not being ripped off. With a paper book or a print on demand book, you know how many are sold based on the # of copies they have left and that can be tracked. But with eBooks they are all suspicious of Amazon.

I still prefer my hard backs. BUT.... Mrs. C got a new Kindle for Mother's Day. And I tried out reading a bit of a book on it. I can see how being able to search for a term can be helpful with some of our genres (Fantasy/Horror/SciFi).

**Seak** · May 17th, 2012, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by DennisC

I can tell that its certainly a good method from what I have read above. I guess so.

At a panel at iCon (in new york at stonybrook university on long island) there was a bunch of authors talking about eBooks and their affect. For one, they unanimously complained about Amazon revising (always downward) their royalties on eBook sales. They also noted that they have no way of checking that their eBooks are not being ripped off. With a paper book or a print on demand book, you know how many are sold based on the # of copies they have left and that can be tracked. But with eBooks they are all suspicious of Amazon.

I still prefer my hard backs. BUT.... Mrs. C got a new Kindle for Mother's Day. And I tried out reading a bit of a book on it. I can see how being able to search for a term can be helpful with some of our genres (Fantasy/Horror/SciFi).

I've read some blogs of authors who love Amazon since you can get a better royalty rate than with traditional means - J.A. Konrath - and some authors who have been disappointed with Amazon - Jim Hines. It's definitely a hard one, because I think it can be a good thing, but like you said, they seem to be doing some back-handed swindling.

I like my Kindle for it's convenience, but otherwise, I prefer good ol' paper any day. My wife, however, is sick of our limited space being eaten up.