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I am Lover of romance, who indulges in the romantic adventures of literature

My name is Renee, and I am the host of this site. I am a 34 year old woman, on the prowl for her mate, searching out the best of books, exploring the wilds of the imagination and delving into the heart of a beautiful love story.

 

Tea and Biscuits Book Discussions: Are the prices of book right? Are you an E reader or lover of those printed works?

by | Nov 9, 2015 | Tea and Biscuits Discussions | 15 comments

Welcome to another feature of Tea and Biscuits, where we discuss topics about books!!

This week I want to talk about book prices and lately I have noticed that there is much controversy on this topic and I wanted to shout out my two cents worth. Before e-readers came along, I had no problem purchasing a book at full price which was usually between 5.99 and 7.99. Now depending on the country you lived in, the prices could go up or down. For example in Canada, the prices would be around 7.99-9.99 and Australia and the UK would be a bit more than that. Then the explosion of e-readers and e books came along. At first most books were similar prices with the paperback editions. But that has changed hasn’t it? Now E books are normally way cheaper than paperbacks by 5-6 dollars. Now is this good or bad? it depends on who you talk to.

For myself, in all honesty, I enjoy reading paperbacks and hardbacks way more than e-books by quite a big amount. I used to just love e-books, because of how convenient they are, cheaper prices and I could read my books anywhere I turned. But I realized that there was something I was missing out of reading and reading e-books in my mind can take away a certain tactile experience that you will only find in a printed book. The feel of paper pages in your hand, the scent of printed paper, the full spectrum of the cover. Lately, I have been pondering this, and I have started to buy more printed books than e books. In fact its been a couple months since I have even purchased an e-book. I have put all my budget for books into purchasing printed books. Now in my mind I like to look at comparison of prices. I have noticed that on some books e-books are more expensive than the printed formats???? Does that even make sense at all? Not in my mind. Then you go to the other side of the spectrum and I look at prices of some e-books and (maybe this is bad of me as a book buyer) but I think the price should be higher. When I see a book from an author that is (STELLAR AMAZING), and a full-length novel is only .99 or 1.99. Then novellas are more expensive—huh?? So confused at times the prices that are decided. And frankly the authors that write these amazing works….are suffering bad from it. Then you have some authors where the books is $10 or more, and aren’t as good as authors that have their books selling for almost $10 cheaper. Is that fair to those authors?? Although there are times when an e book and printed format book are the same price—then I instantly buy the printed. I feel I get more from a printed book than I do with a e book.

So if you want to buy a printed book, which place is the best way to go when purchasing them? At a physical book store, where you can have the book instantly, with no wait on shipping. I like Barnes and Noble, since that is the only book store around but they don’t always have what I need so I always call them ahead of time to verify that they have what I am looking for. But then you have Book Depository, Amazon, Books A Million, Indie Books and many other online book sellers you can go to. Book Depository and Books A Million are my go to options. I get free shipping with both of them. Book Depository is based in London, so they always do free shipping (no matter which country you live in) so that is always a plus. One trick I do when comparing prices is I look at the regular site and then the UK site, and sometimes the price will go down a dollar or two at times. I hardly ever use Amazon unless I am buying an audiobook with their whisper sync. I don’t have prime, and I hate having to pay for shipping with them. Books A Million I like quite a bit, I have a membership with them so I get free shipping and you can track your books using tracking which is absolutely wonderful and its delivered to your doorstep. Although if its bad weather, I probably would prefer it delivered to my mail box.

Questions For My Readers:

Do you prefer reading E Books or Paperbacks? 

Are you content with book prices? Or do you want them to change? 

If you buy printed books, what is your favorite seller to use? 

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15 Comments

  1. Sarah @ One Curvy Blogger

    I love all books, but I am the same nothing is more enjoyable than a book you can feel and touch. I think some of the prices for novellas are way too expensive. I’m not gonna pay for a 3 or 4 dollar book that is less than a 100 pages.

    Reply
  2. Quinn's Book Nook

    I definitely prefer physical books, but I do enjoy the convenience of ebooks. I don’t like to spend more than 4-5 dollars on an ebook though. If it is more than that, I usually just order the physical version. Unless it’s a book I need right then.

    Reply
  3. Karen

    I read both because of space and I tend to try more new authors with those ebook deals but I’ll spend up to $5-ish for an ebook (novella $1.99-2.99 but not if it’s less than 100 pages).

    For HC I’ll pay up to $14.99 for an author I love but not full price – $9.99 -for the ebook which they are charging more often. I’ll be more inclined to impulse buy a physical copy if it’s under $9.99.

    Karen @For What It’s Worth

    Reply
  4. Heidi

    I am still an ebook reader because I love the convenience of my Kindle and I love being able to pack it and have hundreds of books with me at all times. I agree about the prices though, it is baffling when some terrific books are cheap and others are more than the physical copy. I hate that. I rarely pay more than five dollars for an ebook, if it is more than that might as well get the regular book.

    Reply
  5. Ann Lorz

    I would rather read print books. I just love the feeling of it, plus I don’t have to worry about them falling and breaking. I drop my ereader…a lot! I’ve given up on book prices. I’m not even sure the publishers understand what they are doing.

    Reply
  6. LilyElement

    I could go either way on print or ebooks to be honest. If I’m buying or receiving book gifts I prefer paperback. If I already have the rest of the series in ebook then I’ll buy the rest as ebook. I really don’t understand when the ebooks are more expensive than the paperback

    Reply
  7. Wickedly Delicious

    Love the new blog. I now prefer ebook than paperback. Only because I can highlight my notes and it is faster to get a book. Guess I am spoiled now. I try to save my paperbacks for summertime when I am outside more. I do miss the feel and smell of paperbacks. I miss going to Borders from back when still open. I preferred them over Barnes and Noble. Every Friday after work I would go and spend hours browsing the romance section. Ours was huge and had a nice selection. Majority of the time I always left with a book. Every now and then I pop into barnes and noble but hardly ever come out with a book. The romance section has really gotten low. I think I take more photos with my phone of covers to remind me to use for L4C meme.

    Reply
  8. Bea @ Bea's Book Nook

    I find I prefer ebooks these days but I still read print. I get print from the library and hit up its used book sale. But ebooks take up less physical space, are easier on my eyes (I can adjust the font and spacing!), and my Kindle takes up less space in my purse than a paperback or hardcover.

    Ebooks prices are an absurd range. 99 cents for a full length ebook is too little but an ebook that costs as much as, or more than, the print version is too much. A fave author just released a 39 page story that costs 2.99. That’s too much so I won’t be buying it. Book pricing these days is a maze and makes little sense. I’m all for authors making a living but I have to be careful about spending my money so I hold out for the deals.

    Reply
  9. Sophia Rose

    Simple questions, but I don’t have simple answers. LOL! I love print books. Love them! (I’m a petter of the pretty covers and I love page smell). But when I’m reviewing, I prefer e-books because I can highlight and make notes easier and quicker on my reader.
    As to pricing, for mass markets, $8 at most, trade paperbacks $10-12 is reasonable to me. Hardbacks up to $15. Ebooks no more than $5 for novel-length. I notice that the full-lengths that are $.99 are generally the first book in a series or an author’s backlisted book and is priced that way to hook in readers. Works for me. The price tags that I find outrageous tend to be for the novellas and short stories. I have seen a ton of these for $3 and $4 dollars. Sadly, they are generally shorter than they appear b/c they are stuffed with filler at the end.
    My choices for finding books are limited after Border’s closed. That was the closest book store and it was 45 minutes away. Now the closest book store is B&N and that’s an hour. We do have a town library branch, but it is small so most books have to be requested and are on a waiting list. I’ve never purchased from BAM, but I have used The Book Depository, Amazon, ARe, and The Book Outlet (this is my wickedest temptation).

    Reply
  10. Jennifer_FairyTales

    I like both print and ebooks. In terms of purchasing, I concentrate mostly on ebooks because I live in a small house and don’t have room for too many more books. If I read an ebook and love it a ton, I will spend the money on a print copy in case something bizarre happens to my e-reader accounts. I use my library quite a bit and I usually get print books from them.

    Reply
  11. Sharonda

    I honestly love the both although I’ve been purchasing more eBooks of late BUT I am starting to build my library back up again. I will say I do have a problem with the price of some eBooks. I will telly you I’m not paying 5.99 or 7.99 for a ebook when the paperback is the same price and I definitely not paying over 7 bucks for ebook. I honestly believe they don’t know how to price ebooks at this point so pubs and authors pretty much charge what they want. I mean you see some folks charge 3.99 for a 100 page ebook, that is crazy to me.

    But like any shopper I tend to catch bargins and sales even with my print copies. Nice topic to discuss 😉

    Reply
  12. Lily B

    I whole heartedly agree. I love physical books and have a ton of them, but I like the convenience of e-books because it allows me to have about 1,000 of them without wondering where I can put them lol. It’s bad enough I have hundreds of paperbacks and a small living space but e-readers make it convenient. Plus you get access to some interesting indie books.
    Unfortunately I read the other day that Harper Collins sales where down this past sales report and they are now looking into an option of lowering the ebook prices because its becoming a trend. I think its a little insane to be charging the same price for an e-book as it is for a physical book, or charging more in some cases. For one, it’s digital, it’s not physical. You are looking at a scanned work and not printed, bonded, and covered.

    Reply
    • Lily B

      I hit enter before it let me finish D: . I don’t mind paying a full price for physical because its something I can hold in my hands, turn the pages and look at the pretty colorful cover – something the ink e-readers are missing ;/
      I order my books mostly on Amazon, or B&N since amazon is trying to snuff them out. I have not tried any other site, but if you find a good one I am all ears, I like the book depository but I don’t find them cheaper, and it takes a while to get the book. I use amazon for prime >.<

      Reply
  13. kimbacaffeinate

    I buy all eBooks, with the exception of some series/authors who hardcover novels I buy for my shelves. I loathe mass market paperback since they are so hard on my eyes and hands. I have noticed for the big pubs, that the ebook can sometimes be more than the paperback. This annoys me and they go on my wishlist where I wait for a sale.I have no problem paying 4.99 to 9.99 for an eBook but it needs to be priced less than the paperback.

    Reply
  14. Braine TS

    I prefer the cheapest format! lol

    I agree with you, I understand our authors need to make money but at times I also feel like the overhead is way too much. I bought my nephew a book, a children’s book, and it’s $15! Like fuck! Whatever happened to $7.99 paperbacks?!

    Reply

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