Kindle book prices. What is the most you would be prepared to pay for a Kindle book?
Kindle book prices. What is the most you would be prepared to pay for a Kindle book?
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Kindle book prices. What is the most you would be prepared to pay for a Kindle book?
£7/8 especially if it’s by an author I love.
<3 you will have cheered a few authors up with that xxx
@Llainy Indeed! There’s a lot of talk among authors about this. Many of us conventionally published writers are wondering if our publishers get that price point correct, especially when they’re setting the price in relation to our hardbacks which can be retailing at up to £20. Are they e-books overpriced when they’re going for £7-10?
I paid £16 for After You by Jojo Moyes and the slating I got in bookclubs because I paid that. I don’t buy expensive shoes, I don’t smoke etc so why not. I love books, love reading and some of these books are keepers so I don’t mind. Especially when you look at the price of some things. xxx
It really depends on the author. I won’t pay more for a Kindle than a paperback. I’d rather get the paperback. If it’s an unknown with a great blurb and cover, up to £2.99.
£2.99 is the sweet spot for sales and seems reasonable to me, although I have paid more.
It depends how much I want to read it. I track any price drops on my kindle wish list with ereaderiq, they also give recommendations wether to buy now or wait for a further price drop
Haven’t gone over 2.99
I compare the price of kindle book v paperback. If there isnt much of a price difference ill grab the paperback. The most id pay is 8 but thats pushing it as paperbacks arent much more
This quite often has turned controversial in a the book clubs I have seen it brought up in. For me, if I want a book (ebook, paperback or hardback I will pay for it). Quite often you hear people say they wouldn’t pay more than 99p for an ebook which is so downheartening for authors. Especially when these people are . 1. Booklovers? 2. Pay what 4 times that much for a cup of coffee.
The same people profess their love for books but don’t want to pay for them, get them by illegal means again crushing to an author.
For me, an author has spent X amount of time, blood, sweat and tears on writing the book. Regardless of the format, I recognize some people pay more for hardbacks and some feel the same about paperback in relation to paying more. I would just put it to the context of how much we pay for coffee etc that last what 10 minutes compared to a book (ebook, paperback whatever format) and how long it lasts and the enjoyment you get out of it. I support authors where I can, treebooks are my first love but I have paid £6 and up for an ebook I wanted xxx
If a writer got a fair price from the publishing route I’d support this but doesn’t the author get a relatively poor return?
@Mark I don’t know a whole lot about that @Mark as I am not a writer but I think indie authors may have a wee bit more control over this? I think authors with publishers don’t have much say in it? Again I could be wrong as I don’t know xxx
I’m a full time indie author – can confirm that we can set our pricing (within Amazon’s parameters). We get 70% royalties on books between $2.99 and $9.99, 35% if the book’s cheaper or more expensive than that. Hence why it’s much more financially viable to be indie, not least because our overheads are also much lower 🙂
Traditionally published authors have no say at all. A kindle daily deal is worth peanuts to us. Self-pubbed authors can control the cost.
Michael J. Malone 8.99 when buying from my independent bookstore(part of the BAMB) and an author new to me back then ? I need to bump this up the list when I catch up with reviews xxx I know a bit off topic but often people say they wont spend more than 99p or any money on an author they don’t know. I spent nearly a tenner on this and now look, I see ya all the time ? xxx
I totally agree Llainy!! If I like the look of a book, I’ll pay! Obviously if it’s getting near a tenner I’d still buy, but get the hard or paper back. I feel so sorry for authors nowadays and will support as much as I can xx
I am both self published and traditionally published. I definitely earn more from self published. But I have learned that with going with a decent mainstream publisher, you get a better service before the book goes to print/on sale. Editors are highly important for the quality of a book and now that I have had a taste of a real editor for my new book, if I go back to self publishing I will pay for a proper editor.
But, there are pros and cons to self publishing aside from editing. Higher earnings but harder work on marketing. I like to have the best of both.
I’d pay for a book I really wanted no matter if it’s ebook or paper.
@Michael Yes, Mr Malone, but KDDs are not really about generating income as much as being used as a marketing tool to get your book up the rankings, which, when the deal is over, means that you increase your sales at the higher price for a significant period of time. Moreover, your book is in the hands of hundreds/thousands of new readers who will review and create that all-important word-of-mouth effect. 🙂
@Llainy – *waves*
£3
8 or 9 is the most I’ve ever paid. I’ve ordered a hard copy from the library rather than pay for some, but if it’s a writer I like and I’m likely to read it again then I will pay. It annoys me that kindle books are priced so high!
As a bookseller, this is also very soul destroying.
What part Ben? xxx
The fact that people only pay £3 for books. Prices high street booksellers out of the market immediately.
We get more royalties from an ebook than a paperback or hardback. So, it stands to reason we would want to sell more ebooks at a lower price.
@Ben Makes me so sad to hear people say things like that. As much as we all love a bargain if people don’t pay for books there is no market for an author to have their trade. Treebooks will always be my first love, my last Waterstones visit I blew £80 – I always ask for vouchers and make sure I try and visit wee bookstores as well as the giants. I have 5 bookcases I love treebooks, they will always be my first love. Hoping with so many doing the £1 in the jar more folk will go out and put money back into the bookstores xxx
@Heather I guess I was talking from my perspective?
@Ben And as a publisher, I agree with you.
I paid £6.40 something for The Stalker by Lars Kepler as I really wanted it and it was cheaper than hardback. When I really want a book I will pay what I can afford, my treats to myself!!
no more than £3.60, coz i can buy book in morrisons with my discount card!
I’m buying a Kindle book soon that will cost me just over £10. But the book does have 500k of words in it
I would willingly pay for a hardback book if it looks good although I do order e books aswell
i paid nearly £10 for one before Christmas but that is unusual
Really, really depends to be honest. There is no way I’ll pay even £2.99 for some of these 50 page or under ones I keep seeing in certain genres. For others I’ll pay up to £5, any more expensive than that and I’ll look for it in paperback, I’d rather pay a couple of quid extra and have the actual book in many cases.
And if it’s an author I really love then I’ll pay up to £20 for the physical book.
usually a fiver
It’s best if you can win them!
Nice prize
Depends on the book, and the urgency to read it.
I agree – it’s much quicker – if I want a book and I think I’ll want to have it forever I’ll buy hardback if poss. I don’t think any Ebook should be more than £4.99
I’m a cheapskate when it comes to Kindle books, no more than £3. Book Hippo has great deals. If I’m paying serious money then it must be a paper book.
Have you tried the new Kindle unlimited? I just signed up and love it so far.
I don’t buy kindle or any other type of ebook, only cause I don’t have a kindle, but I will pay up £20 for a book even if I don’t know the author. I paid £14 for The Fireman a couple of days ago and I didn’t know the author Joe Hill.
I’m getting a copy of The Fireman in a few weeks time. It is going to cost me about £68 ?
Not used that yet. Heard good and bad things about it ie authors having problems with payments
Where you buying the Fireman from Jason and is it special edition I paid £13.40 on Amazon for it.
It is a special signed edition in a slipcase. Limited to either 500 or 1000 copies
Awe right, Jason I probably would expect to pay that for something special ?
Not more than £4.00, but it’s rarely been that – more like 99p if I am honest.
Depends what the book is and how much I want to read it.
£4 max
The ones I buy on my Kindle are usually less that £5, and when I do buy a paperback they are usually the same (although I pay up to £10 when the new Kathy Reichs book comes out). I am on a very limited budget and unless I get money for Christmas or my birthday, I don’t have ‘spending sprees’ for myself, so I have to buy cheaply I’m afraid.
Nothing!!! Ever! Real books all the way.
Hurray!
Up to 15 pounds for a proper book
9.99 ?
A few weeks ago i noticed Kindle book that was £13 & the hardback was £11. Most strange
Spotted that today with a paperback the paperback was 5£ the kindle book was 6.99
£6 and for that it has to be a favourite author and a book I really want to read
Depends on the author but the most I’ll spend is $10 (usd)
Have paid up to £3.99 but rarely. Go for free, 99p or tops £1.99. Wait for them to go in sale. Can be difficult when you are waiting for the next one in a series to go cheaper. Just starting Eeny Meeny, m j Aldridge. Never read her books. Just found it in a book sale and noted in my book that it’s first in her series of this character. So here we go.
M.J. Arlidge is a male. His name is Matthew. I love his books
Thanks for that didn’t know
Great series
Keep in mind that Amazon regulates the price of its ebooks by capping the percentage the author will receive. For example, I’m the author of the serial killer thriller Deadly Fare, available via Amazon in ebook or paperback. The ebook price is $2.99 US dollars. If I set it at $1.99 I only receive 30 percent. At $2.99 I get 70 percent, which seems more reasonable since I did the writing. But here’s the larger picture: Deadly Fare is $13.99 US on Amazon. If I set it lower, to the next category of $11.99, I would actually lose money. I would be subsidizing my own book.
I read loads so usually try stick to £2.00 but if I’m following a great series then I’ll pay up to about £5 per book.
So if it’s a book of an author I don’t know then . 99 but if it’s a recommendation to me then I’ll pay up to around 5.99 for it. Sometimes a little more but usually that doesn’t happen often as I can usually find the paperback for cheaper on half. Com. If it’s an author I love and I want the whole series then I just buy it in physical copy though and that I’m willing to pay more for but honestly that’s dwindling now that I have my kindle I’m finding. I’m more apt to just buy it on the kindle when they go on sale. I will admit I am more likely to buy the free books to try new authors though because I hate wasting money on books that I end up not finishing. But I’ve found great authors through that that I’ve ended up buying more of their books because of.
£3.99 – £4.99
£4 tops
£4 tops,
I get all mine for nothing.
I usually pay 99p or use kindle unlimited for more expensive books
Not much. £1. Kindle Books still don’t feel like mine the way proper books do.
I normally spend up to a £5er,however I’ve just started using “bookbug ” who email me daily with the bargains of the day . Most expensive seems to be £1.99 down to free of charge
Steve, I use BookBub, which is also a free service. You pick the categories you like to read and every day you receive an email with selections, usually ranging in price from 99 cents to $2.99 US.
4.99 at a push but usually pay 1.99
I’m in bookbug and other free kindle book clubs so normally pay nothing but if I’m reading a series I am happy to pay whatever it is. Think the dearest book was a pre order £6.99 and well worth it but that’s rare.
£4 tops. Like 99p or free better!!! ?
Why should we pay anywhere near what a paperback costs?
I don’t get that.
But in answer to the question, I only pay if they’re much cheaper than the ‘next in series’ in paperback.
this is a recurring question and I keep getting tied up in load of different opinions so I don’t get involved any more I pay up to £6 and never pay more for an ebook than it costs for the paperback version yes ebooks are subject to VAT but that is only 20% despite everything I have heard I still don’t know how they justify £10+
I’m only buying the real thing..nothing better than holding a book ☺
Usually up to £4.99 but mostly as little as possible. Did pay £7.99 the other day but only because I had a voucher and wanted it for ages !
It depends, if it’s a new release from an author I’m desperate to read I’ll pay what it takes. (E.g Rankin, Connolly, macBride etc). Otherwise I’m happy to wait for a while until the price reduces.
I buy more books than ‘real’ books as I live in a very small flat and it is the simpliste way for me to acquire as many books as I want.
Ebooks i mean!
Also when you think that we are reading the product of a year’s work then a decent price is reasonable.
But there’s no factory or distribution network and little in the way of raw materials going into an ebook, which is why I don’t understand how they can cost as much as hard copy.
@John ebooks are taxed VAT whereas print books are not
Ah. I didn’t know that.
So there’s 20%.
£6.99 max and never pay more than the hard copy price on general principle. And as a side note, VAT on ebooks should be removed, in my view.
£3.99
This has been quite interesting
I’ve just looked at one book someone recommended and it was over £10. I pay that for hardbacks!
Omg I have spent 9.99 then straight after I buy them they go down to 99p lol
Some people have all the luck 😉
I’ve had more luck today then I normally do on any other day x
Would that be good or bad luck? 😉
Depends on the author but usually no more than £9 and they have to be one of my fave authors
Does anyone know how to cancel kindle unlimited please? I can’t work out how to do it.
I would contact Amazon customer services by phone
Thankyou
The number is hard to find. But you can find it on Google. They also offer a call back service
Honestly no more than $4.99. And usually I stick with $1.99 or less. I have Kindle Unlimited (& Prime Reading) and read about a book every day or 2. So purchasing books is pointless for me. Now if I absolutely loved the book then I buy it in paperback.