Comments on: Musing on Monday: How Much Are Books Worth?

By: HelenS

HelenS — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:59:35 +0000

The last format I’d prefer is a mass-market paperback, because they’re *always* acidic paper. I buy those only when I have to (e.g., my child wants the next volume of a popular series that I know they’re going to grow out of soon and that I don’t much care for myself). I also hate reading fat paperbacks, and find hardbacks much more comfortable.

By: Jody W.

Jody W. — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:36:55 +0000

I don’t feel cheated by a delay in ebook release any more than I do a TPB or MM release. I don’t buy hardbacks for myself. I have always waited until it was under $10 anyway. My pleasure budget is just not that stretchy. I also prefer to hold MMs or my ebook reader. Big books=bad on hands, on storage, on packing, etc.

By: Jackie Barbosa

Jackie Barbosa — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:33:31 +0000

I buy trade, too, Jill, but I usually buy them either at a store where the price is below the $13-$15 cover or when I have a coupon/special deal. On rare occasions (i.e., it’s a book by an author I really love, especially a CP), I’ll pay full price for a trade, but it’s not something I do a lot.

I hear what you’re saying about trades being “fancy,” although I kind of think that’s a ploy on the part of publishers to make us think we’re getting more for our money, lol.

I think in theory, digital books could provide a richer reading experience than print books, including for example scenes that the writer ultimately cut of out the book or other extras that couldn’t be printed on paper without significantly increasing costs. In theory, the digital book could be the “premium” version, but only if publishers aren’t forced to accept pricing models for them that won’t support development of those extras.

By: Jill Sorenson

Jill Sorenson — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:21:48 +0000

I buy quite a few trade paperbacks, mostly because the book I want is only available in that size. They’re more than $10. But I would hesitate to buy an ebook with the exact same content at that price. Trade and hardbacks are sort of “fancy,” I guess. Do you know what I mean?

I know that most ebook readers don’t buy hardbacks, and maybe a delayed ebook release encourages piracy. Most MM paperback readers don’t buy hardbacks, either. We just wait.

I’ve never felt cheated by the delay.