Ticking-off readers is an expensive proposition. Readers vote with their wallets, but they can also vote with stars. Fair or not, readers wield the one-star review like a mace against book prices they deemed excessive.
Some notable writers carry this stigma on their work because of perceived over-charging by traditional publishers. The authors are under contract and don’t get a vote on pricing. As a writer, I want to be evaluated on the merit of my book alone, but life ain’t fair.
Released on Monday, potential readers whipped Michael Connelly’s latest release, The Fifth Witness, with one-star reviews at both the Kindle and Nook sites.
These reviews aren’t because of Connelly’s writing, nor because of a high price, but because the digital version costs more than the hard cover edition. The hardback sells for $14.28 at Amazon and $14.73 at Barnes & Noble, while the Kindle and Nook versions sell for $14.99, for a low-end difference of twenty-six cents.
Twenty-six cents.
Does anyone at Little, Brown and Company have any sense? Who approved this? Seriously.
Connelly’s novel is currently at # 4 at Nook and # 12 at Amazon, so it’s not exactly the death knell. But readers are angry.
Book buyers understand the difference in costs and delivery between the two media. In this model, the expense of the hardback is shifted toward the digital reader. Sure, the ebook is available sooner, but it’s a matter of principle to readers. Here’s an example from a Kindle reviewer:
“I notice that some people have a problem with reviewers commenting on the Kindle price for this book and others. Turns out that this is the only real forum for readers and fans to let the author and his publisher to know how much we despise this practice. There is no legitimate justification for charging prices for e-books that are higher than physical book prices. None.”
The publisher isn’t fooling anyone. We all know this move was designed to maximize profits, and readers resent it. I wonder if the decision-makers at Little, Brown and Company have any regrets. What’s a reputation worth?
Twenty-six cents.
I think this kind of Machiavellian pricing bodes well for the indie writer. I’d love your two cents on this topic. Sorry, but you had to know it was coming . . .
p.s. Photo by VisualPanic
Amazon is selling the hardcover version at a loss in a bid to eventually drive down ebook prices. Because of the agency model, publishers get to set the prices for ebooks. But when Amazon buys books wholesale, it can resell those books for any price it wants–even for no profit or at a loss. The price of Connelly’s hardcover isn’t $14.28; it’s $27.99. The ebook price doesn’t look so bad compared to that. Amazon is playing hardball to force publishers to lower ebook prices.
Right now, publishers’ attempt to keep ebook prices above $9.99 for new releases is in indie authors’ interest. But when Amazon wins (and I believe it will) and commercially published ebook prices drop, indies will lose their pricing advantage.
Hi Nancy,
I appreciate your perspective, and I agree. When NY publishers keep prices above $10, it helps indie writers. Though, helping indies is not their primary objective. But I don’t think anyone perceives the value of Connelly’s hardcover book as $27.99, not when it’s readily available for almost half that price.
Thanks for your comments!
It devalues the rating system. Between the 5 star reviews–often written by friends or people who get free copies of the book–and the 1 star reviews that have nothing to do with the content of the book, the rating system is becoming a joke. Not to mention people can review and rate a book without ever buying it or reading it.
I agree eBooks should be cheaper than the equivalent DTB edition. And I agree publishers should figure it out.
I think readers are getting used to tossing out the 5 and 1 star reviews and paying attention to the ones in the middle where it is obvious the person writing the review read the book.
I also suspect that the number of ratings (good or BAD) drive up the Amazon ranking of the book. So I think the ranking of this book probably ROSE as a result of all the 1 star reviews.
Hi Mike,
You’re probably right about the overall traffic driving sales. I enjoy Connelly’s writing, plus he’s got the Castle gig, so the man has a platform. I think we would have heard less fuss if the ebook were any cents lower. It becomes a sticking point for people when it clearly subsidizes the print version. Thanks!
It does make me happy that I can price my novels at $2.99 and still make enough of a profit for it to be worthwhile. Heck, some indies are even making it big selling ebooks for $0.99.
You do feel bad for the authors getting these one-star reviews based on the price of their ebooks though. It’s not as if they have any say, when they’re publishing through traditional avenues.
~Lindsay
P.S. Thanks for adding a link to my blog!
Hi Lindsay,
I agree. The review should be based on the merit of the work, but readers will voice their opinion. It’s like trying to stop a leak, the water finds a way . . .
Thanks for stopping by! My pleasure on the link. Take care.