I’m sure you’ve see the “shaming” post about the customer that emailed an indie writer to complain that she shouldn’t have to pay for books, and asking her to make future releases free. I think my indie peers have adequately addressed the issue of the time, effort, and personal expense we writers put into creating and making our work available to readers. Frankly, there are things I don’t think I should have to pay for – Internet, telephone, and television service top that list. But today, I’d like to use this blog to address a different issue this has brought to mind. To get you in the right mindset for it, let me ask you a question:
Have you gone to a bookstore lately?
I’m not talking about second-hand bookstores, or perusing the shelves in Walmart or other stores. Have you actually walked in a Barnes & Noble or a Books-A-Million to see how much they’re charging for books in store? Drop by one soon if you haven’t, and you’ll understand why so many people have gone to ebooks lately. The price of paperbacks and hardbacks has skyrocketed in the past few years. I went to buy a copy of a Joyce Meyer book last summer and got absolute sticker shock when I saw that they wanted over $20 for one of her books! Needless to say, I put it down, went home, and bought the ebook version for what a new releaseused to cost.
The truth is that it’s the traditional publishing market that’s bilking readers. They can cry about the cost of paper all they want, but there’s simply no reason why their books should cost as much as they do. Indie authors are advised to offer their books between $0.99 - $2.99, because that is a reasonable price point for an ebook that cost nothing to publish (all of the cost we invest are in proofreading, cover art, and publicity). Plus, there are countless titles offered for free – granted, most of them are Book 1 of a series, but when was the last time you saw that offer in a bookstore, or from one of the big publishers? Oh that’s right, you don’t.
The truth is that the traditional publishing industry is dwindling. I don’t think it will ever die, but the indie market is on the rise, and readers are starting to realize that there’s merit in it. If you want a balance to be established, you need to support it properly not by whining about how much it costs, but by realizing and supporting the fact that we indie authors are trying to establish reason and fairness in an industry that desperately needs to be brought fully into the twenty first century.
That’s all today. Take care, and have a great week.
Bye!
Have you gone to a bookstore lately?
I’m not talking about second-hand bookstores, or perusing the shelves in Walmart or other stores. Have you actually walked in a Barnes & Noble or a Books-A-Million to see how much they’re charging for books in store? Drop by one soon if you haven’t, and you’ll understand why so many people have gone to ebooks lately. The price of paperbacks and hardbacks has skyrocketed in the past few years. I went to buy a copy of a Joyce Meyer book last summer and got absolute sticker shock when I saw that they wanted over $20 for one of her books! Needless to say, I put it down, went home, and bought the ebook version for what a new releaseused to cost.
The truth is that it’s the traditional publishing market that’s bilking readers. They can cry about the cost of paper all they want, but there’s simply no reason why their books should cost as much as they do. Indie authors are advised to offer their books between $0.99 - $2.99, because that is a reasonable price point for an ebook that cost nothing to publish (all of the cost we invest are in proofreading, cover art, and publicity). Plus, there are countless titles offered for free – granted, most of them are Book 1 of a series, but when was the last time you saw that offer in a bookstore, or from one of the big publishers? Oh that’s right, you don’t.
The truth is that the traditional publishing industry is dwindling. I don’t think it will ever die, but the indie market is on the rise, and readers are starting to realize that there’s merit in it. If you want a balance to be established, you need to support it properly not by whining about how much it costs, but by realizing and supporting the fact that we indie authors are trying to establish reason and fairness in an industry that desperately needs to be brought fully into the twenty first century.
That’s all today. Take care, and have a great week.
Bye!
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