eBooks

[Bobbie Crawford-McCoy]

In your opinion, should authors automatically offer eBook formats of their books for sale? Aren't eBooks essential in this day in age?

We know that most readers like to have options and eBooks, because there are no page limits, can include extra/bonus content that would be prohibitively expensive in print versions of the same book.

What are the benefits of eBook publishing?

What are the drawbacks of eBook publishing?

 

 

 

 

[Sheila Hendrix]

I do believe that authors need to have an ebook option these days. With ereaders like nook and kindle you'll be making a mistake if you don't. A lot of people are using ereaders instead of buying books so I think it's important for everyone to offer they're book in every way possible.

[Bobbie Crawford-McCoy]

What about eBook selling prices? There are many self-published authors who are selling their eBooks at $1.00 to $5.00 each and doing quite well.

If you set the price much higher than $5.00/eBook, do you think or do know from experience that it can have a negative impact on eBook sales?

[Jaidis Shaw]

I definitely think that having a lower price for ebooks is better. I know I have seen prices for ebooks that are 12.99 or higher and for that price, I'd much rather buy the print copy. Having ebooks be cheaper allows me to read it, see if I like it and then buy the print at normal price if I enjoyed the book.

[Bobbie Crawford-McCoy]

Also --- what is your opinion on giving away free eBooks as a marketing strategy? If you give away the first book in a series, could it increase sales for the rest of the series (assuming that the rest of the books in the series are already published)?

OR --- by lowering the price of the first ebook in a series, to something like a $1.00 per eBook copy, would you have a better chance of getting readers hooked into buying the remainder of the series?

What are your thoughts?

[Jaidis Shaw]

I do think by having the first book in the series offered for a lower price, or free, that it could potentially increase interest in the remaining books in the series. It could also help get renewed interest in the series if sales have started to drop after the book has been on the market for awhile

[Bobbie Crawford-McCoy]

Do you add extra, bonus, content to your eBooks? If not, you should give it some serious consideration. Bonus content is a fantastic selling feature and readers usually love to read deleted scenes from the book, alternate endings, etc.

You can include any illustrations and/or some book covers that didn’t make the cut.

Tip: Don't raise the price of the eBook when you add bonus content.

[Jaidis Shaw]

I agree about the bonus material. It is the same reason why people will buy collector's editions of movies and such so that they can experience the movie from a different view, see deleted scenes etc. I think the same goes for books :)

[Annabel xxx]

I love holding a book in my hand, turning the pages and the smell a book has. But I do own an e-reader and I love my e-reader! You can take it anywhere without your bag getting really heavy and you have a lot of books with you so you can choose what you're going to read.

But the prices are sometimes higher than a normal book, and that's what holds me back if I have to pay 10$ for an e-book and only 6$ for a normal book I'll choose the cheapest option! I do think e-books are a bit pricey sometimes.

[Jennifer Shirk]

I'm very disappointed when some books I want aren't available on ebook. I like the convenience of them--as well as the price. :)

[Rainy Dark]

In your opinion, should authors automatically offer eBook formats of their books for sale? Aren't eBooks essential in this day in age?

I think any author who doesn't offer ebook formats for their book(s) are turning down not only a viable source of sales, but limiting the choices of their readers. The only exception I see to this would be photograph collections, such as coffee table books. While e-readers are starting to handle color much better, it may not be worth the author's effort to digitalize a book of photos.


What are the benefits of eBook publishing?

Numerous: easier, can be less expensive, saves trees (yey!).


What are the drawbacks of eBook publishing?

As a whole, humans love the tangible. I don't believe ebooks are ever going to make print books completely obsolete.


What about eBook selling prices?

This is a great source of debate, and depends on several variables. For example, if the book is printed through a traditional publisher, the writer receives royalties. So, by lowering the price of the ebook, the author is losing out on money. However, I don't think readers are all that keen on spending the same amount on ebooks as a printed book (again, it's that tangible thing). This can be more easily fixed, and justified, by self-published books as the cost of the ebook is likely to be less to the author. In traditional print, the author would have to choose to make less money from each sale. This could be in their advantage, because more readers may be inclined to purchase it.


Also --- what is your opinion on giving away free eBooks as a marketing strategy? If you give away the first book in a series, could it increase sales for the rest of the series (assuming that the rest of the books in the series are already published)?

I definitely think, and have read cases about, offering the first in a series for free can lead to a larger fan base. However, one thing I think an author should be careful concerning this, is that the rest of the books are just as good as the first. I know that seems odd, but we've all heard of the "debut" book--that great work that the author has labored over. It usually gets the most amount of attention from the author. Now give away that gem, and charge for one that was a little less pampered, and see how happy those readers become.

OR --- by lowering the price of the first ebook in a series, to something like a $1.00 per eBook copy, would you have a better chance of getting readers hooked into buying the remainder of the series?

Same as above.

Do you add extra, bonus, content to your eBooks? If not, you should give it some serious consideration. Bonus content is a fantastic selling feature and readers usually love to read deleted scenes from the book, alternate endings, etc. You can include any illustrations and/or some book covers that didn’t make the cut.

I haven't published any ebooks (yet :) ) but I love those ideas. You could also include a short side story, like a scene from a favorite secondary character's life. If you can tie it into the main novel somehow, even better.

If I'm incorrect on any of my above understandings, especially on the ebook selling prices, please let me know :) I'm greatly interested in the ebook concept and have been trying to learn a lot more about it (love my Nook lol). I also wonder, when working with a traditional publisher, who sets the price of the ebook? Can the author actually request the price to be lower?

Thanks for posing these great questions, Bobbie :)

//Rainy

[Majanka Verstraete]

In your opinion, should authors automatically offer eBook formats of their books for sale? Aren't eBooks essential in this day in age?

Authors who don't offer eBook formats of their novels are probably missing out on a lot. A lot of readers prefer eBooks over printed books, not only because it's a cheaper option, but also because it's easier if you have a Kindle or Nook, or any other type of e-reader. For some authors it's an important source of income - and I imagine it's cheaper to produce for self-published authors than printed copies.

What are the benefits of eBook publishing?

Less expensive, no shipping fees, the way of the future.


What are the drawbacks of eBook publishing?

Personally, I am not that fond of eBooks. I don't own a Kindle or Nook or any type of e-reader, which forces me to read eBooks using Adobe Digital Editions on my computer. This hurts my eyes a lot after reading for longer than an hour, and it's also not as convenient as a printed copy. Printed copies you can drag along everywhere - you can read it before going to bed, on the train to work, etc. No such luck with digital copies if you're not the owner of an e-reader. I'm also still very much convinced that there's something special about holding a novel in your hand, skimming through the pages, that can never be completely replaced by reading the same novel on an e-reader.


What about eBook selling prices?

They should be low. Between $1.00-$3.00 is quite enough, in my opinion. Personally I wouldn't pay more for an eBook, and I know a lot of people think the way I do regarding this topic. Why? Well firstly because you don't actually get to hold the book in your hand - it's digital, and people tend to pay less for the things they own digitally than the things they own "in real life", and can actually touch. This isn't only for books, but also for other things: cds vs. songs downloaded online, actual movies vs. movies you can download, etc.


Also --- what is your opinion on giving away free eBooks as a marketing strategy? If you give away the first book in a series, could it increase sales for the rest of the series (assuming that the rest of the books in the series are already published)?

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, it might encourage people to read the first novel in the series, and then like it enough to buy the other parts. On the other hand, it might be a dangerous move. People tend not to trust things they get for free. The thinking process goes somewhat like this: "It's free? Wow, then it must suck." Personally I think lowering the price for the first novel in the series would be a better move. However, this strategy has worked for some authors, so it's always worth a shot.

OR --- by lowering the price of the first ebook in a series, to something like a $1.00 per eBook copy, would you have a better chance of getting readers hooked into buying the remainder of the series?

As I said, in my opinion you will have a better chance this way.

Do you add extra, bonus, content to your eBooks? If not, you should give it some serious consideration. Bonus content is a fantastic selling feature and readers usually love to read deleted scenes from the book, alternate endings, etc. You can include any illustrations and/or some book covers that didn’t make the cut.

I have read my fair share of eBooks, so far none with additional content - I find more of the bonus content in the printed copies, for example they often offer chapters of the next novel in the series - but it is a nice idea. You could add whatever you want, although personally I never really was a fan of 'deleted scenes'. But everyone has their own opinion regarding that.


In short, in my opinion eBooks shouldn't cost more than $5.00. I might be a bit biased, because I haven't bought any eBook before in my life yet, nor am I planning too (I rather pay a bit extra to hold an actual novel in my hands), but I have read my fair share of digital ARCs, on which I'm mostly basing my opinion. I do think e-readers have lowered the "grand step to being published" for self-published authors, because it's a cheaper option than self-publishing printed copies.

Thanks for the questions! It was a nice topic to think about!

[Bobbie Crawford-McCoy]

Are eBooks going to all but replace print books? They are cheaper, easier to store and transport...