eBooks for $200

[KyahCA]

I see tons of eBooks on the Kindle Store that cost up to $200 and I have no idea why?! What on Earth is so special in that eBook that people need to pay $200 for it?

[Bleekness]

Maybe it's the content? I used to live in Japans and while there, I had a friend who contacted me regarding a book she wanted to buy from some online vendor. The book contained a lot of kimono designs and patterns and even the history of the clothing, with plenty of pictures, priced at 25000 yen,.

She didn't know the currency exchange, and when I told her how much the thing would cost in Canadian dollars-- roughly $250-- she quickly changed her mind.

Anyway, could be that, except it's an ebook eh? Hmmm... Or something else.

[intinst]

Selected Nuclear Materials and Engineering Systems by Materials Science International Team MSIT (Kindle Edition - Feb 27, 2007) - Kindle eBook
Buy: $6,431.20
You Save:    $1,607.80

[Laura Lond]

Selected Nuclear Materials and Engineering Systems by Materials Science International Team MSIT (Kindle Edition - Feb 27, 2007) - Kindle eBook
Buy: $6,431.20
You Save:    $1,607.80

What?!?!

...And the book has a sales rank, and positive reviews.

What I don't get is how they managed to set such a price? I don't think Amazon KDP allows to go higher than $200?

[jmiked]

I don't see what the problem is. There are specialized books that might take years to research and write, and will sell only a handful of copies to people that really need that esoteric info. They aren’t intended for the casual reader who wants a vampire romance porn novel. Before I retired, I routinely bought technical books in the $500 to $1,000 range that had info that just couldn’t be obtained anywhere else.


Mike

[Krista D. Ball]

Some of my historical books (in ebook) cost between $40-60. I was tickled to plunk that down as opposed to the hundreds (plural) for the print tomes that would snap my bookshelves in half.

I'm sure that some of the engineering books in the house are well into the triple digits...

[intinst]

I don't see what the problem is. There are specialized books that might take years to research and write, and will sell only a handful of copies to people that really need that esoteric info. They aren’t intended for the casual reader who wants a vampire romance porn novel. Before I retired, I routinely bought technical books in the $500 to $1,000 range that had info that just couldn’t be obtained anywhere else.
Mike

Didn't think it was a problem or priced out of line, just pointing out that 200 dollars wasn't that high a price.

[Bethany B.]

Well I don't think the book posted is a good example but I do get your point. I always have to laugh when I see fiction that's waaaaay over priced. Forget 200. Who puts their indie ebooks up for $20? Seriously, the traditional publishers could hardly get away with it, why would they be any different. It just screams amateurish and pompous.

[Amera]

Selected Nuclear Materials and Engineering Systems by Materials Science International Team MSIT (Kindle Edition - Feb 27, 2007) - Kindle eBook
Buy: $6,431.20
You Save:    $1,607.80

Wow, clearly I am writing in the wrong genre. 

[Alain Gomez]

...And the book has a sales rank, and positive reviews.

Did you read some of the reviews lol?  I think they're jokes  :



5.0 out of 5 stars Satisfying conclusion to a thrilling series, November 5, 2009
By Mark Alexander (Central Vermont) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)  
This review is from: Selected Nuclear Materials and Engineering Systems (Kindle Edition)
I had to sell my car and take out an equity loan on my house to buy this book, but it was worth every penny. The previous volumes built to almost unbearable tension, leaving many questions unanswered. Would breeder reactors survive competition from newer technology? Would the nuclear waste problem be solved in our lifetime? Would Iran's nuclear program be stopped before it could endanger the free world? Could Diablo Canyon ever be made safe from earthquakes? Would the beautiful but annoying anti-nuclear activist (played by Jane Fonda in the TV miniseries adaptation) come around to seeing the joys and wonders of nuclear power?

These questions and many others are resolved in a denouement that is both ingenious and satisfying. I won't give away the ending, but I can say with assurance that you won't be disappointed. Highly recommended!

5.0 out of 5 stars Transcending Stereotypes, December 19, 2009
By Ultraguy (Moscow) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Selected Nuclear Materials and Engineering Systems (Kindle Edition)
I know what you're thinking : crystallographic and thermodynamic data of ternary alloy systems is a such a hackneyed plot device. But Landolt-Börnstein work their magic in such a subtle and layered way that at 3am when you are reading just one more page, you suddenly realise how they have completely turned everything on its head and produced the most breathtakingly original work. Not to mention the most spellbinding.

It is a little lightweight on the intellectual side and perhaps should be included in the tweens section, but overall well worth 5 stars. I got it before the 20% discount became available and am delighted. So it really is an absolute steal right now.

[Alain Gomez]

Oh man... the reviews are great for that book!      A highly recommended read.  I literally have tears streaming down my face from laughing.

The comments on the reviews are equally good.  I like this one:

"The chapter on Quasibinary systems has helped me to improve the way I prepare my Margaritas!"

[history_lover]

The ones I don't understand are the public domain books which are priced at like $40-50. Really? You'd have to be pretty clueless to spend that much on something you can get for free!

[Krista D. Ball]

The ones I don't understand are the public domain books which are priced at like $40-50. Really? You'd have to be pretty clueless to spend that much on something you can get for free!

Some public domain books are edited, including notations, commentary, and an introduction essay. You find this with Homer and Jane Austen a lot (those are so common that they aren't too much money), but as you progress to lesser known or more difficult translations, these editions are very handy and have always been well worth the money.

For example, Henry Stephen's Book of the Farm. I'm happy to pay $75 to have the print book shipped to me in Canada from the UK because the edition notation is outstanding.

[history_lover]

Some public domain books are edited, including notations, commentary, and an introduction essay. You find this with Homer and Jane Austen a lot (those are so common that they aren't too much money), but as you progress to lesser known or more difficult translations, these editions are very handy and have always been well worth the money.

For example, Henry Stephen's Book of the Farm. I'm happy to pay $75 to have the print book shipped to me in Canada from the UK because the edition notation is outstanding.

These don't appear to have anything additional though - they're the kind with just a plain, generic green/black cover, no description and no additional authors. Just go to the historical fiction section of Kindle and sort by Price: High to Low:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_n_9?rh=n%3A133140011%2Cn%3A%21133141011%2Cn%3A154606011%2Cn%3A157028011%2Cn%3A157059011&bbn=157028011&ie=UTF8&qid=1307434292&rnid=157028011#/ref=sr_st?bbn=157028011&qid=1307434299&rh=n%3A133140011%2Cn%3A!133141011%2Cn%3A154606011%2Cn%3A157028011%2Cn%3A157059011&sort=-price

With the except of the top one, the rest are all public domain books with seemingly nothing additional and they all cost $40+ when there are free versions available. In fact, I just sent myself a sample of one of them to see if there was any additional material and there't not. The TOC isn't even clickable.

[Tara Maya]

Price is based on the intended audience, cost of research in writing the book, and expected number of sales. The second most expensive books expect to sell to university libraries. The most expensive sell to corporations.

Books that sell to corporations probably aren't looking for a lot of buyers, but the academic books are hurting their authors at those prices. Ordinary students would buy the books if they were reasonably priced, not just check them out from libraries. But what grad student can afford $200 books? It's ridiculous.

[deckard]

Books that sell to corporations probably aren't looking for a lot of buyers, but the academic books are hurting their authors at those prices. Ordinary students would buy the books if they were reasonably priced, not just check them out from libraries. But what grad student can afford $200 books? It's ridiculous.

I teach in a medical program in a medical school and we have required textbooks that routinely cost $200 or more. Since all the students have access to the electronic library resources, we often assign textbooks that are available through the e-library. There are times that a text better suited is not available through the e-library.

Also, as an author of several book chapters in a published medical book, I can say for a fact that the authors and editors are not paid adequately for their contribution. I received $25 for each of two book chapters. The ones that make out are the publishers. Think about it-----Why is there a new edition of textbooks mathematics and literature every few years?

Just my passing thoughts.