What the Heck Is Going On with Paperback Books???

[Jemima]

For roughly the third time in the past two months, paperback books I've wanted to buy have been priced at really outrageous prices while the hardback version is much cheaper. Right now I'm looking at an example on Amazon: V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton, one of the Kinsey Millhone detective series. The paperback is $47.75, while the hardback is $15.98. This has happened with two others authors of the same genre. One paperback by Elizabeth George was advertised for sale at a very high price and then suddenly became unavailable except for a few used copies.

Please note that I prefer paperbacks because of problems with hand pain, not because they are usually cheaper.

Anyone know what's going on here? Is this some sort of really whacko marketing technique?

[ApatheticNoMore]

Possibly they are rare? Books fall out of publication and that's when you see the ridiculous costs I think.

[razz]

The publishing industry is undergoing a huge turbulence largely due to the increase in ebooks. They are trying to recover their costs since the ebook prices are so low but so much of the administration is still required. One article that I read said that the publishing industry is going through the same shakeup as the music and movie industry have gone through.

Libraries are suddenly being required to pay up to 700% increase in cost of a new book, if they can access it at all, compared to last fall. Libraries now need to purchase a hard cover, a paperback, an audio book and an ebook of one new book but on the same budget as before. Lots of stress.

[JaneV2.0]

It looks like you can get it at Powell's for eight bucks:
http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780425250563-0
I think the "mass market" descriptor refers to the paperback version.

[bunnys]

The publishing industry is undergoing a huge turbulence largely due to the increase in ebooks. They are trying to recover their costs since the ebook prices are so low but so much of the administration is still required. One article that I read said that the publishing industry is going through the same shakeup as the music and movie industry have gone through.

Libraries are suddenly being required to pay up to 700% increase in cost of a new book, if they can access it at all, compared to last fall. Libraries now need to purchase a hard cover, a paperback, an audio book and an ebook of one new book but on the same budget as before. Lots of stress.

That was my first guess, too. Although I haven't read anything about this. I would think ebooks would be much cheaper because they are much cheaper. No printing costs.

[Jemima]

Possibly they are rare? Books fall out of publication and that's when you see the ridiculous costs I think.

I understand that, but these are books by very popular authors that were published within the past six months. There should be thousands of them out there. It's really bizarre.

[Jemima]

The publishing industry is undergoing a huge turbulence largely due to the increase in ebooks. They are trying to recover their costs since the ebook prices are so low but so much of the administration is still required. One article that I read said that the publishing industry is going through the same shakeup as the music and movie industry have gone through.

Libraries are suddenly being required to pay up to 700% increase in cost of a new book, if they can access it at all, compared to last fall. Libraries now need to purchase a hard cover, a paperback, an audio book and an ebook of one new book but on the same budget as before. Lots of stress.

Whoa. That explains why my library has very few ebooks. Some publishers are setting the ebook price at the same cost of the paperback, I've noticed.

[Jemima]

It looks like you can get it at Powell's for eight bucks:
http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780425250563-0
I think the "mass market" descriptor refers to the paperback version.

Ah. Thank you, Jane. It looks like I just have to wait a bit longer to get the paperback at a reasonable price.

[ToomuchStuff]

When some of the hardbacks I have looked at, come back into print, the prices go down, while the older paperbacks (out of print) go up. There is one book that is supposed to be coming back out around November, but the current price is around $180 and I am NOT paying that.
I tend to go for used (whatever is cheaper) as I haven't switched to ebooks, since they actually cost more then used books and cost less to publish (not to get into other rights issues).

[iris lily]

That was my first guess, too. Although I haven't read anything about this. I would think ebooks would be much cheaper because they are much cheaper. No printing costs.

If only.

A typical print bestseller lists at $27.95.

A typical eboook costs $83.00 and this is for a copy that has a no-simultaneous-use restriction.