So I was having a mini Twitter conversation with Greg over at The New Dork Review of Books about Ken Follett’s new book, Winter of the World coming out on Tuesday. Here’s the gist:
- Greg: And here we go again. Already an idiot leaving a one-star review on Follett’s new book to complain about its price: link
- Julz: Major pet peeve! I wrote a piece on that issue but that was before I had a blog.
- Julz: Ah, here it is. Can’t believe that was 2 years ago! (Link)
- Greg: I actually just remembered I did one, too!
(Link)
Here’s what I originally wrote in November, 2010, which just illustrates what’s already happening with Kindle vs. Hardcover pricing on Amazon for Follett’s newest installation to his trilogy:
So I’m about a quarter of the way through the highly anticipated Ken Follett novel, Fall of Giants, and I have discovered a world of discontent in Amazon-land. Scenario: Amazon discounted the price of the $36 hardcover to $18. The publisher lists the Kindle version at $19.99 based on recent negotiations between Penguin and Amazon. People are irate at the outrageous e-book price and are taking it out on the author by posting negative one-star reviews in an effort to encourage the publisher to lower the Kindle price. They call this a boycott, I call it unfair.
With the growing popularity of Amazon’s e-reader and recent disputes with publishers regarding pricing, there have been many changes in the digital world. One example is that when viewing the product page for Fall of Giants on Amazon, the product references both the hardcover and the digital version. Therefore, when someone gripes about the Kindle price, their complaint is also reflected on the hardcover version and vice-a-versa. These negative reviews are instigating hard feelings from serious reviewers who believe a book should be judged on the merit of its content, not something the author has no control over. There are claims that the publisher is raising prices of digital content to boost physical book sales. There are malicious comments being posted against reviewers making a statement about the price. It’s only going to get uglier.
I agree that the product review page should be for content, not for blatant sabotage of what to me, so far, is a great book. I am not a Kindle owner, nor do I plan to be an e-book reader, but I have always tried to stay informed of advances in digitalization of literature. This is the first time I have been truly disappointed at the way things are headed. If praiseworthy books are getting slandered because of publishers pricing, something needs to change. Whether Amazon makes a distinction in product pages of book versus e-book or publishers learn from comments and reviews, these attempted boycotts will cause nothing but hard feelings. v
It’s exhausting, it’s happening more and more often. Greg makes some valid points, too. Here’s a few snippets:
…As the NY Times piece points out, you’re not paying for the printing and paper when you a buy a book (and avoiding that cost when you buy an e-book), you’re paying for a creative work, as well as the editing, marketing and other overhead required to put it out into the marketplace…
…So, if you’ll follow me on a bit of a stretch scenario, not only is this practice stupid, it is also totally counterproductive. If book sales decrease, publishers will have to raise all prices, e-book included, further to stay in business and then NO ONE WINS!…
…So, as someone who strongly believes in the integrity of book reviews, I’d urge you to pay these vocal idiots no mind. Continue to click the “No” under the “Was this review helpful?” and I’ll continue to petition Amazon and B&N to have reviews that have nothing to do with the content removed from their site…
What do you think of these unfair reviewing practices?
Comments on: "Controversy!" (6)
No one should write a negative review of a book simply because of the price, but I don’t think boycotting overpriced books will create the doomsday scenario you and Greg suggest (where “NO ONE WINS!”). Greg’s point is based on two assumptions that I don’t agree with. The first assumption is that only traditionally published books can be good. Even if we assume that traditional publishers drive themselves to extinction with higher prices, the end result will not be the total disappearance of good works, but rather, those same authors publishing their works independently and making it available at a lower price. Second, Greg’s argument assumes that publishers, faced with declining sales, have no choice but to raise prices. Rather, given what we know about the popularity of cheap books, the publishers could do even better by lowering their price on the ebook and thereby increase demand, potentially to the point of a higher overall profit. So, instead of selling 10,000 copies at $12.99 a book, they sell 100,000 copies at $3.99 for the same production cost.
You’re right, the doomsday scenario is overstated. But your second point assumes that people buy books ONLY because of price, and not because of how good they are, who the author is, etc. I’ve never once bought a discounted book only because it was cheaper. So your scenario about reducing the cost and there being a corresponding 1000 percent jump in sales, I’m guessing, wouldn’t come close to bearing out in the real world.
Thanks for responding. I see the economics differently from you: I don’t think people have a simple yes/no on a book based solely on how good they think it is or on how expensive it is, I think most people weigh their feelings of how good the book will be against the cost. Thus, for every book, there are (a) some people who will buy it at $20 or more; (b) some more people who will buy it at $10 or more; (c) even more people who will buy it at $5; (d) a whole bunch of people who will buy it at $1.
The aim of the publisher or author is to try to find the price that maximizes revenue. Take a look at the top selling Kindle books: the top seller, an indie book by Samantha Young, is $3.99. Stephanie Bond, another indie author, has her debut book on the best seller list for $0.99. I think both realize that charging a higher price would end up in lower revenues because it would dissuade potential readers from buying it.
Even the big publishers recognize that lowering the price can result in more than enough extra readers to make up for the lower price, and thus higher revenue. The Fifty Shades of Grey books have a huge marketing presence behind them, and yet they’re not $20, they’re $10, because that gets more people to buy them. The Hunger Games books also have a huge marketing presence, and yet they’re just $5 or $6.
Any author who thinks they can create a debut best seller that costs more than proven-winners like The Hunger Games and Fifty Shades of Grey is dreaming. Their best bet is to do exactly like Young and Bond did: cut the price, and thus get more of the (b), (c), and (d) readers I identified above.
Valid point, but cost itself is a whole other argument and about 5 additional ranting blog post. I just don’t like the turds who give one star reviews based on a pricing dispute between Ammy and pubs.
I agree that no one should give a one star review because of the price alone (although I will say that readers may be more inclined to dislike a book–because they had higher expectations of quality–when a book is exorbitantly priced), but I think it makes perfect sense for readers to boycott books that are priced too high. As I explained above, I do not think a decrease in sales of traditionally published books will result in a situation where “no one wins,” contrary to Greg’s argument. I think authors and readers would be better off, and even publishing houses could make a profit by increasing demand with less expensive books.
If there was something that said that everyone should be reviewing both the book and the price, ok, but a “review” that is basically a rant about the price isn’t helpful for anyone, and surely it’d be better to create a petition against ebook prices than use review space. A petition might be just as pointless but the placing of it as a petition would make sense. Though as AMB suggests above, price can make you dislike a book more – if you don’t like the book and it was extremely expensive, and especially if dislike is common, then what have you paid for? In that way saying something is overpriced is helpful. But yes, just not in a review.