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Book Prices


Ghost

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I usually use Play, and nowadays I can buy a book for €6 or less. The almost new sections sometimes harbours €4 bargains. It is not even worth the fuel to go to the library (and the traffic jams, parking problems, etc, twice when returning the book as well, when for that price I get it delivered to my door).

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I tend to do all my buying on the net...amazon...play...abebooks...even ebay, if I decide to buy from Waterstones I will sometimes order from their website (it's cheaper) and have it delivered to me free in store...easy for me as i work in central bristol Asda were recenly promoting their top books at 2 for

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Book prices over here tend to be insane in general. New releases in particular are more than just a little expensive. On topic, though, I didn't really notice any increase in book prices until I was re-arranging my bookshelf the other day and noticed that one of the Terry Pratchetts I bought a few years ago still carried its price tag - the difference between what I paid back then and what I would pay now was a bit unsettling...

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The big change in the uk happened some 15 years ago (was it really that long ago) and all of a sudden books were being reduced in price...the competition really hotted up when supermarkets started to sell, and of course with their buying power books were soon being sold at half the publishers price.......great for the buyer maybe not so good for the author

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Or the publisher come to that - whose own profits must halved during that time. The abolition of the net book agreement has had huge ramnifications for the the industry as a whole - like you say, book sellers face increased competition from the Internet and supermarkets, while publishers are forced to give greater and greater discounts. In the meantime, the author suffers, being forced to take a huge cut in royalties, with advances in some cases cut by almost two thirds. No wonder so many choose to self publish. That though brings its own set of challenges ...

Edited by Talisman
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For the readers, it is a good thing. Where before I could afford to buy a book a month, for example, I can now buy two. For new authors it should have its positive side too - I am more likely to buy a € 4 book by an author I have never read, than a € 15 one. And I believe the theory of supply and demand holds in the book market too - a popular author would sell x amounts of his/her new book at the price of y, but if y is reduced, x should increase.

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locally, book prices are too expensive, especially when you consider that sites such as PLay, Book Depository and other online bookshops have a wider variety of titles, at a much cheaper price. unfortunately online shopping detracts form the experience of browsing a bookshop to find that perfect book... however, seeing the cost savings, I console myself by buying 2 instead of one :D

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Find one of the Pound Stores (or whatever they're named in your area - there's a whole bunch of them) and rake around to see if they stock any books. I picked up Autumn Of The Moguls by Michael Wolff and Creating The Digital Future by Albert Yu for

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  • 4 months later...

I do think the RRP for books is getting a bit high nowadays thats why i try to aviod going to the supermarket or bookstore for my books (unless they have an offer on) I just usually buy them all on amazon. Although Tesco had a BOGOF offer on where i bought 6 books haha

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Find one of the Pound Stores (or whatever they're named in your area - there's a whole bunch of them) and rake around to see if they stock any books...

I often pop into our pund shops to have a rummage and often come out with several hardbacks at a quid each - bargain! And you know what? They make great stocking fillers at Xmas - I got everyone an extra hardback book for Xmas last year for minimal cost. It meant I could spend more on other things making the gifts special without going overboard. I'll do the same this year - I stock up when I see good or pretty books for cheap prices and hoard them all as extra birthday and Xmas gifts! I have about a dozen or so sitting in my cupbaord at the moment, all waiting to be given to people...

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  • 1 year later...
  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...

books are a great thing, easy to pick up in charity shops for 75p each, have also found out that some boot sales sell them cheap.

would like to get educated as to books values and such, might be a good idea to learn it all and set up a business, I have read some of the harry potters a couple years back, had a collection of all five, off my aunty, but have lost 4 of them.

 

Books are much cheaper then ipods/iphones and pc's, but some people prefer to use technology and all, being a young adault these days people do tend to prefer things like it, also noticed how much cheaper books are on amazon, then the kindle download versions.

 

That said id rather a book infront of my eyes before going to bed, find it relaxs you, and is a good detox, before going to sleep.

Right now I'm strugling to sell a phrases book from 1950-1958, Lol, seems book empire is a hard one to learn.

Anyone know of where to start looking or what to start reading?

 

Keen business woman, and enturponer, haha :).

 

Thanks

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I haven't paid full price for a book in ages. I'd consider it if I could trust authors to actually use the characters they put into crime novels as opposed to just plucking someone from thin air at the end . Ah now page 400 erm It was a guy down the road wot dunnit.

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I don't have an issue paying for quality, it's the same as everything else surely? Authors work bloody hard so I think they deserve as much of the royalties as possible.Think about how much footballers make compared to a writer!! It just doesn't seem to make much sense to me!

 

I suppose the Kindle has created problems too?

 

Andie P x

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I wish there were more readers like you Andie !

 

Piracy issues aside, most authors prefer Kindle, as with self published books in particular, you can earn royalties of up to 70 percent as opposed to nearer 10 percent (if you are lucky) on a paper book. Kindle books are also cheaper to produce (no cover designer and no print costs and wholesaler fees to pay). Plus the fact that they are also not returnable, so you know that will not be lumbered with having to buy your own books back from greedy wholesalers and book shops if they order too many and don't sell them.

 

Another big plus is that they are for the most part not lendable, meaning that if you want a copy you have to buy it. I estimate that I lost out quite a lot from so-called friends borrowing my book rather than buying it. I don't mind the odd one but I do mind when everyone does it ! If you wouldn't work for free, then I don't think you should expect an author to ...

Edited by Talisman
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Exactly Talisman, I maintain that if you want quality you have to pay for it. Everything is going up in price, people pay a fortune on going to the cinema, on DVD's, theatre trips e.t.c and I don't mind forking out £7 for a good book which will give me much more enjoyment than any of those things.

 

I've been reading about e-publishing too and how authors make more money this way, it has completely changed my view on the Kindle (as I was dead against it to begin with!) and I'm dropping so many hints to my husband I think he's close to buying me one!!!

 

Andie P x

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I've just been in the Mary Stevens Hospice shop, near to where I live and while I was quietly browsing the books they were talking about the need to drop prices because of the 2 for 1 deals and chart deals that the supermarkets run. Obviously I wish I'd been listening to my mp3 as I was trying to find some books. They were also talking about the cost of books in proper book shops, £7 or £8. What are your thoughts on charity shops like this.

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