The cost of the written word in the Digital Age



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Well, it seems everyone and their dog really did get an e-reader for Christmas this past year. Not only did computer servers start crying as people downloaded their ebooks, so did all those physical books that found themselves staying on the shelf.

Publishers Weekly reported on the sales figures released by the Association of American Publishers, which saw a whopping 115.8% increase in ebook sales in January, resulting in almost $70 million, beating out hardcover books and mass markets paperbacks. The little books that gave birth to a literary boom in the past century seem to be dying out, as publishers opt for the bigger (and more expensive) trade paperbacks, the only book category that beat ebooks dollar-wise with $83.4 million sold.

I think now is a good time to bring up the whole 'race to the bottom' mentality, as far as ebook pricing is concerned. The willingness to read books digitally is obviously there. The 115.8% increase was a reflection of the money spent on ebooks, not the actual number of units sold. I'd like to know what that number was. There probably aren't enough zeroes on the number line, especially if they factor in the free books that were downloaded.

However, considering most ebooks are $5-$10-$15 cheaper than their physical counterparts, it's no wonder that publishers will continue to cling to physical books. Even if they only sell half as many paperbacks as ebooks, if the book cost three times more, they make a greater profit.

My concern then, is that ebooks are really selling themselves short, both metaphorically and literally, especially when it comes to self-published authors. The popular opinion when it comes to paying for ebooks is that because I'm not buying a physical book when purchasing an ebook, then I shouldn't be paying as much for it. Or much for it at all, really. This ties into the whole "if it's on the internet, it's free" way of thinking (which is completely wrong, of course). This willingness to price ebooks at a dirt cheap level is sad. Are you telling me that a cup of coffee is worth more than the blood, sweat and tears some writer put into writing their masterpiece?

As a reader, I value the words more than the page when I'm reading a book (digital and physical). When I buy a book, I'm paying for the content, the story that this author has written for me to read. Not the paper, the cardboard or the glue. Sure the publisher is charging me for those things, but to me the words are totally worth it, especially when it's a really good book.

The music industry has got it right. Even after the digital demise of CDs, artists still charge their listeners at a reasonable and, more importantly, a respectable price. The average price of an album on iTunes put out by major labels and indie artists alike is $9.99. The average price of a CD in the store? Only a few dollars more. Musicians charge consumers for their content, for the effort and time they spent to make the songs that people listen to.  

Ebooks shouldn't have to whore themselves out, selling thousands of words for pennies, just because people don't want to pay as much for a book that doesn't include paper.