Wednesday, February 10, 2010
How much is it worth?
People who read books on Kindle tend to be older adults, including many retired people who are notorious for seeking bargains. Now several publishers have decided to charge more for their e-books than the $9.99 price that has been established on Kindle. According to the N.Y. Times, many furious consumers are leaving nasty evaluations on amazon.com's website and sometimes declaring they will never buy another e-book. This rebellion may not seem to have much to do with children's books, but young people are the next big target audience for many e-book publishers. The imminent appearance of the iPad will make many parents eager to let their children experience books on the brilliant screen. How much will they pay? That's hard to say. Very few parents buy hardcover picture books for children. Can they be lured into buying the e-book version if the price is right? And what about somewhat older children who are fans of the inexpensive paperback series books. How will they be priced? What is the actual cost of producing an e-book? No one knows for sure. The industry is in turmoil now and librarians will have to keep their eyes open to see what is coming next.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I find it hard to believe that parents would rather buy paperback than hardback picture books. I don't even have a baby yet and I am already amassing a list of titles that are a must. I also can't imagine purchasing e-books for my children. I don't have room to talk, since I have only checked them out for myself and have never purchased any. I like having the convenience of having something small for educational purposes and reading in line, but other than that I prefer the real thing. I rarely read books twice because I feel like there are so many books out there I might be missing one if I spend my time rereading, so I usually check out or donate what has been purchased or given as a gift. I will reread for a child's benefit though. I like e-books because they offer another form of media, but its not for me.
ReplyDeleteFunny, I always thought picture books would be the last to go electronic. They're such a tactile experience, even more than regular books (which I also think are tactile). Can you imagine cuddling up with your little one over a screen? Just not the same. Or that urge they always get to turn the page for you...Instead they'll be pressing "Next," I guess.
ReplyDelete