Empirical data for publishers (long, contains lists) (kindlekorner post)

Today is payday. I went shopping at Amazon.

Here is a list of the kindle books I did NOT buy today by publisher, then author, title, kindle price, paper price, notes and year of copyright. The books without a paper price are those that would have been repurchases of books I have previously paid for in hardcover, paperback or both and was NOT willing to spend yet another $9.89 or more on a digital repurchase. The cover price of some of my original purchases ranged from $1.95 to $5.99. Most of these books were on my Amazon recommendations list and I clicked on the item page and decided NOT to buy. One was on the kindle front page; I clicked and decided not to buy it based on the price.

Harper Collins
Ariely, Dan Predictably Irrational $9.99 $9.35 (June 2009)
Chase, Loretta Lord of Scoundrels $6.99 $6.99 (1995)
Chase, Loretta Not Quite a Lady $6.99 $6.99 (2007)
Chase, Loretta Don't Tempt Me $6.99 $6.99 (2009)
Chase, Loretta Your Scandalous Ways $6.99 $6.99 (2008)

Macmillan
Asimov, Isaac The End of Eternity $11.99 (would be repurchase) (1955)
Asimov, Isaac The Stars, Like Dust $9.99 (would be repurchase) (1950)
Asimov, Isaac The Currents of Space $10.99 (would be repurchase) (1952)
Asimov, Isaac Pebble in the Sky $9.99 (would be repurchase) (1950)
Beck, Jessica Glazed Murder $7.99 $7.99 (I have never read this author) (April 2010)
Card, Orson Scott Ender's Game $5.99 $5.99 (would be repurchase) (1985)
Card, Orson Scott Ender's Shadow $5.99 $5.99 (would be repurchase) (1999)
Card, Orson Scott Speaker for the Dead $7.99 $7.99 (would be repurchase) (1986)
Card, Orson Scott Shadow of the Giant $7.99 $7.99 (would be repurchase) (2005)
Card, Orson Scott Shadow of the Hegemon $7.99 $7.99 (would be repurchase) (2001)
Card, Orson Scott Xenocide $7.99 $7.99 (would be repurchase) (1991)
Card, Orson Scott Children of the Mind $7.99 $7.99 (would be repurchase) (1996)
Card, Orson Scott Heartfire $7.99 $7.99 (would be repurchase) (1998)
Card, Orson Scott Songmaster $9.99 (would be repurchase) (1979)
Heinlein, Robert A Space Cadet $9.99 (would be repurchase) (1948,75)
Zelvin, Elizabeth Death Will Get You Sober $10.99 $23.95 (I have never read this author)(April 2008)

Bantam
Stout, Rex Where There's a Will $9.99 (would be repurchase) (1940)
Stout, Rex The League of Frightened Men $9.99 (would be repurchase) (1935)
Stout, Rex Before Midnight $9.89 (would be repurchase) (1955)
Stout, Rex The Father Hunt $9.89 (would be repurchase) (1968)
Stout, Rex Might as Well be Dead $9.89 (would be repurchase) (1956)
Stout, Rex The Final Deduction $9.99 (would be repurchase) (1961)

I just entered these prices in a spreadsheet: the publishers are asking $247.42 for books I would have gladly purchased at $185.50. I judged the price I would have paid willingly by the books I actually bought. Only ONE of these books was originally published this year and that one is definitely a midlist book. A good majority of the others have been reprinted many times and earned out their advances decades ago.

Here is a list of books I did buy during the last two weeks, since May 27th (Penguin books came back to Amazon on the 29th) by publisher, title, author, price paid, paper price and any notes (an x in front means I have also read the book in the past two weeks).:

Macmillan
Dorsai Spirit (omnibus) Dickson, Gordon R $9.99 $20.99 (repurchase-preorder)
Murder With Peacocks Andrews, Donna $7.99 $7.99 (clutch to bosom repurchase-anomaly)

Penguin
Magic Strikes Andrews, Ilona $6.99 $7.99
x Death Threads Casey, Elizabeth Lynn $5.99 $6.99
x Miss Wonderful Chase, Loretta $6.99 $7.99
x Mr. Impossible Chase, Loretta $6.99 $7.99
Lord Perfect Chase, Loretta $6.99 $7.99 (3rd in the trilogy; currently reading)
Tressed to Kill Dare, Lila $6.99 $7.99
x Lead-Pipe Cinch Evans, Christy $5.99 $6.99
Longshot Francis, Dick $6.99 $7.60
Silks Francis, Dick & Felix $7.99 $9.99 (kindle price is up to $8.99 today)
x Monster in Miniature Grace, Margaret $6.99 $7.99
French Polished Murder Hyatt, Elise $5.99 $6.99
Grace Under Pressure Hyzy, Julie $6.99 $7.99
Reel Murder: A Talk Radio Mystery Kennedy, Mary $5.99 $6.99
Murder on the Eightfold Path Killian, Diana $6.99 $7.99
A Timely Vision Lavene, Joyce & Jim $6.99 $7.99
Death in Show McCoy, Judi $5.99 $6.99
The Cat, The Professor and the Poison Sweeney, Leann $5.99 $6.99

Bantam (Random House, sold by Amazon)
I, Robot Asimov, Isaac $6.29 $7.99 (Spectra is Bantam)
Foundation Asimov, Isaac $6.39 $7.99
Foundation and Empire Asimov, Isaac $6.39 $7.99
Second Foundation Asimov, Isaac $6.39 $7.99
The White Road Flewelling, Lynn $6.39 $7.99
Three Doors to Death Stout, Rex $5.09 $7.99
Prisoner's Base Stout, Rex $6.39 $7.99
Three at Wolfe's Door Stout, Rex $6.39 $7.99
The Golden Spiders Stout, Rex $5.20 $6.50
The Doorbell Rang Stout, Rex $6.29 $7.99
Three Witnesses Stout, Rex $5.59 $6.99

Dell (sold by Amazon)
Ceremony Parker, Robert B. $6.39 $7.99

Simon & Schuster
Iron Lake Krueger, William Kent $7.99 $7.99 (1999-mmp) $10.20 (2009-tp)
This was a judgment call; since the lowest paperback price was for an edition published eleven years ago, I compared it to the trade paperback issued last year instead. I have never read this author, but the series was recommended to me.

Sourcebooks (Amazon)
Frederica Heyer, Georgette $6.99 $10.04

Wild Rose Press (Amazon)
x PhDs, Pornography and Premeditated Murder Wilson, JL $6.25 $12.99
This author commented on J.A. Konrath's blog in May. I looked at her kindle listings, bought one book to check her out, read it, loved it, and have now purchased and read seven of her books.

Krill Press (Amazon)
The Well Meaning Killer Walker, Miranda Phillips $3.99 $16.95

Self-published (Amazon)
A Small Fortune Braun, Audrey $2.99 $9.32

There are only two books that have the same price as the paper edition and those two I've annotated why I was willing to pay that price. Every other book was less than the paperback.

I have spent $223.22 on kindle books at Amazon over the past two weeks. I still have over $200 in my "willing to spend until next payday" pot. That $185.50 is money that Harper Collins, MacMillan and Bantam have literally left on the table.

This list of Penguin books is why I thought Penguin might have been paying attention. The bestsellers everyone else was waiting for weren't on my radar. I think the midlisters and bestsellers have different marketers at Penguin.

Robin