Why Are Kindle Books So Expensive? (Top 5 Reasons)

Kindle books, commonly known as e-books, have been replacing the hardbacks, slowly gaining more popularity in the market.

However, if you are a serious reader, you might have noticed that they are so expensive.

Most people think that kindle books should be cheaper than handbooks. 

We researched this matter, and realized there is much more to pricing.

So, in case you have been wondering why kindle books are damn expensive, by the end of this article, you will have a clearer picture.

Why are kindle books so expensive?

When comparing the effort needed to produce a paperback and an e-book, the pricing might look insulting.

So, why are kindle books so expensive?

For A Kindle book, you only need to upload to the server and start selling, whereas, for a hardcover, you need to write, proofread, print and do the shipping.

Most Avid readers are quick to conclude that the e-book publisher is greedy without getting their facts right.

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Below are well-explained reasons why kindle books are so expensive.

Value and convenience

Kindle books are very convenient for book lovers; there is not much hassle needed. You only go online, pay and download it.

But for a hardback, you will have to go to a books store, and if you get it out of stock, it will force you to order and wait for it to be shipped, so you will have to wait for a little more.

When it comes to convenience, serious readers don’t mind the prices. They are always willing to pay any amount for the e-books.

Once they are through with one book, they click the buy button, download the next book, and continue reading, wasting no time.

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Kindle books don’t wear and tear like paperbacks

If you are an invested reader, I’m sure you can relate to the pain that comes with a slight tear of your favourite book.

However, It’s a different case for the books. You only need to back up your data well, and you can access them forever.

So, when your book tears or wears out, you might go back to the store and buy another one, but for e-books, you only buy once, and that’s all.

As much as that kindle books are so pricey, you don’t have to keep buying, and also, you won’t experience tears and wear.

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Kindle books get taxed in some countries

When you look at some countries like the UK, they tax e-books different from physical books.

Physical books, magazines, and newspapers are exempted from taxes, but books are not.

So, it means Kindle books retailers have to pay a 20 percent tax on each book they sell.

It will lead to an increase in the price of the e-book.

The production cost of an e-book is 10% of the price, so if publishers pay the 20 per cent tax, they may end up not making much profit if they don’t sell kindle books at higher prices.

Model agencies increase e-books prices

Most people are not aware that kindle books use a different pricing model from printed books.

Physical book publishers sell their books at almost half price to their resellers, and then the retailers sell at a price of choice. 

However, e-books have a different model; they utilize the agency model when sold.

Instead of the retailer deciding the price of the kindle books, the publisher is the one who sets the price they want the book to retail.

For each e-book sale, they make the publisher get 70 per cent of the total cost while the retailer gets 30 per cent.

For example, in online stores like Amazon, as long as the publishers meet all the guidelines required, they can set a price of their choice.

It is one of the main reasons why kindle books are more expensive than hardbacks.

To prevent physical books from being redundant 

There are big publishers in the market who have a tight connection with paperbacks.

Writing and publishing print books is what has made them what they are.

E-books are rapidly gaining popularity and seem to be a threat since people are moving away from bookstores and translating to online stores.

However, famous publishers make their kindle books more expensive than printed books to avoid people ditching paperbacks for e-books.

So, by increasing the prices of Kindle books, some people will opt to go to the bookshops and thus keep the paperbacks business thriving.

Are kindle books worth the price?

Most people don’t see the reason why a kindle book should cost that much.

They also argue that they should be cheaper than paperbacks.

When you look at the bigger picture, kindle books are worth the high prices.

Starting from the convenience that comes with them.

Also, with an e-book, you will not have to be worried about the tear and wear factors.

Kindle books can serve you for as long as you want and backup your data correctly.

With an e-book, you don’t have to keep replacing what you buy once, like a physical book which you can have to keep re-buy if it got lost, torn or let out.

Avid readers who want to keep reading don’t have an issue paying more for the kindle books as long as they get the next book conveniently.

Why are kindle books more expensive than physical books?

Most people wonder why kindle books are more expensive than print books, yet they undergo the same construction process.

Surprisingly enough, the big publishers bully the price of e-books into retaining the redundancy of their physical books. 

It will make people consider buying a print book rather than a kindle book to keep book shops running.

Another thing that influences the price of the kindle books is the taxes.

Some countries tax e-books and exempt print books, so the e-books publisher is forced to increase the prices amicably.

Again some avid readers are ready to pay for the value. As long as they get the book with convenience, they are always ready to pay any amount.

So the e-book publishers may take it as an advantage to raise the prices.

What are the differences between kindle books and physical books?

Kindle books are becoming popular in the market but still have not been able to kick out physical books as many people anticipated. However, there are notable differences between the two.

Print books have the feel of a book which I’m sure many people love.

You can hold, turn the pages, and feel the paper, but you have to scroll from your iPad for kindle books.

Print books are challenging to carry, but for e-books, you can easily carry them around when saved on a reader for iPad. 

In terms of prices, e-books are more expensive than print books, although you can get some print books slightly expensive in some cases.

With e-books, it is so convenient you only need to look on the internet for a book, click the buy button and download your book ready to read.

But for print books, it’s a different case, you will have to go to a bookstore, and in case you find the book is out of stock, you will need to wait for them to get restocked or order for it to be shipped, which may take some time.

You can store as many kindle books in one device as long it has enough space, but physical books will end up filling your bookshelf.

Kindle books have the flexibility of font and sizes, so you can easily adjust to your preference.

While print books come with the original publisher’s size and font, you must wear magnifying glasses to increase.

Print books have illustrations that are of higher quality than that an e-reader can produce.

Some readers also strain using an electronic device, so they may prefer going for print books. 

Frequently asked questions

Do kindle books have mistakes?

Yes, they do. Many books in online stores have content errors like simple spelling mistakes or formatting issues.

But for an online store like amazon they always notify their consumers if a book has an error.

Those error warnings are removed once the publisher sends an updated document.

Which is better between Kindle e-books or print books?

It will solely depend on the preference of a person.

Some people love seeing their bookshelves full, and others don’t love the idea of carrying a print book; they peer at it on a reader or an iPad.

Others may be sensitive to electronics, so they will stick to print books.

However, some parameters will help to determine which are superior between the two. For e-books, they are the best.

You can easily adjust the flexibility of font and text size, but for print books, you can’t.

What are the benefits of kindle books?

There are so many benefits that come with buying an e-book. Below are some of them.

• They are convenient, and you can download as many as you want when going for a holiday without having to carry so many books.
• You can easily access them when you want 
• Downloading is instant. It takes 2-4 minutes, and you will have your book with you.
• Reading software is free and easy to download from the internet.
• Users can download, organize or create content.

Final Thoughts

Kindle books are turning out to be the new normal. There are thousands of books available in online stores, although they are not cheap at all.

But most avid readers are ready to spend more to buy these books because of convenience.

While some people think their prices are overrated, its market is gaining popularity, and thousands of people are flooding online stores to purchase their favourite books.