The other day I was perusing through the internet when I saw someone writing about how incensed they were about the price of an ebook. Their take was that since the book wasn’t printed on anything they should get it cheaper. For a few seconds I contemplated the idea. The author of most ebooks does normally make more than a print book. But the idea that three or four dollars is the hard limit for a book was disturbing. To put it in perspective I pay more than that for a sandwich. A sandwich. Something that is going to go in by belly and be forgotten an hour later. Is a good book worth less than a sandwich?

That is when I stopped to consider the plight of the good book. I have written before about how I love to read. From non fiction, to reference, to fiction, to pretty much anything else. I once had someone ask me what my kind of book was. I told them one that was well written. And there lies the rub, doesn’t it? What I think is a well written book and what you do might be somewhat different. But not much.

In the last few years the ebook world has exploded with millions of new books. With so many new books it is hard for authors to get visibility. So a great many of them give their books away. At least for a promotional period. This has gotten a large segment of people used to getting something for nothing. The hundreds of hours that author spent crafting that book are given away for free. But instead of appreciating that and at the very least writing a review most do not even read the book. It just goes onto their reader with the rest of their free books. Because if you didn’t pay for it why would you make it a priority to read?

Blogs try and recommend books they like, but most focus on one or two types of books. The majority I have seen are romance or chick lit. That is because most of the people who run the blogs enjoy those kind of books. Amazon, Google+, B&N, GR and every other site tries to help by having people review books. But reviews have become less than helpful.

Most of the sites let you read the first few chapters of a book. This is the most reliable way of seeing if you should buy a book. Back in the olden days, when you had to actually go to a bookstore to buy books, I often skimmed the first chapter to see if I would like it. I read fairly fast and would normally find at least two books I wanted to buy at the store and either buy them both or write the titles down for when I had the money.

I was a poor kid. I was in a good sized family that didn’t have a lot of disposable income. Even though my parents loved reading they loved being able to feed us kids even more. So when I wanted a book I had to earn it. Even later in life when I was an adult, times were tight, I made buying books a priority. If one click had existed back then I very well might have starved.

By the time I had to make a big move in my later adult years my book collection resembled an episode of Hoarders. Now almost everything I have is digital. It makes dusting a lot easier. My point is that when I bought my digital books I never thought about the price when I bought them. And I am not rich. I thought “Do I want this book?” “Will I read it more than once” “How many hours of enjoyment will it bring me. The answers were often “YES” “Absolutely!” “Tons!”

There are books out there that do elicit negative responses from me. I am often surprised by novellas that are priced the same as regular books. Steven King can do that...I’m not sure many others can. At least not and sell to me.

When it comes to ebooks I have the luxury of buying them no matter where I am. I can carry as many of them as I want. And I can read the first few chapters before I make the decision to buy them. So, how much is too much? I guess each of us will need to make that decision for ourselves. Part of it may depend on genre as well. There are not as many books out there for some genre so people might be willing to pay more for books when there aren’t as many available. For myself I think the fact that I can test any book I buy before I pay for it is one of the greatest things ever.

If I like a book I am going to buy it. The paperbacks I bought were always five to ten dollars. I would buy hardbacks for full price once in a while. If there was a new release in a series I could not wait to read (I am looking at you J.K. Rowling). Or if they were on the discount table. It is hard to pass them up when they are that cheap.

As a consumer I have to spend money when I have it. And of course I want to get value for what I buy. But I also want the authors that I like to keep writing books. If that means I have to pay them seven, ten or fifteen dollars for an ebook I will. If I want to read their book. What other product lets you sample up to twenty percent of it before you pay for it? None that I know of.

So I will pay what I need to for the entertainment that I love. I try and keep in perspective the fact that the books are mine forever. I spend as much if not more on fleeting items that I use once. Food, video rentals, a movie ticket, a six pack of beer. All very enjoyable things. But when I compare the price vs enjoyment factor the book I just bought always wins out.