Is a book on blogging worth $99?
Duncan Riley> Perhaps I’m out of touch with the book market, perhaps I’m not, but a new book on blogging; Business Blogs: A Practical Guide from Bill Ives, Ph.D., and Amanda G. Watlington hits the selves at an incredible $99.
According to the media release:
“The first is a 220 page guidebook that covers the ‘€œwhat’€? and ‘€œhow’€? of blogging in clear, accessible language. The second part includes 290 pages of interview notes drawing on the blogging experiences of 70 bloggers. It includes both ‘€œA-list’€? bloggers who have built broad readership and individuals who have intentionally built small, select but highly interconnected communities with whom they exchange information via the Web. The volume includes over 700 links and 100 illustrations.”
The book is said to include advice from 70 bloggers, including “A-list” bloggers, and yet neither the media release nor page for the book say who they are. Who ever they are though you’d hope that they’d be getting a cut. Now either I’m in the wrong business, or this is ridiculously over priced, are books on blogging entitled to get such a massive mark-up?
If they’re business books they’re tax-deductible, Duncan, so the sky’s the limit. Over at PayLoadZ, there are books at $5000. You can get $1000 as an affiliate by selling ONE copy.
Good to know then that Robin Good is letting us download his 92-page pdf report on group blogging absolutely free, though he’s presumably been paid already :-).
Here’s the link: http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2005/05/16/group_and_multiuser_blog_platforms.htm
$99! Does it come with an ishuffle? I think the books at $49 are often priced high and wait for them to come down. I think it’s priced rather high, especially since I haven’t heard of this guy or anything he’s done and there is no mention of the other bloggers involved. I know several people working on business blogging books, and most people “into blogging” know them too. That’s my point. I wouldn’t pay $99 for Jeremy’s (ensight.org) book, and I know and like Jeremy. $99 for a blogging book is too much.
There are plenty of expensive books out there, but none that qualify in this range of a book. High end books on testing or specialized reports, information etc. or law books and stuff like that.
I’m not saying that it’s not worth $99, it’s just not worth it to me. $49 would be more like it, and even bettter, $29.
This is just an e-book, isn’t it? Why all the fuss?
$99 bucks, for a book on a topic that is continually changing and evolving is definitely way too much. And if it features “A list” bloggers, I am also wondering why I have not seen anything on this book anywhere else, and just who the “A list” features. I think I will pass.
What are they trying to market it to the college textbook market? Who else pays 99USD for a book? Wait, what’s this? It’s an e-book! Call the guys with the butterfly nets, some one needs to go back to the asylum!
Looks like it is self-published so they can charge whatever they think the market will bear. And clearly they think it will bear quite a lot.
I doubt it — there is likely nothing in the book that isn’t available for free online.
Well sounds to me like a whole new line on the how to make money from blogs
too expensive 4 me…
You missed the point — the pdf is $49.95 in line with what other business books go for. There are always those who want a “real paper book,” and the price is to encourage downloads.
Also, if you read the book you will find that it includes lots of information that you will not find elsewhere.