5 ms·
Bigger books sell better. Is this true? I was always under the impression that bigness was used to justify a higher price point.
by fogus 15y ago
Bigger books sell better.
Is this true? I was always under the impression that bigness was used to justify a higher price point.
- Calamitous 15y agoI suspect it's a perception issue... the price difference between a slim programming book and a fat one is minimal. Dropping $50-$60 on a tome feels like a better value if you have to wheel it out with a dolly, instead of slipping it in your pocket.
- Apocryphon 15y agoI have to concur, unfortunately. If a tutorial book adds a huge reference section, I'd feel that it's a better deal for the same price- I may never look at the appendices, but I'll feel that I possibly could, just in case. Publishers ought to fix the pricing in general.
- bgruber 15y agoregardless of whether it's true, greenspun reported that it's what the publishers believe: "It is an article of faith in the computer publishing that bigger books sell better. They take up more space on the shelf and readers with a tech problem find a bigger book comforting. Readers aren't really sure what is wrong with their computer and they only have a few minutes in the bookstore so they figure the thickest book is the most likely to contain the solution." http://philip.greenspun.com/wtr/dead-trees/story http://philip.greenspun.com/wtr/dead-trees/story
- ChuckMcM 15y agoIts absolutely true. The exact same effect occurs in restaurants and floral arrangements. There is a fixed cost, we'll call it X, to get the {book/meal/arrangement) made, the marginal cost of {paper/food/flowers) is small relative to the fixed cost and yet is the dominant factor in perceived value. Understanding this you can use it to your advantage. You can boost the percieved value of a book or meal or floral arrangement by boosting its pages, vegetables, or flowers. The recipient will feel better about getting and the buyer will feel better about paying for something with a higher perceived value.
- fogus 15y agoWow, great answer. I would love to read more about the psychology of this. Does it differ across cultures?
- Poiesis 15y agoAlso consider that on a bookstore shelf, the bigger the book is, the more space it has to advertise itself. It is its own advertisement.