Do public displays of affection bother you?

[[deleted user]]

It is not just about production everything costs more here, transportation cost, people. At some stage it would still come down to population size. If you are only going to sell 20 books rather than 200, the profit has to come from somewhere.

[Phil]

I still don't believe that. The profit for WHOM?

For works published in more populous countries yours would simply be an adjunct market, and any extra costs for publishing (which really don't exist today) or shipping (silly to do when you can publish in-country) would be negligible.

Booksellers may not have the same opportunities as their American counterparts, but the rest of the industry should do just fine without increasing prices to such unrealistic levels.

I don't expect you to defend the system, I'm just trying to understand how they can get away with charging those exorbitant prices.

[Phil]

Authors published solely in Australia would be a different matter.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

It must have to do with availability and shipping of materials, and shipping costs, no? Does Australia produce its own paper, or import it? Are most of the books sold in Australia printed there, or shipped from elsewhere?

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Here's what someone opined on Lonely Planet.

To a great extent, the question should be one of why goods in the US tend to be so cheap.

In large part, it's because the US has a large consumer-driven economy. Producers want to have a US presence, given the large market size and the average American's propensity for consumption, so they sell things at relatively low margins in the US in order to get the volume.

To some degree, it's also because the US creates a benchmark level of profit that has to be hurdled. Producers will demand a higher margin elsewhere to make up for the lack of volume, plus to justify the risk of competing in a smaller market. Other markets tend to have higher sales taxes, which reduce demand, which give producers an incentive to raise their prices to make up for that lost volume.

Then there is exchange rate risk. The US dollar tends to establish the benchmark for calculating margins, and foreign pricing is often geared toward a strong US dollar. The producer doesn't want to be in a position in which it would have to impose dramatic price increases if the local currency weakens; they'd rather keep prices fairly high and stable, rather than run the risk of a dramatic loss if the currency goes against them.

[[deleted user]]

Phil wrote: "Authors published solely in Australia would be a different matter."

Okay my first response was offensive and ill considered. I apologise.

I am not in the publishing industry or the book selling industry so I can't really defend the prices. My assumption that is was to do with economics of scale was just an assumption and I really don't see how you could discount it completely. When I referred to transportation costs I wasn't referring to shipping, I was referring to transportation costs within Australia. It is a bloody big place with a small population. So we have greater distances and greater cost of transport. I think I worked out recently that we pay about $5.75 per gallon for petrol (I had to do a conversion from litres). I go back to my statement that everything here costs more. It would be unrealistic to expect that books would also not cost more. I would also like to add that the books produced in Australia are of a higher quality than those I have received from overseas (both UK and US). Obviously that is a factor though I don't know how much.

Bookshops in Australia are struggling at the moment. With the combined explosion in sales of eBooks, the availability of online bookshops the prices must come down. On top of that the AUD is extremely strong at the moment compared to the USD, UK pound and any other currency you care to mention. When Borders recently announced bankruptcy, it took out Borders Australia plus Australia’s largest book seller Angus & Robertson. I haven't really answered your question as to why our prices are so high.

I did do a quick comparison between my wage and the equivalent wage for someone in my position in the US. My wage is almost double.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Makes a lot of sense, Gail.

However there is at least one thing that costs a lot more per capita in America: healthcare.

[[deleted user]]

Though we complain about it a lot I would rather have our health system than yours.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Many of us would too.

[[deleted user]]

Okay now Bunwat = Margery

Fruit is rather pricy at the moment due to the floods & cyclones. :(

[Brittomart]

Margery is Bun?

[Phil]

I can't believe it's not butter.

[Brittomart]

I was at the grocery store, and this guy came up behind his girl and grabbed her ass. I assume it was her boyfriend, but I gave him this look like, "did you really just do that?" And this his girlfriend turned around, and I gave her the same look, except this time it meant "did you really just let him get away with that?"

[Félix]

Phil wrote: "Public displays of affectation bother me more than public displays of affection."

You can say that again. No, on second thought, don't.

[Phil]

I was waiting for someone to ask for an example so I could bring up those stupid little purse dogs and the Paris Hilton air kisses and all that other crap. Or maybe the "hey, look at me, I'm being odd" goth shit.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

iBritt wrote: "I was at the grocery store, and this guy came up behind his girl and grabbed her ass. I assume it was her boyfriend, but I gave him this look like, "did you really just do that?" And this his girlf..."

I like the way you wield those disapproving looks.

[Louise]

Phil wrote: "I still don't believe that. The profit for WHOM?

For works published in more populous countries yours would simply be an adjunct market, and any extra costs for publishing (which really don't exi..."

In Denmark we are 6 million, so new books are expensive here tóo. There are costs like translators (who aren't cheaper just because the language is smaller), coverdesign, logistics, tax (maybe the Australian sales tax is higher than in the U.S.?) etc.
In Denmark we have a 25% tax on everything you buy in shops (except cars, they have a 200% tax - yes 200 % !)
But then the absolute minimum wage you get in Denmark for a full time job if you are 18+ is around 2600 dollars pr. month

[Louise]

I don't mind public displays of affections unless it's more like foreplay. Then it's too much.