Time vs. Price - A Reader's Investment by Jim Breslin

Yesterday, I was at a shopping center that I don’t frequent often and I noticed a giant Discount Book Warehouse, so I went inside and walked the tables. I saw hardcover books from well established authors selling for $3 or $4. These were leftovers. Books that were marked for $25 last year but didn’t sell.

And then this morning, I was researching the use of tags on Amazon. I was surprised by how many people tagged certain e-books as “too expensive for kindle,” “outrageous kindle price” or “publisher greed.” The one e-book being tagged was listed at $13.99. Despite the tags, this book was a Kindle Bestseller.

What strikes me about these moments from the past two days is this: Price really isn’t as important as time. Try this experiment. Determine how much you are paid hourly for whatever type of field of work you are in. Now, let’s say reading a book averages five hours. Five times your hourly income is the investment of your reading time. Honestly, most people value their non-working time more than their working hours. It’s a silly experiment, but my point is a reader’s time is a more crucial factor than price, though price still is a part of the equation.

Each reader has their own budget, their own financial constraints. Some people buy hardcovers all the time. Some wait for paperback. I have plenty of avid reading friends who get everything from the library. For free. Sure, they have to be placed on the wait-list at times, but this is not a problem for the avid reader. Their reading list is continually extensive.

In the end, people will pay what they can pay for a book. A reader’s biggest investment is not the price they pay, it is the time they carve out of their busy lives to read it. And as a writer, that is what I value the most.

This moment of clarity struck me in the weeks after my short story collection Elephant came out. I was on pins and needles waiting for reactions, feedback and reviews. When someone mentioned they bought my book, this obviously made me happy. But when people told me they finished the book, and described those moments in certain stories that truly moved them, I was overwhelmed with joy.

After reflecting on this, it makes sense. After all, as an avid reader myself, I don’t ask the question “Is this book worth buying?” I ask the question “Is this book worth reading?”

Jim Breslin's short story collection, Elephant, can be purchased in various forms from various websites and bookstores at various prices from $ 2.99 to 14.99. Or you can read it for free at the West Chester Public Library. Learn more at www.jimbreslin.com.