Why do audiobooks appear so expensive?
 

I like reading, and often purchase books from Amazon on a monthly basis. Anyway, having gotten an iPod4G a few months ago, I decided to look at audio books for the first time.

Called up a few in iTunes and they were like 17.99 etc. Where as the actual physical book, including postage from Amazon would be about 10.00

I listened to the 30 second preview, and its just a voice reading the book.

So why are they so expensive? I mean theres no physical product, no shipping, no manufacturing costs etc... Just a download...

Am I missing something?

Probably because audiobooks sell in less copies, so they try to cover production costs.

Don't buy them from itunes.

puts me to sleep, could never understand how people could drive to them

Were they read by a celebrity?

audible.com has a good program it is how I get mine. Do the monthly thing and you get basically a book a month via tokens. I bought a $45 book with 1 token that cost me $15.

But its just someone reading the book into a mic isn't it? I could understand if it was like a mini play, with all different people reading different lines and sound effects etc... (Which some may well be) but what I listened to, was just a voice reading a book...

Fair comment.

Yet to try them... Too expensive LOL

Fuck knows mate, but that could be the case I supposed. I just looked at a Stephen King book and a Dean Kuntz...No idea who was reading them though...

Will take a look... Thanks