Best Places to Buy Books

And the worst ones too.

This blog is for all you readers out there who search far and wide to find your books at the best prices. Reading is a fabulous pastime but when you are a prolific reader, the cost of this hobby can add up.

Buying a book in 2024 looks different from buying a book before the Internet changed our lives forever. Also, the pricing of books varies depending on where you buy them. A quick search online will show prices ranging from $20 to $60+ for physical books (+ postage) and eBooks range from free to $16.99+. Audiobooks are not immune to large variations in cost either.

These are the best places to buy books (and read them) -

• Name Bookshops - larger ones like Dymocks

• Independent Bookshops - usually smaller and local

• Newsagencies - some smaller ones don't stock books

• Specialist Stores - Big W, Kmart, Myer and other supermarket stores

• The Airport - every airport in the world has a newsagent with a good book section

• Libraries - local libraries are wonderful resources for book lovers and books are free to be borrowed

• Online - Bookshops will usually sell online as well. Also, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Booktopia, QBD Books, Angus & Robertson, and so many other sites.

We don't even have to buy a physical book these days, eBooks are available online and Audiobooks are a good alternative if you enjoy reading but have time constraints.

For me, my favourite place to buy books is my local bookstore, there is nothing I enjoy more than browsing through shelves of books to find my next great read. A physical book is still my preference but I do have a Kindle, which I like to use when I'm away. Even when I take my Kindle with me, I usually still find a physical book at the airport that I want to read and buy one (or two). I can't help myself, I love being lost in a story, and holding a physical book makes this possible, more so than on my Kindle.

In my experience, I have found buying books online to be the least satisfying if I'm looking for a print book. Audiobooks and eBooks are fine, but I prefer going into a brick-and-mortar bookstore to select a print version. Some of the pricing of physical books on many online sites is outrageous. I have found my books can be up to $10+ dearer than if you were to purchase them directly from me. Even with postage, you will still save money.

I found an example of this inflated pricing on various online sites -

Edward's Cat by Frino, Maria P. $34.25. Elsewhere $50.00 (saving of 30%)

I sell my Edward's Cat* Books One and Two for $24.99. I don't know where it is sold 'Elsewhere' for $50.00 and there is definitely no saving if you buy from this online site.

*Edward's Cat Book Three will be published in mid-2024.

It would be wonderful to see some sort of regulation of book pricing but I know this is a pipedream. The ultimate aim of a business, book or otherwise, is to make a profit, so prices will always vary.

Speaking of businesses, we authors run a small business and so we seek to make a profit too. When you buy a book from a self-published author, you are helping them to (hopefully) make a living out of writing. If you see a book you like from a self-published author and buy it, remember that you are helping a small business to survive.

Good luck with finding your next read at the best price. Oh, and please, if you liked the book, leave the author a review, we appreciate it when our readers give us feedback.

Happy reading (and finding a bargain-priced book),

Maria P Frino