--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The common intuition is that e-books…" description: "\"The common intuition is that e-books should be cheap because they aren't physical - no printing, no shipping.\" — Virginia Postrel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f5/virginia-postrel-2867_because_the-common-intuition-is-that-e-books-sho_2251013.jpg" --- # The common intuition is that e-books should be cheap… ![“The common intuition is that e-books should be cheap because they aren't physical - no printing, no shipping.” quote by Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f5/virginia-postrel-2867_because_the-common-intuition-is-that-e-books-sho_2251013.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f5/virginia-postrel-2867_because_the-common-intuition-is-that-e-books-sho_2251013.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f5/virginia-postrel-2867_because_the-common-intuition-is-that-e-books-sho_2251013.jpg) > “The common intuition is that e-books should be cheap because they aren't physical - no printing, no shipping.” [Virginia Postrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-postrel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People assume digital books cost less because they lack physical production, but pricing also reflects content value, market dynamics, and author compensation. **In simple terms:** E‑books aren't automatically cheap. Key Takeaway Consider value and fairness when pricing digital media. Themes economics pricing digital media Mood analytical critical Type economic industry When to use this quote - setting ebook prices - budgeting for readers - publishing contracts Key Concepts value perception market forces author rights Questions to Reflect On - How should publishers balance accessibility with fair compensation? - What factors beyond production cost affect ebook pricing? A Different Perspective Low prices can undervalue creators and reduce incentives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Books Cheap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-cheap-1330355/) [Cheap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheap/) [Cheap Aren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheap-aren-5141632/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Intuition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intuition/) [Physical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physical/) [Physical Printing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physical-printing-5141631/) [Printing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/printing/) [Printing Shipping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/printing-shipping-5141633/) [Shipping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shipping/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Books are so cheap and easy to get that people don't bother stealing them, which is the essential rule of piracy that the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-max/books-are-so-cheap-and-easy-to-get-that-people-don-t-bother-stealing/) [Tucker Max](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-max/) > [Writers and books are cheap dates, especially when you compare the cost of a book with a ticket to the opera - or an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/writers-and-books-are-cheap-dates-especially-when-you-compare-the/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [What a feat of transmission: the emotive powers of the book, with no local habitation, pass safely from writer to reader, unmangled by printing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-sharon-schwartz/what-a-feat-of-transmission-the-emotive-powers-of-the-book-with-no/) [Lynne Sharon Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-sharon-schwartz/) > [It's so easy to print in the Midwest. 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