To ask for a discount on a book?

[sterlitza]

I was on ebay and saw a book that I've really wanted for a while. It's a fairly academic/history book so expensive. Turns out the seller is the author.

I sent a very very polite message saying that I would love a copy of his book as the subject is of interest. I explained that money is short at the moment, and wondered if he would be willing to offer a discount. I then thanked him and wished him well.

I received a fairly short reply explaining the price of the book is already heavily discounted, and if I were to go to Waterstones I would pay double the price. He would not be willing to offer a discount, but he would offer a "cheek discount" of 5% off. Now I can't tell if this was a joke or if I had upset him.

I bought the book in the end, as I need something to read over lockdown.

Was I unreasonable?

It’s cheeky to ask but the author had the opportunity to say no.

Strategic marketing is very different from doing a book talk because someone on ebay expressed an interest in a cut-price copy.

I get that, if you publish popular fiction, you might be motivated by demand for cheaper copies, to suggest to your publisher that he or she should make a change to the way the book is marketed, and have you do an impromptu talk to drum up interest.

I sincerely doubt that if you're publishing academic books, it'd be worthwhile to presume that one person on ebay asking for a discount means there's a host of excited students who'd buy your book if only you'd do a talk about it (under lockdown ...).