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Originally Posted by leebase
Today I have NO DESIRE WHATSOEVER to have a paper book.
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Me neither, except for reference works; ebook tech just isn't quite up to some reference uses. Which Baen doesn't sell.
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I do not buy, and will likely never buy, any paper book that I've read as an ebook.
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Not even as a gift?
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The ebook IS the book as far as I'm concerned. That's got to be different than the way folks thought before they had the quality ereaders like the Kindle, Sony, Nook and iPad.
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Somewhat, but not so much. There were less people willing to put up with screens when Palm Pilots were top of the market, but the way they felt about them was the same: some people were quick to abandon quality typography for the convenient package; some would never give up the feel of paper; some like a mix of both.
Right now, Baen's picked its method of getting maximum print sales, and it's working for them. It's got a side-effect of discouraging sales from a tiny fraction of the marketplace who really loves what they're doing, but would also, very reasonably, prefer to spend money on things they can't get for free.
So. Twenty years from now, my kids & maybe grandkids get to hear what a great publishing house Baen is; right now, Baen doesn't get as many of my dollars as some other publishers that I buy from, but don't tout, because they're not doing anything special.
Baen's counting on print sales from people who like pbooks, and long-term returns in "cool points" from people who don't.