Quote:
Originally Posted by tompe
Why do you compare with the mass market paperback? Why not compare with the hardback since it is the early access price they refer to?
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Books that were published 20+ years ago, which are the ones I'm most likely to buy, are not "early access" to say the least. Even for newer books, if the MM is on the market, it makes no sense to compare with the HC; the MM is closer to what the actual content costs, rather than the extra cost of heavy paper, a dust jacket, and so on.
I like Baen's system: if I want a book that's going to be published this fall, I can get it. It's more expensive -- that's the "early access" thing -- and it's basically an unproofed galley, but I
can get it if I really want it Right Now(tm), instead of waiting for it to be actually finished up (like, oh, proofread). Or I can wait until it hits the shelves and buy it for less than than its paper equivalent. Choices are a good thing.