[joenunya]

Or have they already begun to be an alternative income stream for publishers?

I ask because I haven't seen a non-ARC title on Webscription.net for ages. I also remember noticing ARC titles on another ebook site but I don't remember what site as it was a late night insomnia fueled web session so memory is hazy.

I don't blame publishers if this is a way to generate the same level of income as HB editions used to bring in. Especially as HB editions seem to have always been very important to the money a title would generate.

Just curious if maybe Baen with Webscriptions may have stumbled on a formula to let ebooks offer higher priced editions under the guise of them providing the privilege of early access, even if it likely has errors and might be incomplete relative to the final production release.

Far as I know ARC editions have always been around in printed books but never had access to them. I guess if there were authors I liked enough I would try them but to me I never bought HB editions so I don't see myself ever buying an ARC editions let alone reading one.

Have other publishers been following this idea on their own sites? Or are most, especially the big houses, just sticking with the higher prices on initial release? I would sense ARC editions could become significant given how people like to feel special based on the things they acquire.