[Alisa]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

All this will do is kill off demand for this book. People that do not buy hardcovers and do buy eBooks will not buy this because of being treated like second class citizens. So way to go killing off sales.

I don't know how many folks would be quite so militant but I do think they will lose many sales opportunities. If I hear about a new book I want to read and I don't see it available as an ebook, I may not check again. I don't bother with paper any more so I will not buy the hardback. It's a lost sale. It may just slip out of my mind if it's not an author for which I have an established preference. If it's something that just piques my curiosity, I have a good chance of buying it if it's there but I won't file it away in my mind to seek it out later.

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

IMNSHO - the bottom line for publishers is money. Offering ebooks with hardcovers snags 2 impulse buyer markets immediately - those ebook & hardcover readers salivating for the release of the next book by their favorite author. Those waiting for paperback editions to read obviously don't have ereaders if they want to buy paperbacks. There is a clear separation of markets developing now that publishers are not grasping. Ebook readers want to read new titles immediately, and are apparently willing to pay higher prices for this, just like the folks that buy hardcovers. Offering ebooks at higher prices with hardcovers, and then lowering prices when the paperbook release occurs hits all buying levels and maximizes sales opportunities.

I agree that offering the ebook with the hardcover is the best strategy but I don't follow why people who wait for paperbacks wouldn't have ebook readers. Most folks I know have both hardbacks and paperbacks in their libraries. My husband, who also has an ebook reader, is the sort that usually waited for paperback. He only bought hardbacks of his favorite authors because he didn't want to wait and knew he would likely read the book many times. He's more typical of my friends including the ones that read ebooks. The majority of their books are paperback and they make a conscious decision to wait for them. I'm a bit different. I bought books I wanted to read. If they were only available in hardback, fine. If I could get them cheaper in paperback, I would. I rarely waited for paperback to save money but if it was already out by the time I became interested in the book, I was happy to buy it instead and save a few bucks. I even know folks with ebook readers who primarily used the library before. I don't think there's a single type of book consumer that buys these things. There are advantages beyond the instant gratification.