FYI, the "1-2% of book sales are e-books" number is from that article, so presumably it's coming from an analyst. Seems about right to me though.
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Originally Posted by JSWolf
The reason behind delaying the eBook release is so people will purchase the hardcover instead of the cheaper less profitable eBook. I don't understand their logic.
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I'm not sure why you don't understand it, since you're stating it quite clearly.
In Amazon's case, the publisher is allegedly receiving the same wholesale payment per book -- but they are concerned (with good reason) that Amazon will eventually turn the screws and demand a lower wholesale price for e-books. Ergo, publishers are trying to defend their pricing structure and profits on both a short- and long-term basis.
Right now it is unclear how much e-books, at the $9.99 or even $15.95 price point, are actually cannibalizing hardcover sales (if at all). Amazon probably knows by now, since they have tons of sales data to analyze; publishers are in the dark though, since they don't have access to the retail data. For example, if you are a serious reader, and spend $50 a month on books, if you get into e-books do you wind up spending the same $50/month on books? Do you wind up buy the same number of books, thus cutting your monthly book bill? Do you buy more because the delivery method is more convenient? Do you buy less because you often sell a book you've read? Do you spend more because there is no "used e-book" market?
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Originally Posted by JSWolf
I don't buy hardcovers because I have a reader. I buy eBooks or MMBPs or I use the library for eBooks or books. So to treat me like I dont matter means I won't be supporting their product with my money....
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It's a standing policy that users who prefer the lower-cost paperpacks must wait several months. While I agree that it would be great for e-books to come out at the same time as the hardcover, and clearly this is an inconvenience, I am not sure you have much ground to take any more offense from a delay in e-book publication than if you were a "paperback only" reader.
I also don't see much of a necessity yet for publishers to put out e-books simultaneously with the hardcovers, until a) e-books gain more market share and b) publishers have an idea of if/how e-books will affect hardcover sales and overall net income.