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Originally Posted by FligMupple
I don't do hardcovers anymore. I invested over $1000 on ebook readers. (The original Sony Reader PRS 505, the replacement one after I dropped it and totally broke it, and the DX).
Until Under the Dome I've been loving every minute of it. If someone can explain the reasoning of delaying the ebook 6-7 weeks, I'd love to hear it. The explanation must include why you also do not make available the ebook version at full book price for dedicated ebook nutters like me, and Stephen King fans, who would make use of that option.
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There's pretty much three reasons why the publishers are doing this.
1) They are scared crapless about this whole digital thing possibly eating their lucrative hardback sales. This isn't the first major book to get a staggered release.
2) To fluff their hardback sales. They don't want you to buy a digital copy regardless of price...that is until after their initial release frenzy. And it's working. I can't tell you how posts I have read about on the internet where people are disappointed by the Kindle delay but are going to buy a hardback copy since Wal-Mart/Amazon are only selling it for $9 new.
Also, this is suppose to be Stephen King's big comeback. People are comparing it to The Stand and saying that he's finally back. If the book industry is anything like the music industry, digital copies don't count towards the official bestsellers list numbers and I imagine the publisher wants the highest number of hardback sales possible. 1 million copies sold sounds much better than 900,000 copies sold along with 100,000 digital copies.
3) Potentially getting the book back in the news if the Kindle version still sales alot of copies. If it sales alot they can push what a sales juggernaut this is, cultural moment and blah blah blah, basically getting it back in the public view during the holiday season...when people will have giftcards they want to spend. If it doesn't pan out that way, oh well. They can just point to how there is still a massive demand for hardback paper books and that this digital thing has no legs. Win-win situation for them either way.
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Originally Posted by kindlekitten
if you check out some of the related threads (try News and Commentary as well), it is apparently King's desire to support the independent bookseller. this isn't a Kindle issue at all
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That's funny considering that Wal-Mart and Amazon are basically snuffing them out by selling Under The Dome at a loss the independent bookstore can't match.