Looks like Harper Collins is jumping on board too at least somewhat...
http://www.strategyeye.com/articles/...ia/id/23895061
Quote:
HarperCollins is the latest publisher to say it will delay the release of e-book versions of some new titles as the industry struggles to manage the introduction of digital formats. The News Corp-owned publisher says that from next year it will delay the online release of five to 10 new books each month for between four weeks and six months, giving it a chance to sell hardback copies of new releases at far higher prices than the USD9.99 that most new e-books cost.
“We're going to experiment with this," HarperCollins CEO Brian Murray tells the Wall Street Journal. "Each new e-book represents a potential new marketing opportunity at a time when we need every possible hook to get consumer attention."
Though publishers accept that e-books increase the market for older books, many are worried that electronic versions of new titles are cannibalising hardback sales. They say dedicated customers who typically buy books as soon as they are released are the most likely to own e-readers.
Simon & Schuster recently said it would delay by four months the release of e-book versions of around 35 new titles due for release in April. Hachette Book Group has also said it intends to delay many electronic versions of new titles for between three and four months. Critics of these plans say they risk driving consumers towards piracy, or simply to other publishers that choose to keep release schedules in sync. Commentators point to the problems faced by the TV and music industries, which also struggled as new formats edged out traditional physical sales.
However, there are concerns that the prices publishers charge retailers for e-books may already be too high. TBI analyst Rory Maher claims Amazon and other retailers lose around USD2 on each e-book they sell because publishers will not compromise on wholesale prices. There are also concerns that most consumers are unwilling to pay the same price for electronic versions as for physical copies, given that manufacturing costs for digital books are marginal.
|