I'm guilty of having bought two or five hardcovers, if they were on offer, and then only because of convenience. I have friends back in greece who love particular authors and are anxious to get their hands on their latest books, but it's not certain that these books will even come to greece, and if they order online there are the postage costs to consider. So if my visit to greece coincides with a new publication, I may pick the hardcover for them as a present. I'm always angry when I'm forced to do so however. Hardcovers are unreasonably expensive, bulky and difficult to hold, take up too much self space, and don't even have the outstanding quality that would give a meaning to their existence.
Hardcovers in my opinion should be beautifully bound books, sold LATER rather than sooner than ebooks and paperbacks, to people who want to build and display a beautiful library and collectors. There will always be such a niche. NOT to people that just want to read now.
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