Quote:
Originally Posted by docjim
But is it really the ebook market that has driven down the perceived value of a hardback edition? Seems to me that's really being driven by the downward pressure on price coming from not just Amazon, but Wall-Mart, target etc. I don't really see how ebooks play into that at all.
To my mind, the ebook really is a replacement for the mass market paperback. Most people read a paperback once, and give it away, loan it to friends or even just toss it in the trash afterwards. These are the folks who would consider buying an ebook. Someone who's considering buying a hardback book is typically someone looking for something tangible and collectible, aren't they? I know in my case, I only buy hardback books from my very favorite authors - the kind I know I want to display on the bookshelves in my office or living room long term.
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I use ebooks to replace paperbacks, too.
You're right in saying that most of the downward price pressure on hardcovers has been coming from discounters such as Amazon, Walmart, Target and even CostCo. At the same time, there has been a move to try and drive paperback prices up with the new taller $9.99 paperbacks.
Where ebooks throw a wrench in the works, and can force deeper downward pressure is when they are released at $9.99 simultaneously with the hardcover. People no longer have to wait for the price to drop to the level of those new funky paperbacks. That reduces the desire for hardcovers because some people buy hardcovers not for collectible value, but to read the next book right now!
Those people are much more likely to turn to ebooks, and that drives overall prices downward.