E-books released after paper books - thoughts?

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by CommanderROR

Instead, loads of "innocent" people were temped to get the illegal ebbok days before the official version and it was a los-lose situation for Rowling and here publisher...

Tell Rowling. She's refused to license electronic editions.
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Dennis

[Scythe]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

Congratulations! Is she really going to have time to read on the honeymoon?.. don't answer that.

Haha, thanks -- I'm in that "time crunch" portion of it where everything is either all good, or there's a small problem blown out of proportion. For instance, the table arrangement wasn't right the other day. Apparently that's a huge deal, haha.

I made a deal with her though. While we're in Aruba on the beach she's allowed to read (in return, she can't use a computer the entire week). She's a very fast reader, so she'll knock out a huge section of it on the plane regardless. Oh, she's that excited about it

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by VillageReader

Is this author popular enough to have people banging on bookstore doors to let them purchase? I think not.

She apparently is that popular, to the point where several fan sites have taken forums off line at her request to prevent people providing spoilers before most folks get a chance to read the latest book, and she even provides a special email address at her publisher where people can report spoilers so the publisher can request the offending threads be removed.

You may not be aware of her because she's aimed at the YA audience, and is published by the Young Readers division at Little, Brown.
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Dennis

[AMacD]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What really gets me is pricing. Ok, we pay more for a hardcover because it costs more to make a hardcover book then it does to make a paperback. And then we get rediculous eBook pricing based on the hardcover when the container for the eBook will never change. It is as it is. Once it's made, the container never changes. if it's BBeB, Mobipocket, ePub, eReader, etc. So why charge us as thought it cost more to make? Then we move from hardcover to paperback and I find a lot of eBooks don't have the price change or if they do, it's still more costly for the eBook then the paperback. <snip>

You have a vote in this great Buckocracy in which we live. Vote with your dollars. Buy from those who don't use DRM. Buy from those who price their books fairly. Buy from independent authors. Buy from BaenBooks, SteveJordan, Cory Doctorow or any others that really support e-books instead of those who are trying to exploit them.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by AMacD

You have a vote in this great Buckocracy in which we live. Vote with your dollars. Buy from those who don't use DRM. Buy from those who price their books fairly. Buy from independent authors. Buy from BaenBooks, SteveJordan, Cory Doctorow or any others that really support e-books instead of those who are trying to exploit them.

Concomitantly, inform those you don't patronize that you aren't doing so, and tell them why not.

If you can't find an email contact address, use snail mail. An actual printed letter on paper can have impact email can't, and a letter to the CEO of a publisher stating you refuse to buy electronic editions saddled with DRM and absurdly priced may provide a wake up call.
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Dennis

[TheLongshot]

Originally Posted by VillageReader

Since an insomniac can get the book at 3 AM regardless of time zone, I'm not sure what the publisher's concern is about the ebook being available before the pbook. One assumes those are generally two different customer types (ie, it is unlikely that most people would buy both, although I could imagine people wanting to replace older pbooks with lighter, easier to carry ebooks). Is this author popular enough to have people banging on bookstore doors to let them purchase? I think not.

Considering that her books are heavily advertised in most bookstores and seem to be featured very promenantly, I'd say that she probably is that popular.

I only know about them because my sister is a big fan and lent all the books she had (the first three) to my wife.

Jason

[TheLongshot]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What really gets me is pricing. Ok, we pay more for a hardcover because it costs more to make a hardcover book then it does to make a paperback.

Is that the real reason why a hardcover costs more, or is it because it is a new release?

There is quite a lot of media out there that costs more initially, then in a year or two comes out in a cheaper version. I've seen that with books, DVDs, CDs and such. It doesn't happen across the board, but it does seem to happen. So, there might be a cost for being one of the first to get a book. Personally, I don't have a problem with that. I'm usually behind enough that I can afford to wait.

Jason

[nekokami]

I think in the case of hardcovers, both factors come into play (cost of production and market value due to newness). I just think the ebooks should only take the latter into consideration.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by TheLongshot

Is that the real reason why a hardcover costs more, or is it because it is a new release?

Jason

They cost more because they are a lot more expensive to manufacture.
Binding is a separate process, often done by a different vendor than the printer who prints the book.

Trade paperbacks exist because hardcovers got so expensive. Offering the book in the same size with the same interior design and typography, but perfect bound with soft covers allows cheaper editions.
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Dennis

[pagansoul]

I finished all 3 of the Twilight series Kindle ebooks inside a week and have been waiting a month for the last book. I will not pay the $14 price of a printed book and hope Amazon will put it at $9 but if not I just will have to wait till the price goes down. I'll check it out of the library if I find it there. Now if I find a paperback at one of my flea markets for $5 I will get it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by AMacD

You have a vote in this great Buckocracy in which we live. Vote with your dollars. Buy from those who don't use DRM. Buy from those who price their books fairly. Buy from independent authors. Buy from BaenBooks, SteveJordan, Cory Doctorow or any others that really support e-books instead of those who are trying to exploit them.

The problem there is simple. If we vote not to purchase eBooks with DRm, thent he publishers will just think they are a failure and stop making eBooks. And we lose out even more.

Let's say you are a publisher of DRM filled eBooks. People stop purchasing them because they don't want the DRM. Now you don't look at sales and say they don't sell because of DRM. Nope. You look at sales and say they just don't sell. So you give up on eBooks. Who then loses out. Not you the publisher. We the consumer lose out.

What we need to do is still purchase, but let the publishers know we do not want DRM. Even if we didn't purchase eBooks with DRM or the equivalent pBook version, we are still to small a group to have a major enough effect on these books. So the only thing we really can do to not shoot ourselves in the foot is to email the publishers and tell them we don't want DRM.

[hidari]

Originally Posted by TheLongshot

Considering that her books are heavily advertised in most bookstores and seem to be featured very promenantly, I'd say that she probably is that popular.

I only know about them because my sister is a big fan and lent all the books she had (the first three) to my wife.

Jason

If Rowlings marketed a windshield wiper and a free bucket of green paint, she would probably be a Billionaire all over again. I am surprised she has not signed with Nike, McDonalds, Addias or Sony.....

Rowlings Reading Shoes could be a hit.....

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What we need to do is still purchase, but let the publishers know we do not want DRM. Even if we didn't purchase eBooks with DRM or the equivalent pBook version, we are still to small a group to have a major enough effect on these books. So the only thing we really can do to not shoot ourselves in the foot is to email the publishers and tell them we don't want DRM.

You're right.

I used to not buy DRMed eBooks, and I would email the publisher to tell them explicitly that I hadn't bought such-and-such a book because of the DRM.

Since the Mobipocket de-DRM script appeared, I have bought several DRMed eBooks. I should send the publishers another note, saying that I've bought the books despite the DRM, not because of it.


Paul

[JSWolf]

DRM music wasn't a problem because we could purchase CDs free of DRM and convert the music. We cannot do that so easily with pBooks to eBooks.

[alia]

It's only 10:30 and I've already read two articles about the ebook delay this morning:

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrob...d=oid%3A654582 <--- I thought this headline was hilarious

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6583476.html

My favorite line from the Chronicle article: "But then I guess the publisher of a book about vampires knows at least a little something about sucking."