Slothful Publishers?

[Jack Tingle]

I've recently noticed an odd trend. Big publishers, after getting the right to overprice their ebooks, have been phasing in their library-edition/trade/MMP/ebook schedules in an odd manner. The problem for them is that this leads to a sufficiently long wait that the local library copy of the hardcover is easily available. Since I cross reference my Amazon wishlist for Kindle books with the local library's catalog periodically, I've read several recent paper book releases just as one of several online services (BookBub, eReaderIQ) breathlessly informs me of a wonderful deal on the book I just read.

Has anyone else noticed this? I suspect this can lead to the publishers recent complaints of lower ebook sales. No kidding, publishers--don't sell me your wares when I'm in a buying mood and don't be surprised if you miss a sale.

In a countervailing note, I noticed a serious non-fiction publisher (OR Books) that just sells books on their web site with no silly buggers. Want a hardcover, a paperback, an e-book?. Sure, just send money and they'll send it to you. I almost made an impulse buy based only on sheer shock. In the past, only Baen seemed able to figure out they should take the customer's money and run.

Regards,
Jack Tingle

[fjtorres]

The big publishers have always wanted to window ebooks going back to at least 2009.
When that didn't work they turned to Agency.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB100014...84372263227740

"The right place for the e-book is after the hardcover but before the paperback," said Carolyn Reidy, CEO of Simon & Schuster, which is owned by CBS Corp. "We believe some people will be disappointed. But with new [electronic] readers coming and sales booming, we need to do this now, before the installed base of e-book reading devices gets to a size where doing it would be impossible."

It is a self-defeating practice but that is the kind of strategy they prefer anyway.

http://teleread.com/windowing-conten...omotes-piracy/

[pwalker8]

It's not just publishers. Authors sometimes insist on it as well. There are a number of book publishers that will sell you the paper or the ebook on their web site, including several that I use. No DRM either.

Of course, for the vast majority of books that I buy, the ebook comes out at the same time as the hardback, usually for considerably less than the hardback. That's big publishers, little publishers, best sellers and more specialized books. It really does seem to be the norm now. The last time that I was unable to get an ebook when the hardback came out was the last books from Jordan's Wheel of Time several years ago and that was because Jordan's widow insisted on it, not because the publisher wanted it.

[meeera]

Ebook windowing is a terrible idea, since it tells the world that you don't want disabled people having equal access to your books.

[HarryT]

Hardbacks are the "cash cow" of the publishing world. It makes sense to release hardback only for a while in order to maximise income for the book.

[Froide]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Hardbacks are the "cash cow" of the publishing world. It makes sense to release hardback only for a while in order to maximise income for the book.

This.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Hardbacks are the "cash cow" of the publishing world. It makes sense to release hardback only for a while in order to maximise income for the book.

That's certainly true if we are talking Hardback verse paperback. But how common is it now for a book to come out in hardback and not be available in ebook? My experience is that the last time it happened with one of the books that I was interested in was several years ago. It certainly doesn't seem to be the norm.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

That's certainly true if we are talking Hardback verse paperback. But how common is it now for a book to come out in hardback and not be available in ebook? My experience is that the last time it happened with one of the books that I was interested in was several years ago. It certainly doesn't seem to be the norm.

Agreed. What normally happens is that the ebook is initially released as a similar price to the HB, and then the price is reduced when the MMPB is released (typically a year later).

[DiapDealer]

It's also true that hardbacks are the "cash cow" of the publishing world because they strive so hard and manipulate so much to keep them that way.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

It's also true that hardbacks are the "cash cow" of the publishing world because they strive so hard and manipulate so much to keep them that way.

That was the point I was making. A publisher makes enormously more money from a hardback (or an HB-priced ebook) than a paperback, so it makes financial sense to get that money from HB sales before releasing the PB or cheaper ebook.

[DiapDealer]

My point was that ANYTHING could become their cash-cow if they would let it. It doesn't HAVE to be the the hardback. Try making money by selling more (for less) of what people want to buy, rather than less (at a higher price) of what you want to sell (because your business-model is unwisely still dependent upon the success of the product that costs the most to produce and distribute).

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

My point was that ANYTHING could become their cash-cow if they would let it. It doesn't HAVE to be the the hardback. Try making money by selling more (for less) of what people want to buy, rather than less (at a higher price) of what you want to sell (because your business-model is unwisely still dependent upon the success of the product that costs the most to produce and distribute).

What's the incentive to change a successful business model, though? The profits of the Big-5 (or however many it is now) publishers are good. Why take the risk of changing what works?

[crossi]

Were good. When the big publishers had an effective monopoly on access to the public for authors. How have their profits trended lately?

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by HarryT

What's the incentive to change a successful business model, though?

Foresight? And the realization that the industry IS changing (and your death-grip on it IS slipping)--so it's in your best interest to transition smoothly, early, and on your own terms before the market dictates an emergency overhaul? Maybe? Other industries have navigated paradigm shifts before (without waiting for some watershed moment to change).

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Foresight? And the realization that the industry IS changing (and your death-grip on it IS slipping)--so it's in your best interest to transition smoothly, early, and on your on terms before the market dictates an emergency overhaul? Maybe? Other industries have navigated paradigm shifts before (without waiting for some watershed moment to change).

Picking an example at random of one of the "Big 5", these are Hachette's revenue figures for the last 5 years:

2011: 2038 (millions of Euro)
2012: 2077
2013: 2066
2014: 2004
2015: 2206

(Source)

Those don't look like the figures of a business that needs to change. Revenue is stable and, indeed, increased by 10% in the last year. Large companies tend to be risk-averse. Their current business model is clearly working well for them at the moment.

I should add, by the way, that I'm in no way disagreeing with you. Just saying that it's understandable why they should see no need to change a way of doing business that's working well for them.