No ebook for the next Stephen King

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

How long do you think it will take someone to scan it, and post online?

While I do not agree with the ethics of it, I don't understand how publishers can miss out on this point: if you don't provide something to consumers in a form that they want, they aren't going to buy it. In some cases, not buying it will translate into piracy. In other cases, not buying it will translate into not obtaining the book at all. Either way, they are losing out on revenues.

Even if the ebook release is delayed (which appears to be the case here) and nobody pirates it, they still run into a serious risk of losing sales because the book won't be fresh in people's minds and there will be a glut of used pbooks on the market.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Well, he didn't say it would never be published as an ebook. Just that "we’re going to hold off on e-publishing this one for the time being."



This is what amazes me most about the whole affair, and makes it seem more of a marketing ploy than a genuine swipe at ebooks. A few years ago he wrote an Amazon-only novella called "UR" especially for the Kindle. It was about a customer who received a Pink Kindle with very special EXPERIMENTAL options, including being able to buy the books Ernest Hemingway wrote after July 2, 1961.

J.K. Rowling held off on going to ebook format as well and look how many illegal torrrents of the books got out onto the net. I'd hate to guess how many millions of dollars she lost by holding off on embracing the technology though to be fair it wasn't as advanced as it is now back in the 90's when her 1st books came out. Ur is an interesting story I agree. Would be nice to have those special Experimental options on my Kindle.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

“I love crime, I love mysteries, and I love ghosts,” he said in the press release. “I also loved the paperbacks I grew up with as a kid, and for that reason, we’re going to hold off on e-publishing this one for the time being. Joyland will be coming out in paperback, and folks who want to read it will have to buy the actual book.”


Silly goose. How long do you think it will take someone to scan it, and post online?

Illegal, certainly, but inevitable.

Probably less than a day after it comes out for purchase, unless someone manages to acquire an advanced readers copy in some fashion.

[VaporPunk]

Bummed. But if its only a delay, I can grin and bear it.

[carpetmojo]

Originally Posted by crich70

J.K. Rowling held off on going to ebook format as well and look how many illegal torrrents of the books got out onto the net. I'd hate to guess how many millions of dollars she lost by holding off on embracing the technology ............

JKR didn't do ebook versions originally because she felt the technology, being a lot more expensive than now, would in fact act as a barrier for children wanting to read the works.
I don't think the money was even a factor - anyway, profit-wise I don't expect it was significant.

[MikeB1972]

To be fair to Stephen King he has tried Kindle Only, ebook only, ebook first, pay per chapter as he writes it, animated series, comic books etc.

Everyone here keeps saying that publishers have to come up with new business models, now you're complaining because it's one you don't like.

[wizwor]

I think he is saying that he'd like to maximize profits by offering the ebook only after maximizing sales of the pbook. The assumption being that his biggest fans who prefer ebooks will spring for both formats.

[VaporPunk]

Originally Posted by wizwor

I think he is saying that he'd like to maximize profits by offering the ebook only after maximizing sales of the pbook. The assumption being that his biggest fans who prefer ebooks will spring for both formats.

I don't think he likes his #1 fans that much...

[JoeD]

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

JKR didn't do ebook versions originally because she felt the technology, being a lot more expensive than now, would in fact act as a barrier for children wanting to read the works.
I don't think the money was even a factor - anyway, profit-wise I don't expect it was significant.

How would that act as a barrier? If kids/their parents can't afford ereaders or other ebook devices, they buy the paper/hardback version. If the kids/parents didn't like ereaders, they buy the paper/hardback version.

Everyone else who can afford either, chooses.

That reason, along with the, withholding ebooks over piracy fears, just don't make sense to me. Not saying either of those are not really the reasons she gave, I've not seen any quotes from her explaining the decision, but if they are the reason, both are... flawed

I can see the logic if her point was more that she wanted kids to read using paper books instead of "tech", whilst I would still disagree with it, withholding ebooks would at least make sense there. (excluding those who will pirate it and read via "tech" anyway)

At the time Rowling released the first few books though, ebooks were nowhere near as popular as they've become in the last two years. I find it surprising any author would avoid/delay ebook releases unless they're trying to bring about the windowing option they tried to force on amazon (now that agency pricing is "on hold")

[David Munch]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

“I love crime, I love mysteries, and I love ghosts,” he said in the press release. “I also loved the paperbacks I grew up with as a kid, and for that reason, we’re going to hold off on e-publishing this one for the time being. Joyland will be coming out in paperback, and folks who want to read it will have to buy the actual book.”

What a load of PR bullcrap. Does anyone actually buy into things like this?

Silly goose. How long do you think it will take someone to scan it, and post online?

Heh, I assume someone from the publishing company leaks it in pure text some weeks before release..

[QuantumIguana]

"Joyland will be coming out in paperback, and folks who want to read it will have to buy the actual book."

I won't be downloading it, but there are a lot of people who will be downloading it because it ion't legally available as an e-book. No one can prevent a book from existing in e-book format, the only question is will you get the money from your e-books? I'm not advocating piracy, again, I'm not going to download it. I am merely making an observation. People will download it who otherwise may have purchased it. I'm only concerned with what people will do, not with what they ought to do. The idea that you can control the format in which people read your books is mistaken.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

"Joyland will be coming out in paperback, and folks who want to read it will have to buy the actual book."

Silly me, I thought an ebook was an "actual book".

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Silly me, I thought an ebook was an "actual book".

You are being silly. Next you'll be saying that the copies of the Iliad and the Odyssey people buy in their local bookstores are "actual scrolls".

Books and ebooks, bah! There's nothing like the smell and feel of unrolling crumbling scrolls!

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Books and ebooks, bah! There's nothing like the smell and feel of unrolling crumbling scrolls!

Spoken like someone who doesn't have all their capital tied up in the stone tablet industry.

[WT Sharpe]