Reader poll: Preorders

[WT Sharpe]

I personally see nothing "dumb" about pre-ordering ebooks at all. I did it with the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible because I knew for so long that Harper, who holds the copyright, had not seen fit previously to publish it as an ebook, and it's long been my favorite translation. I also did it with The True Believer: Thoughts On The Nature Of Mass Movements by Eric Hoffer, one of the most erudite and thoughtful longshoremen who ever lived in my opinion, because again, it was something I had wanted to see as an ebook for a very long time and was so pleased when I heard it was finally going to be published that I wanted to take steps to ensure I didn't miss out. After all, who knows but that these publishers might decide at any time to pull a Disney and and put the publication "back in the vault forever"?

[WT Sharpe]

My answer to the poll question, by the way, is not on the poll. It's "Normally I'll wait, unless there's a special reason." I have no desire to be the first to read everything that comes out.

[fantasyfan]

I'll generally pre-order.

[Catlady]

Preordering an e-book generally doesn't seem to have any real advantage. If I'm really, really eager to read a book, I will know the pub date and order on that date; if the date isn't on my radar, it's not important enough for me to preorder.

For paper books, DVDs, and CDs, though, preordering usually means the items ship a few days before the release date and arrive at my home on the release date. So there's an advantage in how quickly the material arrives.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Preordering an e-book generally doesn't seem to have any real advantage.

The only real advantage is that it saves having to remember to order it after release. Purely a matter of convenience. Eg I've pre-ordered Stephen Baxter's new SF book, "Proxima", which is due to be released on 19th September. When I switch my Kindle on on 19th September it'll be there. Much less hassle than having to make a note of the release date and buy it then, given that it's a book that I know I'll going to enjoy.

[Canuck_in_Japan]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Er, why is it "dumb" to want to have a book delivered automatically to your Kindle the day that it's released, rather than having to remember to order it after release? It may not be something that you'd personally want to do, but please don't insult people who make a different choice.

Then you're not really pre ordering it, you're just buying it before it is released. To me pre-ordering is like reserving a product due to rarity. For example I have a PS4 pre-ordered. An actual pre-order - I haven't paid any money, but I have been guaranteed a launch product. I would never pre-order a book, at least not an ebook because there's no rarity.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

Then you're not really pre ordering it, you're just buying it before it is released. To me pre-ordering is like reserving a product due to rarity. For example I have a PS4 pre-ordered. An actual pre-order - I haven't paid any money, but I have been guaranteed a launch product. I would never pre-order a book, at least not an ebook because there's no rarity.

I haven't paid any money either for my Stephen Baxter book that's going to be released on 19th September; my credit card will be charged on the day that it's released. It's simply more convenient for me to order it now, than to have to remember to order it on 19th September. Perhaps that wouldn't be any benefit to you; it is to me.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

To me pre-ordering is like reserving a product due to rarity.

Emphasis mine.
Yours is clearly not the only definition of the word.

[Yapyap]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I haven't paid any money either for my Stephen Baxter book that's going to be released on 19th September; my credit card will be charged on the day that it's released. It's simply more convenient for me to order it now, than to have to remember to order it on 19th September. Perhaps that wouldn't be any benefit to you; it is to me.

This, exactly.

While I can see that pre-ordering isn't a service everyone will have use for, I just can't really see why it's "dumb" to do so. If there was a way to have a reliable, working site where you can add a book to your wishlist and then have a notification about its release sent on the day of release to remind you, would that be "dumb" as well? Or would it be "dumb" to note the date down in a calendar to remind oneself of it?

If not, how would it be "dumber" to just pre-order a book when I come across it on Amazon, when I'm already on that page (e.g. looking for information on when it comes out or the expected price), rather than to make a note about when it's released and then have to remember to come back for it and order it on release day?

Surely there's nothing odd about clicking that pre-order button while I'm already there; it saves me from having to add it to a wish list (or just note down / try to remember the release date) and return to it later, when it's a book I know I'll want to read right away - especially as I know that pre-ordering won't cost me more than what is shown on the page when I pre-order it and may well end up costing me less, should the price fluctuate and go down at some point.

I can and do understand various reasons for not pre-ordering - not intending to read the book immediately (and therefore waiting makes sense, cost-wise), having relatively few books on the radar and finding it easy to remember all the release dates (especially when found out elsewhere, not on a bookshop site), not wanting to risk running out of funds on the release day (e.g. not having enough gift card credit or credit card limit left), not wanting to keep a credit card on file (which some shops insist on for pre-orders). But what I cannot understand is dismissing the entire concept as dumb, pointless or unnecessary when it's so obviously convenient and useful for plenty of people - even when there is no question of rarity or the shop running out of stock.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Bertolt

I wait till it's been out a year or so. What's the rush? Books often cost a LOT less after the initial interest has subsided a bit. It's still the same book you're reading 12 months later and it's often only 25 percent of the original price. If it's a good book now, it will be a good book 12 months later too.

That might not be true because part of the goodness is discussing the books with your friends and they will read it as soon as it appear. Also you will get spoilers if you wait.

[DuskyRose]

Originally Posted by tompe

That might not be true because part of the goodness is discussing the books with your friends and they will read it as soon as it appear. Also you will get spoilers if you wait.

Yeah, it's hard for me to wait on some things. I had a horrible time staying out of the lists when the second seaons of "Sherlock" came out in the UK, but not in the US. Torture. I caved. I got spoiled. Hard to avoid your favorite haunts when everyone else is partying.

Same for books. There are a few series I want to read the minute it's out. Don't care what else I'm reading at the time, I want the new one to read the night it comes out. Period. (The Dresden Files is one of those.) Worth the money for instant gratification.

For most, it's like deciding what movie to see in the theater, which ones to wait for the DVD, (and then which ones are buyers rather than renters) and which I wait until they're at Netflix, or I catch the edited/with commercials late one night.

It's a case by case basis.

[jineapple]

Since I rarely buy books when they just came out due to a limited budget, preorder isn't a question for me really.

[delph]

I regularly pre-ordered paper books to make sure I reserved a copy that I could read at release if it was a book that I was excited to read. Since I switched to ebooks, I stopped pre-ordering. Vendors don't sell out of digital copies.

[Crowl]

I would never pre-order an ebook, there are no financial benefits to doing it and I can just as easily wish list the ones I want to be reminded about.

Depending on what I am reading at the time I might not actually be intending to read it from the day of release anyway so I might as well leave it until I am ready since it might have dropped a bit in price by then anyway.

[HarleyB]

Originally Posted by Crowl

I would never pre-order an ebook, there are no financial benefits to doing it...

Except that sometimes there are financial benefits to it.

My husband enjoys the Jack Reacher novels and a while ago I preordered "Never Go Back" which is due to be published at the end of August. When it is released I will pay my special preorder price of $9.99 and he will enjoy it immediately. The price is currently $15.96 at Amazon and over $22 at Kobo so the saving in this case will be quite significant.

So my answer is that I do sometimes preorder but only when I can lock in a special price.