E-book of Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol outsells the hardback on Amazon

[desertgrandma]

And Waterstones, for those 'over there' has it for a low price also. L9.49

http://www.waterstones.com/waterston...do?sku=6935637

[Superlucky]

Originally Posted by ahi

Unless they assume X% of those eBook sales would have been far more profitable hardcover sales... if only they delayed the eBook's release.

A theory that seems eminently plausible to me. And given how much profit there can be on an overpriced hardcover... perhaps it is even a sensible one... despite being contrary to consumer interests.

- Ahi

That theory doesn't seem plausible or sensible to me. Have you seen our MR poll on the topic? Even if x% of those book sales would have been hardback (hardly likely), then the profits of those sales would be eclipsed by people getting a pdf from the darknet, which in this case was available the day of the release.

[ahi]

Originally Posted by Superlucky

That theory doesn't seem plausible or sensible to me. Have you seen our MR poll on the topic? Even if x% of those book sales would have been hardback (hardly likely), then the profits of those sales would be eclipsed by people getting a pdf from the darknet, which in this case was available the day of the release.

PDF is not an eBook format, Superlucky--as per doubtless more MR polls, threads, and posts than I could possibly reference.

- Ahi

[EowynCarter]

the Kindle edition is available at just $9.99

Oh, what a surprise. Peaple are less hesitant to but a book if it's less expensive.

That theory doesn't seem plausible or sensible to me. Have you seen our MR poll on the topic? Even if x% of those book sales would have been hardback (hardly likely), then the profits of those sales would be eclipsed by people getting a pdf from the darknet, which in this case was available the day of the release.

Yeap.
That's even worse when waiting for translation (** Remember me why i did pay attention in English classes **).

[HarryT]

FW are selling it at $9.99 ($8.49) for club members, in both eReader and Mobi formats. They are also offering all Mr. Browns other opera at 100% MicroPay discount.

[Superlucky]

Originally Posted by ahi

PDF is not an eBook format, Superlucky--as per doubtless more MR polls, threads, and posts than I could possibly reference.

- Ahi

True, it's no one's idea of optimal, but I've also read on many threads here - and I feel this way myself - that a pdf is better than no ebook at all. I've read plenty of them on my 505. My options (as I see them) in order of preference when I want a book are as follows:

1. purchase non-DRM'd ebook
2. purchase DRM'd ebook
3. darknet pdf
4. borrow p-book

Purchasing a p-book doesn't even make the list - much less purchasing a hardback.

Bottom line: if anyone wants my money for a book, they have to make an ebook available.

[ahi]

Originally Posted by Superlucky

True, it's no one's idea of optimal, but I've also read on many threads here - and I feel this way myself - that a pdf is better than no ebook at all. I've read plenty of them on my 505. My options (as I see them) in order of preference when I want a book are as follows:

1. purchase non-DRM'd ebook
2. purchase DRM'd ebook
3. darknet pdf
4. borrow p-book

Purchasing a p-book doesn't even make the list - much less purchasing a hardback.

Bottom line: if anyone wants my money for a book, they have to make an ebook available.

...

Ok. That's fine. But I hardly think that you or any other vocal Mobileread members are representative of the general book reading public.

- Ahi

[Superlucky]

Originally Posted by ahi

...

Ok. That's fine. But I hardly think that you or any other vocal Mobileread members are representative of the general book reading public.

- Ahi

I think we are representative of the general ebook reading public.

[ahi]

Originally Posted by Superlucky

I think we are representative of the general ebook reading public.

I think even that's a pretty big stretch.

The average person is not going to boycott a bestseller because the publisher delayed (or declined to offer at all) the eBook version or be satisfied with a pirated PDF if they get the paper book for $20 - $40 dollars.

- Ahi

[Daithi]

Originally Posted by ahi

PDF is not an eBook format, Superlucky--as per doubtless more MR polls, threads, and posts than I could possibly reference.

- Ahi

I would define an ebook format as "a file format that can display a book on an ereader" and by that definition a PDF is most certainly an ebook format. Just my opinion of course.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Daithi

I would define an ebook format as "a file format that can display a book on an ereader" and by that definition a PDF is most certainly an ebook format. Just my opinion of course.

PDF is a rather poor eBook format as most readers are 6" screens and the PDF are made for letter sized pages with way too much margin. Have you ever seen a single PDF for sale that was made properly for a 6" screen?

[ahi]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

PDF is a rather poor eBook format as most readers are 6" screens and the PDF are made for letter sized pages with way too much margin. Have you ever seen a single PDF for sale that was made properly for a 6" screen?

Or an ePub, for that matter.

- Ahi

[Superlucky]

Originally Posted by ahi

I think even that's a pretty big stretch.

The average person is not going to boycott a bestseller because the publisher delayed (or declined to offer at all) the eBook version or be satisfied with a pirated PDF if they get the paper book for $20 - $40 dollars.

- Ahi

My point is that ebook consumers are not "average". People who buy ebooks have also invested several hundred dollars in a device to read them and tend to be tech-savvy. Best-sellers like The Lost Symbol are not exactly fine literature that people expect to re-read later. It's the kind of book you lend to someone and then just tell them to keep it.

The Lost Symbol isn't just number 1 on Amazon - it's number 1 at The Pirate Bay as well: http://thepiratebay.org/top/601. That's a lot of people willing to be satisfied with a pirated pdf even when they can buy a nicely formatted ebook.

[ahi]

Originally Posted by Superlucky

My point is that ebook consumers are not "average". People who buy ebooks have also invested several hundred dollars in a device to read them and tend to be tech-savvy. Best-sellers like The Lost Symbol are not exactly fine literature that people expect to re-read later. It's the kind of book you lend to someone and then just tell them to keep it.

The Lost Symbol isn't just number 1 on Amazon - it's number 1 at The Pirate Bay as well: http://thepiratebay.org/top/601. That's a lot of people willing to be satisfied with a pirated pdf even when they can buy a nicely formatted ebook.

Yes. Except I suspect the majority of people who bought would not go pirate bay at the exclusion of a paper book purchase (whether now or later once the paperback is out), and the greater majority of the pirate bay crowd would be unlikely to buy the copy (other than perhaps dirt cheap, second hand, wherefrom no money goes to the publisher) even if the pirate bay did not have it.

That's my intuition on the matter. And it's really all I have to counter your own intuition on it.

- Ahi

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Crowl

Booksonboard.com were doing it for a similar price, but its back up to $25 now despite claiming to still be $9.95 on the front page, which seems a bit cheeky.

There is an error on BooksOnBoard's front page. It's not gone up in price.

http://www.booksonboard.com/index.ph...ok&BOOK=440388