# Harry Potter- tired of waiting



## beckyj20 (Jun 12, 2010)

Is anyone else getting tired of waiting for the Harry Potter ebooks?  Every time I check they keep pushing back the release date.  I just don't understand what is taking so long!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I pretty much don't really care any more and, at this point, will probably not re--buy them in ebook format.  I already have them in hardback and paper (UK editions) and realistically, probably won't re-read them again now that I've seen all the movies too.

Of course, I might reconsider if they're only a buck or two when they are released, but I consider the chances of that to be so small as to be non-existent!


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

Unlike Ann, I've never read any of the HP books and only seen the first few films, but I did think I'd like to read them at some point - I put off getting paper copies as I preferred to read on my Kindle.

Trouble is, after all the excitement of Pottermore last year and all the 'ebooks will be available any time now' announcements, things have cooled off as everyone got fed up of waiting, including me.

I agree with Ann, unless the books are a real steal, I probably won't bother now. I think JKR has made a serious misjudgment with the way this whole website / ebooks thing has been handled - you have to strike while the iron is hot, not lukewarm.


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## Anjasa (Feb 4, 2012)

It's really sad that this isn't out yet. I don't understand why they're treating their fans like this.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

Yes, I've grown tired and have actually stopped even looking to see when they'll be released.  The excitement for the book - and for the site itself - has definitely died out for me.  Why they've kept the book from being sold makes no sense.  It's really not hard to set up an e-book store; the rest of the site could have followed whenever.  But....whatever...


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## Lyndl (Apr 2, 2010)

Agreed, the Hogwartz Express has left the station.  Unless the books are ridiculously cheap, I just won't bother. I've moved on


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## Krista D. Ball (Mar 8, 2011)

Anjasa said:


> It's really sad that this isn't out yet. I don't understand why they're treating their fans like this.


The author had major reservations about piracy and ebooks, which hindered the process for a very long time. Of course, she didn't realize that, since her books weren't available in ebook, several people took the time to scan her books and pirate the ebooks that way.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Lyndl said:


> Agreed, the Hogwartz Express has left the station.


and I haven't got an enchanted Ford Anglia around either. . . . .


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

Linjeakel said:


> I agree with Ann, unless the books are a real steal, I probably won't bother now. I think JKR has made a serious misjudgment with the way this whole website / ebooks thing has been handled - you have to strike while the iron is hot, not lukewarm.


I don't think Harry Potter will be lukewarm any time soon. I do thing this was mismanaged, but it was also a new endeavor, and so I think she/they just really didn't know what it all entailed. We'll have to see what happens when it finally opens -- if people are in a forgiving mood.

Rowling has always looked at ebooks as a thing she doesn't quite trust, and doesn't need to mess with. She is probably one of the few writers on the planet that probably really didn't need it, even though there is a massive fortune at stake. She has good old FU money.


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## Carl Ashmore (Oct 12, 2010)

I agree - I was really looking forward to reading Harry Potter on the Kindle but it's not even on my radar anymore


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## Anjasa (Feb 4, 2012)

Krista D. Ball said:


> The author had major reservations about piracy and ebooks, which hindered the process for a very long time. Of course, she didn't realize that, since her books weren't available in ebook, several people took the time to scan her books and pirate the ebooks that way.


Oh god that's 50 levels of pathetic. The books have already been out for how long? Fans have already spent how much on her franchise?

Piracy is, as Gabe Newell said, a service issue.


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## KindleGirl (Nov 11, 2008)

Yeah, I'm tired of waiting as well. I hadn't read past the first one but started again last fall so that I would be ready to continue when the ebooks were released. I stopped after 3 because I will not carry the big books around to read. I was all set to continue and if they came out when they were supposed to I would have. Not anymore. I've lost interest and don't really care. If I ever get the desire to see how it all ends I'll watch the movies.


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## Sean Patrick Fox (Dec 3, 2011)

I didn't even realize Harry Potter wasn't available electronically. Can anyone give me a link or a brief synopsis as to why this is? There's got to be millions of dollars waiting to be earned by putting the books out electronically.


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

Sean Patrick Fox said:


> I didn't even realize Harry Potter wasn't available electronically. Can anyone give me a link or a brief synopsis as to why this is? There's got to be millions of dollars waiting to be earned by putting the books out electronically.


Put simply, JK Rowling has a personal dislike of ebooks - based, it seems, on her belief that it would be too easy for people to pirate them. She doesn't seem to realise that the lack of legal options has encouraged unscrupulous people to scan the paper versions and sell the resulting dodgy digital copies.

As far as the money to be earned, I would imagine that's the least of her concerns - she's not exactly short of money.

She's recently had a change of heart and decided to set up a new website - Pottermore - which includes a store where you will be able to purchase HP related stuff including, finally, the ebooks. But there have been teething problems which came to light when the one million beta users got access to it last year and it's having a revamp before the official opening, which keeps getting put off. For some strange reason, they won't open the store part until the rest of it is working - or make the books available elsewhere, like Amazon - so still no ebooks.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Linjeakel said:


> Put simply, JK Rowling has a personal dislike of ebooks - based, it seems, on her belief that it would be too easy for people to pirate them. She doesn't seem to realise that the lack of legal options has encouraged unscrupulous people to scan the paper versions and sell the resulting dodgy digital copies.
> 
> As far as the money to be earned, I would imagine that's the least of her concerns - she's not exactly short of money.
> 
> She's recently had a change of heart and decided to set up a new website - Pottermore - which includes a store where you will be able to purchase HP related stuff including, finally, the ebooks. But there have been teething problems which came to light when the one million beta users got access to it last year and it's having a revamp before the official opening, which keeps getting put off. For some strange reason, they won't open the store part until the rest of it is working - or make the books available elsewhere, like Amazon - so still no ebooks.


She also has offered, by way of explanation, that she wants kids to have the experience of curling up with a good book and getting away from screens and technology. Which is a valid point of view. . .except that I don't put dedicated e-readers in the same category as TV and video games.


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

Ann in Arlington said:


> She also has offered, by way of explanation, that she wants kids to have the experience of curling up with a good book and getting away from screens and technology. Which is a valid point of view. . .except that I don't put dedicated e-readers in the same category as TV and video games.


Agreed - getting kids to use ereaders is a good way to encourage them to read while still letting them get their technology fix - nor does it gel with the fact that she's happy to encourage them to participate in her website .....


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## Sherlock (Dec 17, 2008)

Carl Ashmore said:


> I agree - I was really looking forward to reading Harry Potter on the Kindle but it's not even on my radar anymore


Same for me. If the delay is all part of a plan to whip folks into a frenzy of anticipation, it's gone on too long and fallen on it's face. If it's simply lack of experience with the setup, you'd think she'd be wise enough to hire the expertise - we know she has the $$. LOL


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Linjeakel said:


> Agreed - getting kids to use ereaders is a good way to encourage them to read while still letting them get their technology fix - nor does it gel with the fact that she's happy to encourage them to participate in her website .....


Touché. I hadn't even consciously thought about that contradiction!


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## heavycat (Feb 14, 2011)

> you'd think she'd be wise enough to hire the expertise - we know she has the $$


So how long before she shows up on Kindleboards? "Hey can someone format my books? I already have the covers."


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## Jon Olson (Dec 10, 2010)

I don't see why, if you want to read Harry Potter and are waiting for the eBook, you don't just buy the book book. Get what you want however it's available.


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## Sean Patrick Fox (Dec 3, 2011)

Jon Olson said:


> I don't see why, if you want to read Harry Potter and are waiting for the eBook, you don't just buy the book book. Get what you want however it's available.


Because for one reason or the other, they want the ebook - not the physical book.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Sean Patrick Fox said:


> Because for one reason or the other, they want the ebook - not the physical book.


Exactly. 

The later volumes are rather large and the ebooks would be a lot easier for many folks.

OR. . .many people have already read them in paper but have expressed an interest in having them in eFormat so they can reread with ease as they choose. But the longer it takes for them to come out the less important that's likely to be to many people.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

Linjeakel said:


> nor does it gel with the fact that she's happy to encourage them to participate in her website .....


Ha! Never thought of it that way, but it's true!


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## swlothian (Feb 20, 2012)

beckyj20 said:


> Is anyone else getting tired of waiting for the Harry Potter ebooks? Every time I check they keep pushing back the release date. I just don't understand what is taking so long!


I'm sure that they'll arrive one day. I've read my paper books over and over and It'd be really convenient to have the whole set on our Kindle/iPad. Time will tell I guess.


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

My guess is she can't afford the extra staff to move things along.

Todd


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## sarahsbloke (Sep 24, 2011)

Linjeakel said:


> Put simply, JK Rowling has a personal dislike of ebooks - based, it seems, on her belief that it would be too easy for people to pirate them. She doesn't seem to realise that the lack of legal options has encouraged unscrupulous people to scan the paper versions and sell the resulting dodgy digital copies.


I've never heard of anyone selling pirated e-books, they have always been distributed free.


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## Jan Strnad (May 27, 2010)

Just as kind of a philosophical question, at what point does one realize that one has enough money...more than enough...and that playing the "let's maximize profits" game is rather pointless? Once your days are filled and you have piles of money sitting around just making more piles of money, doesn't the thrill kind of wear off?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

sarahsbloke said:


> I've never heard of anyone selling pirated e-books, they have always been distributed free.


Pirate versions are readily available free . . . but there are also pirates who are selling them. . .and people buy them because they figure that because it's for sale, it must be legitimate.

But they're not.

There are no legitimately available eBook versions of the Harry Potter series.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Jan Strnad said:


> Just as kind of a philosophical question, at what point does one realize that one has enough money...more than enough...and that playing the "let's maximize profits" game is rather pointless? Once your days are filled and you have piles of money sitting around just making more piles of money, doesn't the thrill kind of wear off?


I don't think money is her motivation. I think she truly is interested in getting kids involved and reading. Which, in general, I applaud. I don't think she's going about it properly, but I think that's her main motivation.

And she doesn't seem to recognize that a lot of her readers are adults now. . . .and many were even when the books were first released!


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## Matt Larkin (Sep 27, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I don't think money is her motivation. I think she truly is interested in getting kids involved and reading. Which, in general, I applaud. I don't think she's going about it properly, but I think that's her main motivation.
> 
> And she doesn't seem to recognize that a lot of her readers are adults now. . . .and many were even when the books were first released!


Yes. And more over, those of us that travel a lot and like to live lightweight don't want to carry seven large books with us. I truly wish she'd just made the books available in Kindle store and called it a day.

I'd have bought all of them in a heartbeat. Instead, I've not read past book 2, and now I've seen all the movies. It does diminish my interest in the books a little. That said, I'm sure I'd still buy them if they're not overpriced.


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

Jan Strnad said:


> Just as kind of a philosophical question, at what point does one realize that one has enough money...more than enough...and that playing the "let's maximize profits" game is rather pointless? Once your days are filled and you have piles of money sitting around just making more piles of money, doesn't the thrill kind of wear off?


Here are the answers to your questions:

1. Never.
2. No.

When it comes to money, history indicates that there is no such thing as "enough", even when you have "piles" of it.

Maybe even particularly when.

Todd


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Matt Larkin said:


> That said, I'm sure I'd still buy them if they're not overpriced.


And I'm really to the point that, especially if they're not available via Amazon, they've got to be bargain basement priced for me to bite.

Maybe we'll see. . . .someday . . .


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

Jan Strnad said:


> Just as kind of a philosophical question, at what point does one realize that one has enough money...more than enough...and that playing the "let's maximize profits" game is rather pointless? Once your days are filled and you have piles of money sitting around just making more piles of money, doesn't the thrill kind of wear off?


If it was just about money, she would have done something years ago. I mean, before she announced Pottermore, the rallying cry was about how she was crazy to not care about all the profits she was losing. Now that she's doing it, I imagine she wants to maximize its success, and I'm sure they pirating never made her happy, but I don't think her first priority is filthy lucre.


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## Matt Larkin (Sep 27, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> And I'm really to the point that, especially if they're not available via Amazon, they've got to be bargain basement priced for me to bite.
> 
> Maybe we'll see. . . .someday . . .


Is she not planning to sell them on Amazon at any point? That's disappointing if it is the case.


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

Matt Larkin said:


> Is she not planning to sell them on Amazon at any point? That's disappointing if it is the case.


No, she plans to only sell them through Pottermore.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

Not offering them for sale as e-books doesn't mean they aren't available as e-books. It only means that you can't get any money from the e-books. She also claims that she wants to keep control of how the books are presented, but the only way to do that is to offer them for sale. If she doesn't, the pirated books are the only ones that will be out there, and she has no control over those.


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## Kathelm (Sep 27, 2010)

As people have pointed out, the irony of not selling an ebook for fear of piracy is that it just means more piracy. We've gotten to a point where most people will try to download something legitimately and use piracy as a last resort.

I'm not advocating piracy here, but it's bad business to expect people to be this patient. They _want_ to give you money in return for a product, but if you won't sell, they won't feel bad about piracy.

This comic seems pertinent. (Warning: Some foul language ahoy.)

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/game_of_thrones


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## Buttercup (Oct 28, 2008)

For quite some time I was stalking Pottermore.com on a regular basis waiting for it to open up for registration and looking for news on the e-books.  I was so excited to be a part of both.  Now, after waiting and waiting and waiting ... meh, I could take it or leave it.  She's definitely not building up my anticipation but is killing it.  I've yet to read the last HP book, I do have it in hardcover so I may break down and read it that way and forget about the e-books.  Clearly she doesn't want or need my money or loyalty that much.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I pretty much don't really care any more and, at this point, will probably not re--buy them in ebook format. I already have them in hardback and paper (UK editions) and realistically, probably won't re-read them again now that I've seen all the movies too.
> 
> Of course, I might reconsider if they're only a buck or two when they are released, but I consider the chances of that to be so small as to be non-existent!


Same here. Had they been released on Kindle before the last movie or even just after, I might have bought and reread them. But not any more... I've accepted Harry Potter is done and I've moved on. They really missed the boat on this one.


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## Sherlock (Dec 17, 2008)

Do you think she will dump the whole HP ebook project eventually?  If the delay is not due to a marketing strategy (and we know that's fallen flat if that's the case) then there has to be a significant problem.  Maybe she'll decide it's not worth the effort?


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

Sherlock said:


> Do you think she will dump the whole HP ebook project eventually? If the delay is not due to a marketing strategy (and we know that's fallen flat if that's the case) then there has to be a significant problem. Maybe she'll decide it's not worth the effort?


The problem doesn't seem to be with the ebooks as such, just that she only wants them available on Pottermore, rather than direct through Amazon etc - and Pottermore is the thing they're having problems with.

After the million user beta testing last year, they cancelled the full opening and have spent months overhauling the site. The amount of time it's taken I would have thought they must have started from scratch. 

For whatever reason, they won't open the shop part of the site until the rest of it is ready - so no ebooks.


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## Buttercup (Oct 28, 2008)

http://paidcontent.org/article/419-harry-potter-e-books-will-be-in-libraries/#keep_reading

Hopefully they will also be in Kindle format!


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## monkeyluis (Oct 17, 2010)

There is no reason not to put them out. Might as well try & sell them. She's already lost a ton of money i'm sure for not putting them in ebook form, & the books already out on the alter verse. I wouldn't buy them if she out them out. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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