# E-Book releases: would you be willing to wait now?



## Flechette (Nov 6, 2009)

Back before the agency model was introduced, major publishers tried to push off the release date of e-books as 4 months after the release of hardback.  At that time, it seemed like they were a little more willing to keep the price closer to $9.99 ($11-$13).  Well their plans weren't exactly embraced by us e-book readers  (we put up quite the stink  ) and eventually the much-disliked (by readers) agency model was introduced.  (not saying the agency model would not have been adopted anyway... just putting events in a timeline)

Back then, I was heavily against the delay in e-book release;  OTOH it never occurred to me Bestseller e-books would be $15, and lot of the authors backlist of over a decade old would be $10.

I've found I've revisited my stance somewhat - If I'm lucky the library may get me a copy of Nora Roberts latest in 3 months (and that's when I'm high on the waiting list).  I still think 4 months is ridiculous for delaying an e-book.  It seems like around 70-80% of hardback books to most of their selling in the 3-4 weeks following release.  So an 8 week delay could be construed as reasonable,  if the publishers drop the e-book price down from $15.


So compared to before agency model pricing- how do you feel about delayed e-book releases if it would mean a decrease of at least $2-3 (or more) per $14.99+ title?


This is just something that's been on my mind since the DOJ announcement, I've been wondering if both sides might be willing to revisit and come to better terms  


So- thoughts?  Opinions?  Think it could happen?  Think it should happen?


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

nope. I really don't give a rats patootie anymore.. tradepubs are far too greedy for me, and I purchase maybe 2 or 3 a year. Otherwise I'm an indie reader all the way. Their books are lower, they get more of the profit, and I enjoy finding gems.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I didn't have a problem with waiting for the e-book before...as I never bought hardcovers, I always waited for the paperback.  And now I'm waiting for ebooks to drop in price as they typically do when the paperback is released.  So it really doesn't make any difference.

Betsy


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## Flechette (Nov 6, 2009)

BTackitt said:


> nope. I really don't give a rats patootie anymore.. tradepubs are far too greedy for me, and I purchase maybe 2 or 3 a year. Otherwise I'm an indie reader all the way. Their books are lower, they get more of the profit, and I enjoy finding gems.


No to what part, specifically?

I pretty much read all indie myself these days -at least ebookwise. Debora Geary is really close to knocking out Nora Roberts as my Favorite Author. Thing is, I _miss_ having ebooks versions of my other favorite authors, and being able to revisit a story. But I'm not willing to pay $15 for a file I don't technically own, can be redacted from my kindle, I can't sell, and I can't get signed <shrug>

Betsy (fixed!), when do prices drop for your books? I seem to read alot of authors with Penguin and the prices don't feel like they drop ever, then again I don't really revisit them after 6 months if I've gotten it from the library~

I did used to buy hardbacks, but between bookclubs, Costco, and 40% off coupons I rarely paid more than $17 - usually more like $15 and I could get $5 back from a used bookstore.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Flechette said:


> No to what part, specifically?
> 
> I pretty much read all indie myself these days -at least ebookwise. Debora Geary is really close to knocking out Nora Roberts as my Favorite Author. Thing is, I _miss_ having ebooks versions of my other favorite authors, and being able to revisit a story. But I'm not willing to pay $15 for a file I don't technically own, can be redacted from my kindle, I can't sell, and I can't get signed <shrug>
> 
> ...


I dunno...I just check periodically. The only authors I buy all the books from these days are Lee Child and JD Robb (Nora Roberts writing as). I noticed that the "In Death" series books do go down eventually to 7.99. I recently signed up with ereaderiq to get price drop notices but I haven't gotten any notices so can't say how it works. (When I say "recently" I mean last week.)

While I wait, I buy indie books, get books from the library (I usually have 5-10 on hold at any given time at the library), or read some of my 900 or so unread books in my Kindle library.

Betsy


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

Flechette said:


> I still think 4 months is ridiculous for delaying an e-book.


How come? It's not considered too long to delay the release of a paperback. If I hadn't moved to ebooks, I'd still be waiting for paperback releases because I hate hardcovers and some paperbacks don't get released until 6+ months after the hardcover.



> So an 8 week delay could be construed as reasonable, if the publishers drop the e-book price down from $15.


They won't drop the price of the ebook before the paperback release - it might hurt their hardcover sales and their profit margin. The whole reason paperbacks are released so many months after the hardcover is so publishers can maximize the sales of the most expensive format. Providing a cheaper alternative (ebook) long before their hardcover sales slow would be stupid from their point of view. Do I like it? No, but I understand it. In fact, be grateful they don't apply that logic to ebooks because since ebooks should be the cheapest version, theoretically the best method of maximizing their profit would be to release the hardcover, wait for sales to slow, release the paperback, wait for sales to slow, THEN release the ebook.

I would rather see higher priced ebooks released with the hardcover. If it's too expensive for me, I can wait for the price to come down with the paperback. But I'd rather have the choice. If it's something I really want to read and don't want to wait no matter the cost, at least I have the option. I didn't have that option with paperbacks.

I guess with ebooks, we get so used to instant gratification by being able to obtain a book with the click of a button that it makes waiting for a book for any reason even more frustrating.


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## Holly (Mar 8, 2011)

I've got so many hoarded ebooks to read that I do not mind waiting.  Even the Hunger Games is on my kindle but I haven't gotten to it yet.  Read several books a week.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

I'm seldom every in a hurry to read anything, so waiting is no big deal.  Before I waited for paperbacks rather than paying for hardbacks.  Now I'm used to waiting for the paperback to be out so the e-book drops in price on a lot of agency priced titles.

Just not a big deal to me.  Gazillions of books to read, so no need to rush to read something right when it comes out.


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## Flechette (Nov 6, 2009)

<chuckle>

A new Nora Robert release meant I hit the bookstore at morning break, started the book during lunch break, continued during afternoon, and hubby knew he had to fend for himself for dinner. A Jim Butcher novel meant the same thing except we flipped to see who got it first...

So, no, the desire for instant gratification started long before e-books with both of us.  At least with a book I'm done in a day or 2, hubby gets a new vidoes game and I don't see him for weeks 

History_lover: I may be projecting, but I really think that at this point in time you're either buying physical books or you're buying e-books. In my circle of friends, we all have e-readers and only one still buys DTB, it's based strictly on price - if the DTB is cheaper, that's what he picks up. So I just don't see the e-book as cannibalising Hardback sales much anymore. And in my OP, I did posit that most hardbacks sell most of their copies in the 1st 4 weeks. So doubling that number is were I arrived at 8 weeks <shrug> 10-12 would also be reasonable to me. Nothing scientific about the 4 weeks; just talked to friends who used to work in bookstores, talked to current bookstore employees, and looked at the NYT bestseller list - so it could be completely wrong or just how things are in this town, and is a known to be a wide generalization 

And if e-books were $5, I'd be okay with them being issued last 

Again, I was thinking with the DOJ threatening to sue, the publishers might be looking at alternative pricing methods - and was curious what the current mood was regarding timing. It seems alot more mellow than when the the 4 months idea was originally floated.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

Flechette said:


> <chuckle>
> History_lover: I may be projecting, but I really think that at this point in time you're either buying physical books or you're buying e-books. In my circle of friends, we all have e-readers and only one still buys DTB, it's based strictly on price - if the DTB is cheaper, that's what he picks up. So I just don't see the e-book as cannibalising Hardback sales much anymore.


I think it depends on what types of books one reads as well. I only buy novels and most non-fiction I'm reading for leisureas e-books. Just no desire to buy a paperback/hardback when I seldom re-read and have no desire to have a library of books cluttering up the condo. My Bluray/DVD and CD collections already take up enough space!

But I buy paperbooks for most anything I'm reading for work (academic research books, textbooks etc) as it's just easier to mark those up, flip through them when referencing them in a research paper I'm righting etc. And things like cookbooks, reference books, coffeetable books etc. will be things most people will prefer in paper.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

It's funny, I have barely downloaded ANY big publisher novels since I got my Kindle.  I spend my time looking at the indies these days.  I got Stephen King's last one, but it was available right away anyway.  With so many books available right now, what the big time publishers do no longer concerns me much.


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## pawsplus (Mar 31, 2009)

I would rather wait and pay less.  I wait a YEAR for new TV series (I don't have cable so get the DVDs on Netflix) and I survive that.  I'm not happy about $14 e-books and try not to buy them, but often I have to pay that price. And I wish I didn't!


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

If the ebook is delayed, I do not buy the ebook unless it is under $7. I will not pay full price for it and I won't pay $10 for it. IF they are going to make me wait because of their greed than they can lose the sale or expect me to pay less than a paperback for the e-book.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

Flechette said:


> History_lover: I may be projecting, but I really think that at this point in time you're either buying physical books or you're buying e-books. In my circle of friends, we all have e-readers and only one still buys DTB, it's based strictly on price - if the DTB is cheaper, that's what he picks up. So I just don't see the e-book as cannibalising Hardback sales much anymore. And in my OP, I did posit that most hardbacks sell most of their copies in the 1st 4 weeks. So doubling that number is were I arrived at 8 weeks <shrug> 10-12 would also be reasonable to me. Nothing scientific about the 4 weeks; just talked to friends who used to work in bookstores, talked to current bookstore employees, and looked at the NYT bestseller list - so it could be completely wrong or just how things are in this town, and is a known to be a wide generalization


My thinking was that there may be a lot of people out there who haven't really check out ebooks yet BUT if they started to noticed a LOT of new releases were available cheaper in ebooks before the paperback release, they might be interested in checking it out. It's my belief that big publishers feel ebooks are a bit of a threat to them and their profit margin and if making ebooks available cheaper along with the hardcover, before the paperback release, is going to make people more interested in ebooks, they will do their best to avoid it.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Well, most of the books I read don't have a hardcover edition as far as I can tell. They get released as paperbacks at 7.99. And I expect the ebook to be out on that same day. 

I could never afford to buy hardcover books before my Kindle, but again, most of my books don't get released in HC. Well they are playing now with some more popular authors and releasing her stuff in HC first and I am not happy about that. I am not going to pay 12.99 for an ebook. My max is 7.99. So I wait in those cases until I guess I don't care anymore and find something else.


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## chilady1 (Jun 9, 2009)

Since receiving my first Kindle in 2009 (K2) I have never budged from my $9.99 stance.  I absolutely refuse to purchase any book (even one I want) if the price is over that threshold and even then I feel $9.99 is to much for something in digital form that I can't give to someone or sell.  On average, my books run about $5.00 - $6.99 and like most have pointed out because of the $12.99 - $14.99 price of agency pricing, I have discovered a whole new world of indie authors which I TOTALLY love.  Some of the best books I have read over the past few years rival a lot of the "known" authors like Patterson, Brown, et. al.

So for now, I am sticking to the $9.99 rule and continuing to support indie authors.  Besides, like others, I have so many books on my TBR list, by the time I get around to purchasing that $14.99 book, it is not priced below my threshold.


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## NanD (May 4, 2011)

I'd rather be _able_ to get the e-book the same day as the regular release, even if I have to pay $14.99. I have bought the hardcover version of a few author's books as soon as they were released. But I would prefer the e-book version. So I don't feel I'm "losing" money to buy it in my preferred method. They should, however lower the ebook price to at least the paperback price when that is released.


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## KindleGirl (Nov 11, 2008)

I would rather have the option of buying the ebook when the hardback is released. I have only bought a handful of those since the very first Kindle was announced, but I want the option to get the book in that format if I choose to. Usually I have plenty to read until the price drops, but there have been a few authors that I wanted to get right away, especially if the book was part of a series I was dying to continue reading. Some popular authors have book prices that don't drop for a long time, while I have found that others drop at least a couple dollars within a couple weeks to a month...way before the paperback comes out. Then when the paperback comes out it is dropped to that price.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

I have no problem payin $15 for a book the day it is released. There are a few authors that I am willing to do this for and I tend to have those books purchased well in advance. If those books are held back then I get annoyed and I expect a lower price point when they are released. I have a tendancy of letting the authors know of my dislike for the practice.


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## HeidiHall (Sep 5, 2010)

Since getting my kindle I have bought exactly 2 traditionally published books ... Janet Evanovich and Stuart Woods. Both were $14.99 and both were a disappointment. Since I've always bought the hardcover of both authors as soon as they came out, I didn't bat an eye before one-clicking. But I'd already begun reading indies by then and the realization that I was enjoying them as much or more than my old favorites (at a significantly lower cost) was eye-opening. 

So, waiting to see the price drop is not an issue for me anymore because there are so many books priced reasonably that I have plenty to fill my time waiting for the cost to come down on the big names. And I have so much fun browsing and sampling that it would spoil my fun to go back to the way things were. Really, my standbys are merely afterthoughts now and I barely miss them. I guess you could say the the big six lost a customer by not keeping up with the times. And if I'm jonesing for a Stone Barrington or Stephanie Plum fix, I still have a massive credit at my local used bookstore from cleaning off my shelves


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Waiting may have made sense back in the day when two formats were made and there was a larger market for hardcovers.  These days?  It's an antiquated model.  They need to be FASTER to market, not slower.  They need to get us books as soon as possible while there is still buzz.  The internet speeds things up, not slows it down.

I don't want to wait, but I will.  And I might just move on to the next book.  By the time they get around to it, I might not even be interested anymore or I might have read it used or at the library.


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## Rick Gualtieri (Oct 31, 2011)

I doubt I'd have the patience.  Any delays are obviously a marketing ploy as opposed to a technical one.  If a publisher's book isn't available when I want it, I'll find another that is.


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## S Jaffe (Jul 3, 2011)

What bothers me about this is that it doesn't really add up.  Hardcovers are so expensive that either you are already going to buy the hardcover or not.  I don't think a lot of readers are so "must have it now" that they'll pay so much more just to read it now.  Some, sure, but most pay to have the physical hardcover in their library.  The ebook is the opposite.  They feed the desires and needs of two different segments of audiences.  So, why not release at the same time with an appropriate price?

I realize I'm speaking in wide generalizations, but I don't think it's too off.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

S Jaffe said:


> What bothers me about this is that it doesn't really add up. Hardcovers are so expensive that either you are already going to buy the hardcover or not. I don't think a lot of readers are so "must have it now" that they'll pay so much more just to read it now. Some, sure, but most pay to have the physical hardcover in their library. The ebook is the opposite. They feed the desires and needs of two different segments of audiences. So, why not release at the same time with an appropriate price?
> 
> I realize I'm speaking in wide generalizations, but I don't think it's too off.


I disagree. All you have to do is look at the ebook sales of Ken Follet's "Fall of Giants" when it was first released. It was around $20 for the ebook, I believe (still $18.99, in fact - I think it was originally $19.99 but maybe my memory is off)... yet it was topping the Kindle bestsellers list. I remember people here griping about it because all those people buying a $20 Kindle book were just encouraging ebook prices to go up.

Additionally, take a look at George Martin's "Dance with Dragons" - currently $14.99 and ranked number 2 in Kindle's Fantasy Bestsellers: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Kindle-Store-Fantasy/zgbs/digital-text/158576011/ref=zg_bs_nav_kstore_4_157054011

Number one Kindle bestseller in Horror? Stephen King's "11/22/63" priced at $14.99: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Kindle-Store-Horror/zgbs/digital-text/157060011/ref=zg_bs_nav_kstore_3_157028011

These aren't quite as high but take a look at the Historical Fiction Bestsellers in the Kindle store - several titles in the top 20 are $11.99 or $12.99. One is $14.99: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Kindle-Store-Historical-Fiction/zgbs/digital-text/157059011/ref=zg_bs_nav_kstore_3_157028011

LOTS of readers out there do indeed want certain books badly enough that they are willing to pay a higher price for the ebook if it means getting it now.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Baen Books allows readers to buy pre-release copies of certain books for $15 or so.  They wouldn't do that if there wasn't a market for it.  Where they differ from the larger publishing houses is they offer their ebooks st around $6 even when the only paper version is hardcover.


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## Jan Strnad (May 27, 2010)

You can save a lot of money and a lot of angst by removing yourself from the "gotta have it *now*!" mindset.

I don't buy or borrow print books anymore because I prefer reading on my Kindle and we have too much clutter around the house already. But I won't pay Agency 6 prices, so I wait or read something else. I'm on a number of waiting lists at the library. I pick up the bargain books.

I bought the new Kurt Vonnegut Jr. novella out of curiosity. I could tell from the sample that he hadn't hit his prime yet in this early, unpublished work, but it was worth $1.99 to me. Had it been priced at $7.99 or above, I'd have passed.

With ebooks, publishers can release day-and-date with the hardback and then adjust the prices as the various print editions come out, so I don't see why they'd have to delay the ebook release. Just adjust the price.


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## Flechette (Nov 6, 2009)

Overall - interesting responses.


Loosely, there are still basically 2 camps  "I want the option to buy at the same time as Hardback, despite $15 price tag" and "I have so much to read I'll wait for normal price drops, no $15 price tag for me"

I seem to be alone in "wait 2-3 months and come out with a 11.99 or less price" . 

Like I said,  I was just wondering if perceptions/opinions had changed at all... and in a way they have, a lot more people seem willing to pay $15 occassionally that before.  I still think the DOJ case is going to force a change in e-book pricing...  I just wonder what the next incareration will be~


Thanks for the thoughts and input!


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## Matthew Lee Adams (Feb 19, 2012)

If the ebook price is the same as the mass market or trade paperback. I get the physical book.

I also buy hardcovers - probably with as much frequency as I buy mass market/trade paperbacks, out-of-print used paperbacks, and ebooks.

I don't really devote myself to any one category by preference.  So I simply get a book in the format available (or that I prefer) when I come across it and want to buy it.


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

Jan Strnad said:


> You can save a lot of money and a lot of angst by removing yourself from the "gotta have it *now*!" mindset.


I don't have any vices, nor the time to have any. But, let me tell you, when Jim Butcher's _Cold Days_ release date is announced, I will be taking that day off work, I will be checking every single ebook site starting at 6pm the night before, and I am going to grab the first copy that pops and I am going to stay up all night to read it.

_Because I want to._


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## glennlangohr (Nov 15, 2011)

Publishing houses suck. They take all of the profit and stick it to both the reader and author. Having said that, I still read paperback books from my favorite authors, but never in digital. There are to many incredible indie authors to chose from for that.


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

glennlangohr said:


> Publishing houses suck. They take all of the profit and stick it to both the reader and author.


  

Is it possible to have one conversation on Kindleboards about books that doesn't sound like a sour grapes convention?


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

glennlangohr said:


> Publishing houses suck. They take all of the profit and stick it to both the reader and author. Having said that, I still read paperback books from my favorite authors, but never in digital. There are to many incredible indie authors to chose from for that.


I'm not quite sure what the fact that there are eBooks from indies (which I read by the dozen) has to do with also reading trad authors on an eReader. That's how I prefer to read so whenever possible it's what I do. I tell you, GRR Martin's novels are WAY too heavy to read in hardcover. The only books I don't read on my eReader are non-fiction which generally aren't available.

No, I'm not happy to wait to read a favorite author a few months late. I also refuse to pay Agency Model prices, although it's not so much because I wouldn't pay that much for an eBook as that I refuse to give the publishing companies a profit for behaving badly and, yes, Krista, I do think they're behaving badly in over-charging for eBooks while paying a ridiculously low royalty rate to authors for them. (25% is obscene) If that opinion sounds to you like sour grapes, so be it. I hold the opinion so strongly, I'll be glad to see them in court over their price fixing even though it's against my best interest.

Back to the original question: no, I'm not willing to wait now and if they ask me to wait there is a good chance I never get around to buying it. There are plenty of other novels out there.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

Ha! Look at that! All my talk about Dance with Dragons not having a paperback release date yet and I just noticed one has finally been added - sort of. Supposed to be released this month but there's no specific day listed yet - I have an inkling it'll get pushed back. Less than a week in this month.


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## RangerXenos (Mar 18, 2009)

chilady1 said:


> Since receiving my first Kindle in 2009 (K2) I have never budged from my $9.99 stance. I absolutely refuse to purchase any book (even one I want) if the price is over that threshold and even then I feel $9.99 is to much for something in digital form that I can't give to someone or sell. On average, my books run about $5.00 - $6.99 and like most have pointed out because of the $12.99 - $14.99 price of agency pricing, I have discovered a whole new world of indie authors which I TOTALLY love. Some of the best books I have read over the past few years rival a lot of the "known" authors like Patterson, Brown, et. al.
> 
> So for now, I am sticking to the $9.99 rule and continuing to support indie authors. Besides, like others, I have so many books on my TBR list, by the time I get around to purchasing that $14.99 book, it is not priced below my threshold.


Same here, with one exception, as I really wanted to read the book and didn't want to wait for the library to get the book in. I caved and paid $12.99 for the Kindle version. There have to be a number of people like me who refuse to pay the extra $$ to read a new book on Kindle; they're losing money when I'm borrowing the paper copy of the book from the library, as I'm not buying it at all then. Apparently they aren't losing enough money?


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## flipside (Dec 7, 2011)

I'm willing to wait but I don't know if the eBooks will get cheaper or when.

Sometimes, eBooks are released cheaper on the first few days of release...

The good thing about hardcover --> mass-market is that there's a predictable time frame and inevitability of a cheaper release.


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## flipside (Dec 7, 2011)

history_lover said:


> Ha! Look at that! All my talk about Dance with Dragons not having a paperback release date yet and I just noticed one has finally been added - sort of. Supposed to be released this month but there's no specific day listed yet - I have an inkling it'll get pushed back. Less than a week in this month.


It's already out a few weeks back where I'm from.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

RangerXenos said:


> Same here, with one exception, as I really wanted to read the book and didn't want to wait for the library to get the book in. I caved and paid $12.99 for the Kindle version. There have to be a number of people like me who refuse to pay the extra $$ to read a new book on Kindle; they're losing money when I'm borrowing the paper copy of the book from the library, as I'm not buying it at all then. Apparently they aren't losing enough money?


It's a personal choice and it's all relative. You say they're "losing money" but equally, you do buy books too and are losing more money than someone who only reads library books and never buys a book. If someone can afford it, it's their choice if they are willing to pay more for an ebook than you would, just as you're willing to buy some books when other people aren't. I also think it's not "losing money" if the buyer is happy with their purchase and doesn't regret not waiting. It's money well spent to that person, whether it's above your personal threshold or not.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

I discover most new-to-me writers long after they've published.  One thing I love about Amazon--a book has a practically unlimited shelf life in the virtual world.  The publishing model that basically gives a new book a shelf-life of three months in stores--if it doesn't sell well in that period, it's toast--has never really sat well with me.  For people who rely on word of mouth and show up long after the initial frenzy has ended, sites like Goodreads and Amazon are heaven-sent.

That said, the few times that I've really been eager to read a book (usually the second or third in a series that I love), a four months wait would be torture.  I'd be willing to pay the higher price if I could get the book sooner, though I don't understand why people with e-readers are being penalized by a) a long wait, b) a higher price, or c) both a and b.  Seems a little backwards on the part of the publishers to me, but then publishers seem to have more of a relationship with brick and mortar bookstores than with actual readers.


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## Harriet Schultz (Jan 3, 2012)

BTackitt said:


> nope. I really don't give a rats patootie anymore.. tradepubs are far too greedy for me, and I purchase maybe 2 or 3 a year. Otherwise I'm an indie reader all the way. Their books are lower, they get more of the profit, and I enjoy finding gems.


Even backlist e-books released by traditional publishers are way too expensive. Saving $2 or $3 with a later release of a bestseller's e-book makes no difference. If I want the book badly enough, that savings wouldn't make a difference to me.
It's great that you support indie authors. I'm very impressed by many that I've found.


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