Ellz Readz asks what I consider a VERY important question here---
As you may have seen in the Cover LOVE? post, Rachel Caine's November Morganville release will be in Hardback. This change not only effects appearances, it will effect the cost.
Ghost Town can be preordered at Amazon for $12.23, a BIG change from Kiss of Death (April 2010) of $6.99.
So my question for you is...When a series suddenly jumps to hardback, do you still buy it when it comes out? Will you wait for the paperback or the library copy?
Do you predict there will be a drop in sales?
My reply-
They don't lose me as a reader when they go to hardback but they do as a buyer as I'll get the hardback used or wait on the paperback. I hold on to few books so the fact that they are more durable and have a pretty dustcover(which I take off to read as they are annoying as hell)means nada to me.
They only lose me if the writing quality drops or the series jumps the shark. They also lose me as a buyer if they go to the trade sized paperback rather than the MMP. I'm not spending almost twice as much for an oversized book that won't fit in my purse. Sorry for $14.99 I can get two MMP.
I've noticed that many of the "newer" authors use this trade size. Again, these go on the bottom of my wishlist and I never buy them new. People(publishers!)there is a recession going on. Books are a luxury in a lot of homes(although in mine we'd probably cut back on food before books)and you are putting books out of reach of many. If my book budget is $50 a month, that's 2 1/2 hardbacks, 4 trade size, 7 MMP or 9 1/2 on Amazon's buy 4 for 3 deal (for those books that have been out awhile) and if I haven't read it it's new whether released yesterday or last year. I don't know how you count it but 9 is preferable to 2 any day.
Is it just me or does this disregard for the buyers pocketbook totally piss you off? Let Ellz know as I did.
I know one of the reasons tried a new book & new author is because it was a paperback for $7 - Changeless by Gail Carriger. Would I have bought it if it was a hardcover? No. Will I be buying the rest of her books because they'll be MM? Oh, yeah!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you Lisa. I don't keep my books for very long either - I either put them on PBS or pass them on to a fellow reader. So I feel no need to spend almost triple to have some fancy hardback - FYI Dust Jackets anger me to no end, they serve no purpose, because they collect dust just the same as the book! I think the only way I would still buy it if it's only in hardback is if I know I am going to love it (you know, like if it's the next in a series)and my sister splits it with me. Other then that I will just wait it out until it MMP or comes up on PBS!
ReplyDeleteThis is a question I have pondered often. Alot of YA series are heading in that direction and I think it is unfair to the consumer. The books are geared towards a market that will have difficulty with that price hike. For someone like me I adore my books and keep those that I enjoy most. I detest the different cover changes and going from PB to HB simply because it throws my collection off.
ReplyDeleteUntimately if I love the series then yes I will continue to purchase and read the books regardless of what format that it comes out in.
Hi Lisa - I forgot to tell you that I have a surprise for you over at my blog! Please come and check it out! http://guidetosurvivingmotherhood.blogspot.com/2010/03/such-good-day.html
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