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Paperback, hardcover

Luciana

Skeptical Carioca
Luciana
Joined
Aug 5, 2001
Messages
10,984
Location
Rio de Janeiro - RJ
Normally, what's the delay between the release of the hardcover and that of the paperback?

I put on my amazon.com cart the new P. D. James book, just as a reminder, as I planned to wait for the paperback. Now I see it will be released on November 2009, whereas the paperback was available on Nov 2008!! Too bad, I can't wait that long for a P. D. James book, so I'll just bite my tongue and buy the hardcover.

Is that a excessive delay or what?
 
Hardback books generate more money. They want to milk the public as much as possible by not selling paperbacks to anyone that is willing to buy a hardback.
 
I have to agree that a year is not uncommon, especially for a popular author. There are other publication schedules, however, including the issuing of oversized paperback editions long before the standard size comes out. If I turn to look at my bookshelf, I see that I have the first 7 books of the "Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency" series in trade paperback--and then two in hardback, as I could not bear to wait any longer! Once they hit the 25% discount, I'm usually unable to resist...
 
Pah! This papyrus thing is just a fad. If it isn't carved in stone it wasn't worth writing.

All of my posts are carved in stone and scanned into the computer with HCR* software.



*Hieroglyphic Character Recognition
 
If it's the Private Patient you're waiting for, it's out now in a trade edition, no sign of a mass market yet though. I wouldn't put too much faith in Amazon's publication dates, they are often wrong. Best to check out the authors website or with a local bookstore (but DON'T pester an independent bookseller for info and then inform them you're buying from Amazon, it makes them cry).
signed
independent bookseller
who is constantly being
asked to do research for
books.....
for people buying on-line.
 
Luciana said:
Normally, what's the delay between the release of the hardcover and that of the paperback?

I put on my amazon.com cart the new P. D. James book, just as a reminder, as I planned to wait for the paperback. Now I see it will be released on November 2009, whereas the paperback was available on Nov 2008!! Too bad, I can't wait that long for a P. D. James book, so I'll just bite my tongue and buy the hardcover.

Is that a excessive delay or what?
Click to expand...

I believe the general rule is that if it makes the NYTimes (and I assume other lists in UK) bestseller list and stays there, it'll only be released in paperback after it begins to slip. A year and longer is not uncommon for popular mass market mysteries like P.D. James. (There are separate lists for popular fiction like mysteries, and even a mystery and thriller list.)

I just checked my copies (paperback) of The Murder Room and The Lighthouse and they were both released in paperback the year following their original release. I won't buy mysteries in hard cover.

Curious - do you also read Elizabeth George? I'm an EG junkie.
 
Usually I find the gap to be about a year. I prefer paperbacks, though I don't know if I would pay hardcover prices for them, so I usually end up waiting
 
It's about a year as a general rule. If a book is a HUGE bestseller like THe Da Vinci Crap..excuse, me Code...then it might take longer.
 
I hate to admit that although I like Phil Plait's Death from the Skies, I find it rather hard to read. Physically difficult, I mean. The width/length ratio is a little off for a hardcover book, and I find it hard to keep the pages open when I'm reading it. I usually prefer paperbacks as although I don't actually break the binding, I do like to push its limits.
 
alfaniner said:
I hate to admit that although I like Phil Plait's Death from the Skies, I find it rather hard to read. Physically difficult, I mean. The width/length ratio is a little off for a hardcover book, and I find it hard to keep the pages open when I'm reading it. I usually prefer paperbacks as although I don't actually break the binding, I do like to push its limits.
Click to expand...

That's funny. Phil's wife also complains about his width/length ratio.
 
Luciana said:
Normally, what's the delay between the release of the hardcover and that of the paperback?

I put on my amazon.com cart the new P. D. James book, just as a reminder, as I planned to wait for the paperback. Now I see it will be released on November 2009, whereas the paperback was available on Nov 2008!! Too bad, I can't wait that long for a P. D. James book, so I'll just bite my tongue and buy the hardcover.

Is that a excessive delay or what?
Click to expand...
As long as sales of the hardbound produce more income than expected pb sales will, it behooves them to hold off. Sales (income)drive it.
 
bickerer said:
If it's the Private Patient you're waiting for, it's out now in a trade edition, no sign of a mass market yet though. I wouldn't put too much faith in Amazon's publication dates, they are often wrong. Best to check out the authors website or with a local bookstore (but DON'T pester an independent bookseller for info and then inform them you're buying from Amazon, it makes them cry).
signed
independent bookseller
who is constantly being
asked to do research for
books.....
for people buying on-line.
Click to expand...
But aren't you doing it purely for the love of the books? What is this money thing you speak of?
 
bickerer said:
If it's the Private Patient you're waiting for, it's out now in a trade edition, no sign of a mass market yet though. I wouldn't put too much faith in Amazon's publication dates, they are often wrong. Best to check out the authors website or with a local bookstore (but DON'T pester an independent bookseller for info and then inform them you're buying from Amazon, it makes them cry).
signed
independent bookseller
who is constantly being
asked to do research for
books.....
for people buying on-line.
Click to expand...

I love buying inside bookstores. There's a sense of accomplishment that is hard to define. I mean, just picking it up and taking it to the cashier already makes me feel like a better person. :D

And yes, it's the Private Patient. I own all of her previous books, including the autobiography (and, as a general rule, I don't read biographies).

Foolmewunz said:
I believe the general rule is that if it makes the NYTimes (and I assume other lists in UK) bestseller list and stays there, it'll only be released in paperback after it begins to slip. A year and longer is not uncommon for popular mass market mysteries like P.D. James. (There are separate lists for popular fiction like mysteries, and even a mystery and thriller list.)
Click to expand...

Thanks, I had no idea. Around here books are released either in hardcover or softcover. It's nearly impossible to see different editions on the same title, unless it's an imported book.

I just checked my copies (paperback) of The Murder Room and The Lighthouse and they were both released in paperback the year following their original release. I won't buy mysteries in hard cover.
Click to expand...

Yep, that's my motto too. Except for the three latest P. D . James, which I bought hardcover. Can't resist. And I hate it that I can't resist. I must buy cheap book, because at the rate I read them, it does get seriously expensive.

Curious - do you also read Elizabeth George? I'm an EG junkie.[/QUOTE]

Francesca R said:
Usually I find the gap to be about a year. I prefer paperbacks, though I don't know if I would pay hardcover prices for them, so I usually end up waiting
Click to expand...

Very wise. What matters is content. And paperbacks fit inside handbags easily.
 
Luciana said:
I love buying inside bookstores. There's a sense of accomplishment that is hard to define. I mean, just picking it up and taking it to the cashier already makes me feel like a better person.
Click to expand...
That is cool, though I also like the "long tail" experience of shopping online and finding that there are at least five times as many titles in stock that I'd love to get, in comparison with a shop where I will struggle to exploit a "3 for 2" promotion. It's also rather nice that the onine prices are often about 20-30% lower. The problem can be that I then cough up for express delivery due to "I want it now" impatience.

Very wise. What matters is content. And paperbacks fit inside handbags easily.
Click to expand...
Yeah but three of them don't (I did just go to the bookshop actually . . . )
 
fuelair said:
And still was not even worth using for toilet paper.
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Bah, it was great for transporting me from my daily 3+ hour train ride into a world where the hero was always right and I didn't have to put too much thought or effort in.

Much better than the TP on the trains, which is more like John Wayne: rough, tough, painful is handled wrong, and won't take (Rule X) off anyone.
 
RobRoy said:
Bah, it was great for transporting me from my daily 3+ hour train ride into a world where the hero was always right and I didn't have to put too much thought or effort in.

Much better than the TP on the trains, which is more like John Wayne: rough, tough, painful is handled wrong, and won't take (Rule X) off anyone.
Click to expand...

Been there - base in Vietnam.
 
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