One of my biggest pet peeves are publications that demand an additional online subscription when you’ve already subscribed to the paper version of the magazine or paper. And since some of the publications have proprietary content that isn’t reproduced anywhere else, it’s harder to link to and discuss the details of an article. Grrr. Make me do more work, why don’t you!? Humph. Fine.
In this week’s Crain’s New York Business, there’s an article about publishers releasing books straight to paperback and skipping the hardcover issue in an attempt to “target young, cost-conscious buyers.” The article by Matthew Flamm profiles a few books that likely would have followed the hardback-to-paperback sequence, except that rival publishing houses have had success issuing books straight to paperback:
Though it doesn’t work for every title, and the economics of paperbacks hurt agents and authors, publishers and booksellers see the lower-price format as one way to reach new readers…. First novels, translated fiction, and literary nonfiction have suffered most in a media landscape packed with choices. With a standard hardcover price of $25.00, these books barely stand a chance.
The cons are obvious: there’s less money for the agent and the author, and it’s less of an opportunity for a book to make an impact if it’s only released once, as opposed to twice.
Booksellers, on the other hand, “have wanted publishers to go straight to trade paperback – larger and more elegant than the mass-market paperback format- for years.” They can buy more copies and make more of an effort to promote the author with a larger display of paperpacks for less initial money than a hardback.
Publishers who release new issues in paperback format are also encountering a favorable response from viewers. Seems that Major Reviewers recognize that “serious authors are now being presented” in paperback format, and don’t look at a straight-to-paperback release the same as a movie that skips theatres and goes straight to video.
Meanwhile, authors whose books have been released straight to paperback, trade or otherwise, have reported that at promotional events, their books sell out. Says author Sherman Alexie, “I’ve given two readings and sold out all the copies both times. That doesn’t happen with a hardcover.”
Now, I’m not terribly fond of the trade or the “venti” sized paperback, and since romance is a mostly-paperback format, I don’t bother much with hardcovers. The issue doesn’t affect me much either way, but the business and cost side of the question is fascinating. From my perspective as a reader, hardcovers are a lot of money for someone who chews through books quickly, and for another, they’re difficult and certainly heavy to carry around. But when I see a romance released in hardcover, usually it’s an author with a very well established track record of sales, and an equally well established fan base likely to buy the hardcover. Only on sporadic occasions have I seen an author I’ve never heard of released initially in hardcover.
I’ve also encountered here and there online a sense of mild betrayal and frustration with romance authors who make the jump from paperback to hardcover-then-paperback issue, mostly from fans who want to read the most recent release but can’t shell out the $25 for a book, and have to wait for the paperback. When pressed, though, those same fans have to admit that the increased revenue from a hardcover sale would better support that author they love so much.
As writer Brandon Sanderson wrote back in January, there are simple mathematical reasons to support a favorite author by buying a hardback, though he does acknowledge that it’s hard to be both a salesman and an author at the same time. Sanderson provides a sample breakdown of the costs and payouts of the publishing industry based on his experience, and understands the motivations driving the buyer vs. the motivations driving the writer and the bookseller (especially if those latter two are the same person, as they often are).
Simply put, royalties are often and usually better on a hardcover than on a paperback (obviously). But if the book-buying market is skewing younger and more cost-conscious, as the Crain’s article suggests, then more paperback-only releases are to be expected, because, with the eye on the bottom line, paperbacks cost less all around. I don’t know if this trend will affect romance one way or another, except to make it less likely for romances to be released in hardcover, perhaps, but then, I’m not a publishing professional. So I’m very curious what you publishing-type and writing-type folks think of this information.
Karen,
you are right, I have read romance for a long time, but I’ve only started going around the net for infos only for the last year, and started posting only a very short time ago. To me that was harsh, but if some think I’m just being a mite sensitive, well actually I don’t know what to say, I guess some things offends some and others not so much?
I am not looking for sympathy by that 3rd world country shit, I did not grow up poor nor hungry, I’ve always had clean water to drink and shower. Hey, I even speak English. I was just pointing out the accurate fact that in my country, and several others that are my neighbors, books are really such a luxury. And we get disapointed to say the least, when we have to wait a year to read our favorite books because we couldn’t really afford the hardcovers.
I will appreciate any kinds of disagreements to my opinion, 3rd world country shit notwithstanding. I see the discussion went along just fine, with participants stating that even some in the U.S do not have the same priviledges many does. Please do not be afraid to respond just because I come from a more unfortunate place than America – I’m at peace with the conditions in my country.
All in all, just stating the fact that we outside the continent may not have libraries or 2nd hand bookstores that caters popular books, so could writers please let us have a choice of what kind of format books to buy, by releasing HC and paperbacks at the same time. I get the point of quality from HC, I own several and I do not regret buying them. But most authors produce a book, what, every 6/8months? We wait for at least 6months before we can afford them in paperback. I hope you understand my frustration here. Can’t afford HC, then don’t buy it? I’m not complaining about that, just the waiting.
Marie, I just wanted to say that I totally get that authors have little or no control over book format or international distribution. I realise in retrospect that my post probably dind’t show that. In a way, I think this makes the whole situation more frustrating. It’s the author that loses out when we can’t get books or decide we can’t pay hardcover prices, when s/he doesn’t make the decisions that lead to that.
Ha, authenticatin word = southern35. Oh yeah, New Zealand is WAY southern. 🙂
I do prefer my books to be HB. I think they’re put together better, last far longer and can be repaired much more easily if necessary, but like others here, I can’t afford the exorbitant prices the booksellers charge these days. So I just wait a while and get the HBs from Half Price Books or used from people on Amazon. Maybe they aren’t as bright and shiny new as they would’ve been if I’d bought them fresh off the presses, but so long as they aren’t seriously damaged, I’m more interested in the content than how glossy the cover is.
I had no idea that American books were offered in stores anywhere other than America and Western Europe.
All the complaints about the costs of hardcovers make me think that people want authors to stay in a certain niche (i.e. poor) and never move up the ladder. America (meaning the USA, Canada, and Mexico) is a capitalistic society. Companies operate to make money. Published authors write because they enjoy it, but also to make a living. Unpublished authors want to make a living at it. Its not selfish to want to do better for yourself, but it is selfish to want others to do poorly so that you can be entertained.
As one of the old SBs around here, I’d like to add that us Baby Boomers are not spring chickens anymore- holding a heavy hardcover book for any length of time just plain HURTS! And I KNOW I’m not alone with that.
So, yeah, we might have more disposable income and can easily afford hardcovers, but I know I have to make a decision every time an author I like starts releasing in hardcover- are they worth it? Do I REALLY care if I have to wait for the paperback?
So, actually I end up buying LESS books because of the hardcover releases. There’s just not that many authors that are worth the extra cost or physical discomfort. And buying a new author on “spec” just doesn’t happen with hardcovers. Although, if I have a big enough coupon, I MIGHT buy a hardback that I would normally not have paid full price for.
And I agree with some of the others, why not release in print, ebook, and audio at one time. Although, I consider the practice of pricing digital formats at the same price as print to be a blatent rip-off. The digital costs are minimal compared to print, so each sale is nearly pure profit.
Also, by releasing in all three formats, you’ve reached a broader range of consumers. Those who want hardcovers will get them, while those that prefer digital or can’t afford hardcovers will not become lost sales.
BevL (QB)
KatieM said:
How does “impractical and expensive” translate to “wanting others to do poorly?” In my opinion, that’s an erroneous logical leap. I don’t begrudge success that leads to hardcover publication, but it is my right as a consumer to decide what purchases make sense, just as it is the author’s right to make whatever deals are best for her career.
Personally, I do not care what they pack those stories into as long as they publish em.
And if it is hardcover so be I hope to betray as many readers as possible.
I’ll even take negative attention.
Can I go Gay to paperback?
*rubs hands together* Now this is a discussion I can sink my teeth into. I’ve had strong opinions on this one for quite some time. And there are a couple of points that haven’t been made yet.
For my personal enjoyment I would rather have a book in mass-market paperback for one good reason, I’m a bed reader. Most of the reading I do is while I’m getting ready to fall asleep, not all, but most. Hardbacks are ok to read this way, but usually get heavy. I tend to read looonnnnggg hardback books. Trade paperbacks, at least the ones I’ve purchased, tend to flop around a bit too much. It makes it harder to hold the book while you are reading. The mass-markets hold their shape and are easier to hold in one hand. This doesn’t have anything to do with price or format, so much as convenience.
They also fit in a purse easier, ever tried to lug around a JK Rowling book? Those tomes are heavy!
Now, that being said if a new book is coming out and it is a must-have I will purchase it in whatever format it comes in. If it is something that I want to read but not purchase, I will request it at the library. I’m exceedingly lucky in that my local library is well stocked with almost everything I want to read. I may be 150 down the list, but they usually purchase enough copies that I get the book relatively quickly. They list everything, including paperbacks and you can request those as well. If it is something I find I love, I’ll wait and purchase a copy for myself in paperback.
If I find I can’t wait, I have been known to sit in the bookstore and read the book. I did this with the last Charlaine Harris book. Those hardbacks are tiny compared to most and still have a $25 price tag. So I sat and read Sookie’s latest adventure and never left the store. I felt really stupid when I started crying over the book and didn’t have a tissue. Do you know how hard it is to hide tears in a bookstore? Ack! When it came out in paperback I purchased it.
I find it interesting that no one has brought up the new mass-market size that was trialed last year. Christine Feehan had one of her’s issued in that format, and I found I hated it more than a hardback. It was hard to keep it open, unless you used two hands and it really doesn’t fit in with anything I have. If you are reading them in bed they tend to twist and don’t stay open. The publishers tried to sell them as easier for aging baby boomers to read, since the font was a bigger size. It was marginally larger but not enough to matter. I was so annoyed with that one I wrote the publisher, something I had never done before.
I’m happy if authors have moved up to the more enviable hardbacks, but unless it is a do or die situation I won’t buy them. I wait until it comes out in paperback.
I do have sympathy for others who live outside of the US. I’m a member of a group that has members in the UK, Canada, Puerto Rico, Portugal, France, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. I regularly hear how hard it is for them to get books and the cost involved. They rely on recommendations from people they trust before trying anything new simply because of the cost involved. I never really realized how hard it can be to find books. It’s something I think those of us in the US really take for granted.
Sorry I got so long winded on this.
Qadesh – a huge YES to everything you’ve just said.
I buy my handbags based on the requirement that they fit a mass market paperback. Make the books bigger and it gets so hard to carry my reading fix around with me.
I’ll admit, over the years, to have a mild feeling of “betrayal” when a favored author’s books switch from MMP to trade- or hard-back. And, when forced to think about it, I guess I’d say it was because my purchases helped them to gain enough popularity to price me out of their immediate releases market.
Yep, I can wait a year. And yes, like many others have said here, by then, I’ve probably read the book from the library and forgotten to buy myself a copy when the MMP comes out.
Does that mean I don’t think authors shouldn’t make what money they can, when they can, with their hard work? Of course not!
I also get frustrated when I fall in love with a new TV series, but it doesn’t do well enough to renew. Or when a favorite restaurant changes its menu and stops offering my entree.
I’ll get over it. And the author/network/restaurant will go on without my continued (or immediately continued) support.
But it doesn’t stop my feelings, either.
For me it’s HB. But this is only because I actually love the weight, the feel, of a book. For me reading is as much a physical experience as an intellectual/emotional. Even in bed; I prop a hardback on my chest and don’t even care that it digs a little into my sternum because it lets me know I’m getting ready to travel where ever a writer is taking me…it’s almost ritualistic now that I think about it. But back to the HB verses trade thing. I would also like to say I don’t mind when a favorite author goes HB; they’ve arrived, that’s cool. If I can’t afford it I wait until I can or until it comes out in PB or the library or at a used book store. Though I’m such a book slut that I tend to not wait and buy the book and eat pasta for the week to make up the budget difference. OMG, isn’t altering your life to satisfy a craving part of the definition of a junky? And I’m “going†to a group of anonymous people discussing it!!! Holy Shit, it’s official I’m an addict…
I wanted to add…
Qadesh said:
~If I find I can’t wait, I have been known to sit in the bookstore and read the book.~
I love it! Me too! OMG. It’s another sign…sigh.
Hi, my name is Anna and I’m a Book Addict.
Bimbo, I find the term betrayal harsh.
And I find statements like ‘don’t they make enough money’ intrusive and ill informed. The same way if I whined: Buying my books used takes money out of my mouth! is off as it’s not the reader’s responsibility to worry about my bank account.
You do have a choice on which format to buy if and when a book is published in hardcover. You have the choice to wait for the paperback edition.
The idea that an author or a publisher betrays readers by publishing in hardcover is incomprehensible to me—and I’ve already responded to that.
Even in these 50-odd comments there are diverse opinions on likes and dislikes re format. Some prefer hardcover, some soft, some hate trade size, some love it, some want more e-books.
Publishing in any of these formats doesn’t betray the reader. The reader has the choice to buy or not buy.
As for the idea of publishing in all formats at the same time, I’d like a bookseller’s take on this. One title, multiple formats—and all those titles by various authors and publishers coming out every month. Where would the bookstore shelve all those formats of each title? I could be off here, but picturing my husband’s bookstore faced with this, he would be seriously overwhelmed. And since he’s in the business of selling books would probably have to cut back dramatically on his midlist stock and books by new authors to make room for the multi-formats by known sellers.
Interesting discussion! My guess, from what I see at bookshops in Oz and places like Amazon online is that a LOT more titles are initially released in HC in the US market than here. While there are some HC’s, the trade paperback gets done first, then the mass-market. Diana Gabaldon, fr’instance – A Breath of Snow etc was first issued in large format trade paperback and only recently the smaller paperback size. Don’t think I’ve ever seen ‘em in hardback. So if she’s not getting stiff covers, there would be few writers in the romance/saga/girlyfiction/call it what you will genre who would.
Could well partly be to do with the size of the market here compared to the US – 20 million vs 200 million.
Mind you, price in $AU for a large format paperback seems to be about the same as the US market’s price for hardback.
I don’t see people here giving any sort of sniff of derision at trade/larger format paperbacks.
In the end, it’s the reading that’s a joy and an escape and all the other great things reading can be.
Authors do not decide what format their books will be published in. Publishers do. And while authors can maybe negotiate that point, ultimately, they’re not the ones making the decision.
Thank you. The misconception that authors have much, if any, control over this kind of thing—along with cover art, back cover copy, how the book is labeled on its spine, where the book is shelved, when it’s released—makes me crazy. Not to mention the idea that the average author is, by definition, more wealthy than the average reader and can afford to say “no” to opportunities for professional and financial advancement.
Dude, if we in the US aren’t willing to pay for a hardback, we have to wait a year, too. Most people who purchase hardbacks do so because they want to keep them, so saying that I’ll get the book next month in some used bookstore is a pipe dream. And, as much as I like to think that the library is grand and glorious and wonderful and perfect, their budget is limited and they don’t purchase every book I want. (And I work here and can hassle the collection development librarian on a daily basis.)
Sometimes, people just have to suck it up and wait.
I don’t see people here giving any sort of sniff of derision at trade/larger format paperbacks.
Ironically, given that Roberts is a bit under attack here, she petitioned the Bitchery for feedback regarding the larger paperback size. I think many readers responded on this site that they didn’t like it and thought it was too expensive. And that Roberts requested that her books not be published in that size (if I have this wrong, please correct me). I am guessing that Roberts is one author who has enough power to do that and not many authors do.
I like trade paperbacks but I am not a fan of the increased cost but it is better than the “venti” paperback, imo.
One thing that I really hate is reprints that are sold as new books. I find that more betraying/sneaky than anything. One author has a logo put on the front to clearly distinguish when it is a new book and when it is not which I think is very helpful to the readers. I understand that was done in response to readers being irked about buying reprints when they were thought to be buying new. That author I believe is also Roberts. There’s probably some negative things to be said about Roberts, as there are negative things that can be said about anyone, but betraying her readers isn’t really one of them.
I do understand that sentiment though but I think it stems from the belief that authors are in control of their publishing destiny – which they are not. Most authors, as stated above, have no say in whether they are published in e-form, paperback or hardcover.
I am sure that authors want to be in hardcover because the author makes more money per book. It’s like a raise of sorts, dependent upon performance. Unfortunately, of course, the raise comes out of the consumer pocket in the form of increased book costs.
When you live in the US or outside of it, used bookstores may be the best course of action. I don’t know what the shipping would be but perhaps you could utilize abebooks or some other used bookstore service online. Paperbackswamp or Bookmooch might also be some alternative sources for books. It’s tough to want a book and not be able to afford it and therefore that can be very frustrating as a reader. Sometimes all a reader, in that position can do, is wait.
I think that releasing books in eformat can help because there are no shipping costs and maybe with the no shipping costs, a higher priced book such as a hardcover might be easier on the pocketbook.
As both a reader and a bookseller, I have to say, paperbacks, sell more over all.
Recently, there was a discussion on AAR, about Luna, and it was brought up, that more of us would have been buying more series from them, if they were in massmarket. I know my customers feel that way. I have a list, of which series people want me to order copies for them, once they hit massmarket. Some of the books, we have been waiting for well over 2 years, and still no massmarket in sight. Luna could be making money out of my shop, a lot more than they do, if they published in massmarket first.
Being in Australia, I have to import most of the romance titles we sell, as well as fantasy/SciFi. The import cost, frankly, isn’t that much, for massmarkets. HB, is another story. With the exchange rate (which right now, is quite good), US HB’s cost almost 3 times what a massmarket book does, and even my diehard readers, baulk at paying that. Its pointless, for the most part, for me to bother with them, especially if Borders or Target bring them in, and sell them at cost (which they do). Hell, I can go to Target, buy 10 copies and make more money selling them that way, than I can getting them in myself!
I understand how great it is for a genre author to move into HB sales, and the fangirl in me cheers when an author I like gets to do that…the reader in me curses, while my wallet cringes. My customers, do the same.
I sold 8 copies of the last Feehan in HB, but I have sold over 40 copies of each of her paperbacks, (I have a smallish shop, so thats damn good), and my wait list of the HB book, when it comes out in massmarket, is 30. Ditto for Kenyon. I put out a pre-order lists for the new Harris, Armstrong and Harrison books, and despite those authors being best sellers, their backstock I have to reorder almost monthly, I had zero sign up. My customers are waiting for the massmarkets. Once those are out, I’ll move 20-30 each, in the first few weeks they are out. The last 4 LKH HB’s, sold less than 5 each…when the massmarkets come out, I sell 20-30.
Those customers who don’t want to wait, and don’t want to pay HB prices, they shop online, for used HB’s and pay to import them..and it still works out as less than it would cost to buy them new, here.
Either way, the authors are getting nothing, at least around my neck of the woods.
If I was still in the US, I would be doing what others are doing, hiding in a bookshop and reading the books in there…and once they came out in massmarket, I’d buy my own copy to reread.
(as a total aside, I too read each Feehan when it comes out, bitch about how damn lame it was, and swear its my last one…then her next comes out, and there I am, wanting to throw it against the wall, but reading the whole thing, generally in one sitting. WTF is up with that? Does she put crack in those things??)
Answering Nora, which I sorta already did…but in my shop, I put HB, TB and massmarkets together, I let the reader sort out what they want to buy (I often import a title, as well as buy the local version). Its a cover art thing..really. Frankly, I like your AU covers better, but many of my readers like the US ones..so I get both, which means I will have a massmarket US version and a TB AU version, at the same time. If I have massmarkets of both, then your AU versions still sell less than the US ones.
-FYI for those not in AU- A massmarket new release, down here, runs between $16.95 and 22.95, depending on the publisher if local, and who imported it if not. Me, I sell my imports for around $16-18 (local copies generally cost more..yes, AU publishers charge more for a book, than it costs to import the same title). So for a reader on a budget, trying a new author, can be more than they can afford to do..unless its a used book and they can spend around $9 to see if they like them or not.
Geez guys, it’s only a year to wait for the paperback! Drug companies used to have a 17 year patent and they’re whining that it’s been cut back to only a dozen years. Poor babies. There can be a $100 difference a month between a brand name drug and a generic. Oh, and some people need these drugs to stay alive.
I buy hardbound when I can, because they stand up better if they’re keepers. And if they’re not keepers, my local public library loves getting hardbound bestsellers donated to them. Plus, I deduct 80% of the cost of the book, which puts it at about the cost a paperback.
When I got used to my elliptical and stopped using books on tape to distract myself from the pain, I donated all of them to the library. I swear the little dude was drooling.
There are tons of nations that don’t recognize US copywrites and translate popular American books without paying the author a dime. How fair is that? You should have heard the outcry when poor African nations tried to get generic HIV drugs.
Just sayin’. End of rant.
What I really don’t get is the word “betrayal.” As if the author took a deliberate action to stick it to the reader… not by writing a really tawdry book that eliminates everything that was stellar about a character and turns her into an oversexed humpaslut, but by watching her publishing house issue her book in a more durable and more expensive format.
Betrayal? What a completely bizarre choice of words. Like the author had a lick to do with it. If anything, it’s due to the reader’s effort in buying the books so rabidly in the first place that the publisher realized they could sell that author’s books in a more expensive market. Betrayal?
So what if the reader has to then wait for the paperback? Suck it up.
And yes, as Jane pointed out, there was a very detailed discussion about Oh How We Hate the Venti size here about a year ago, in which Roberts, who probably is one of the few romance authors who possibly has a say in how her books are published, asked for feedback on the size. Full commentary, wherein most folks hated it with a passion like a thousand red hot suns burning with hate, can be read here.
Most of my recent books have been published in hardcover, then trade paper. One was experimentally also released as mass market paperback, and of all the editions, it was least successful.
Of course those books are women’s fiction, but they’re strong romances, too. I don’t consider it a betrayal because you do need the hardcover to get reviews, and libararies buy a LOT of them, so readers who can’t or don’t choose to buy a $25 book (which I so understand) can get it at the library. Where it will also hang around a much longer time, perhaps snaring new readers. But…yeah, I think hardcovers are probably on the way out. They’re just too big, heavy, and expensive. Maybe a nice hardcover library edition will be the standard, and everyone else will get the paperback.
My favorite format for a book is trade paper—I wish more romances were published that way. I just like the size and flexibility—I don’t have to break the spine and they feel more readable.
But that’s just me.
Ditto me in the “it needs to fit in a purse” crowd. My car has three books in it right now that I’ll grab and stuff in my purse for waiting in the Dr’s office or reading while in line.
Or reading at stoplights come to think of it. 🙂
Najida: I bought my current purse purely because it has this awesome organizational thing inside it, AND it is tall enough to house a trade, mass market, or venti sized paperback without blocking the zipper. It’s sad- just about every purse decision I make has to do with “will a book fit inside?”
Nora can betray me anytime she wants to…
Beat me, call me bad names, make me lick her 6 inch stiletto heeled patent leather black boots while whipping me senseless…
*sigh* I love you Nora.
One of the reasons I prefer MM paperbacks is because they fit snugly in between my emergency break and the passenger seat of my car. Hardbacks won’t fit, and trades are generally too slim and therefore won’t stay put.
On a non-rant note. Christine Feehan is one of my guilty pleasures, too, but I can’t be seen reading her books in public. (Hangs head in shame.)
And I love that La Nora puts an NR on the new ones. I have been known to purchase a third copy of one of her backlists because, geezy-peezy, Harlequin has re-released it in yet another format. How wrong is that?
Oh and Barbara must take much better care of trade sized than I do, mine have broken spines, pages that fall out, even worse than my mass-market.
I feel *disappointed* when a favorite author publishes in hard back rather than paperback, but that’s because I know I have an additional *year* to wait for a new book.
Yes, some of the issue is money. I read quickly, and when I’m on vacation can read multiple books a day.
But the bigger issue is that I find hardback books uncomfortable to read. Unless I’m lying on my bed with the book propped up on a pillow, they hurt my hands to hold.
But a mass market paperback and I can read anywhere, and shove into my jacket pocket to take with me to the doctors, dentist, public transportation, whatever. I can hold them with one hand while standing and waiting, or sitting and waiting, or lying on the sofa or lying in bed—I can read them anywhere.
Plus, if I fall asleep while reading a hardback book, I’m likely to end up with a black eye when I drop the thing on my face.
So I almost never buy hardbacks, but will pre-order a paperback as soon as it’s listed. (I’ve probably got 20 paperbacks pre-ordered on Amazon right now—one of which won’t come out until October.)
And my grandmother who has arthritis is the same way. She’s been holding off reading certain books because she’d have to sit at the kitchen table to read them, and how comfortable is that?
Trade paperbacks fall somewhere in between. I can’t carry them with me because they don’t fit in my jacket pockets, and they’re a little more uncomfortable to hold than mass market paperbacks but they have the advantage that they usually lie flat on the table if you read while you’re eating, which mass markets don’t.
So I appreciate that hardbacks make authors more money, and I’m pleased for my favorite authors about that, since making more money means being able to quit their day jobs and write more books for me to read. But I personally don’t like hardbacks, and except in rare circumstances won’t buy them.
(And Candy or Sarah? I can’t submit after previewing. I get an error message telling me to type in the special word, which no longer exists, because I’m in preview mode.)
Exactly! Books for me are like candy! I can go through several in a day, not to mention week. If I bought each one in HB, I’d be looking at at close to 6K a year in books (OK, so I’m coming pretty dang close as it is).
Lemme inject a little fiscal reality here. I work in design/production for a publishing house, mostly on mass market books, but also on trade paperbacks and the occasional hardcover. I know what it costs to make the things, what the authors get from them, and what the publisher gets from them.
Profit margins are higher on hardcovers. No question about it. If the cover price is US$29.95 and the book has reasonable sell-through, the publisher is going to pocket about $4 per unit. That $4 goes to pay for office space, electricity, employee salaries and benefits, and so on. All told, the actual profit on the book is something like $2, on average. I should take a moment to note that the author’s profit on the book is more than that.
(Belated obligatory disclaimer: these are very, very, very rough averages. Some books have super sell-through and make more money. Other books tank and the publisher suffers a fat loss.)
By contrast, a mass market paperback might net the publisher fifty cents per unit, if they’re lucky.
There is a certain minimum cost to producing any book. No profit at all is made unless the book makes that minimum. Assuming the publisher hasn’t shelled out a ridiculous advance or overprinted and suffered huge returns, they only need to sell 5K copies of a hardcover to make a profit, but they need to sell 20K copies of a mass market.
But there’s that tradeoff: fewer people will buy a book in hardcover, and fewer still will buy it if it’s an unknown author. So you might be able to sell 20K of Unknown Novelist’s First Book in mass market, but would only sell 500 copies of that same novel in hardcover.
Hardcovers are high-risk, high-payoff. Mass markets are lower risk, but unless the book backlists for years and years, it doesn’t really make much money.
An author with a following will be sold in hardcover to capitalize on those readers who want the book NOW, and be damned with the cost. Like cigarettes, crack, and other addictive substances, people will pay what they have to for their fix. Since the profit margin on the hardcover is so much higher, the publisher will wisely try to collect as much of that as possible.
But after a few months, anyone who wanted it that badly has bought it. And now the step-down to mm (or, sometimes, the interim step-down to trade) happens in order to get money from those folks who are more frugal. Think of it as the second pressing of the grapes or olives.
What Marie Brennan said above is correct: authors don’t have a lot of control over the format of their books. I suppose in theory an author could refuse to sell hardcover rights, or insist on the book being released in multiple formats at once, or something. However, unless the author is a ginormous bestseller, the author will have a choice between “do it our way, or we don’t publish your book.”
Even the ginormous bestseller has no incentive to insist on a mass market edition first. Suppose an author who regularly moves 200K copies in hardcover (and that’s the scale we’d be looking at) says, “Nah, I want mass market only.”
What happens? Well, 200K sales that might have brought the publisher $400K in profit, suddenly become 200K mass market sales that bring only $100K in profit. When your profitability to a publisher drops by 75%, they stop valuing you as a big bestselling author.
——————
Just as an aside: my company frequently prints mass market international editions of books for simultaneous release with the US hardcover. But we can’t do this for every book for two simple reasons:
1. We don’t hold World English rights to everything we publish, and
2. Unless we believe we can sell a certain minimum number of copies, it’s not worth the effort, because it will lose money.
English language books do not generally sell well in non-English-speaking countries, and thus no publisher is going to make the effort. There are a few exceptions (China, Korea), but even so, no publisher is going to put their whole list there.
The one borderline country is India, where the English-speaking population is high enough, and the literacy rate is rapidly increasing. Unfortunately, incomes and the exchange rate of Rupees to Dollars don’t really justify publishing all the books there, only the ones that are expected to sell well.
As a bookseller, I’ve watched the rise of the trade paperback with interest. We used to get 5-8 new trades a month; now we get 20-25. Our customers have various reactions: some buy a book as soon as it appears, some want to wait for the mass-market. But most are more willing to try a new author in trade paperback than in hardcover.
(Though no one seems to like the new venti size. I’ve heard that the design was extensively market-tested, but it certainly doesn’t resonate here at all)
I was so glad to see Marie Brennan clear up the widespread misconception that authors decide the format of their books. Another point to consider, for english readers abroad: foreign rights buyers are rarely interested in a mass-market title. They’re vastly more likely to buy rights for a hardcover. So if you’re outside of the NA or BCOM distribution areas, you should *hope* your favourite author’s new book comes out as a hardcover. That way, there’s a much better chance you’ll see an edition in your country.
While I may not use the term “betrayal” to describe my feelings about an author going from PB-first to HC-first, it’s still frustrating, because my years of loyalty are “rewarded” by my being priced out of the market for the 8-12 months it takes for the book to be released in a format I can afford. In playground terms, it’s not a kick in the teeth (painful and requires a trip to the doctor/dentist)—it’s more like a wedgie (uncomfortable and annoying).
(BTW, a Purple Nurple is when a crappy, guilty-pleasure series goes to HC-first: the pain just keeps going.)
~still frustrating, because my years of loyalty are “rewarded†by my being priced out of the market for the 8-12 months it takes for the book to be released in a format I can afford.~
While I get this—and understand some frustration—our years of WORK, in most cases, are being rewarded by being published in a format that garners more reviews, earns more money and reaches more markets.
And, oh God, while we LOVE the reader who eats the books like candy, we can only hope they understand the books are not candy for us, but our meat. The reader may gobble dozens of books a month—and thank you—but the writer cannot produce at the same pace, or even close. No, not even me!
And—for my own information pile—to the Aussie bookseller who routinely stocks various formats of one title, are you able to stock like this for known authors—the best sellers—as well as the midlist authors, the newish ones, and in a variety of genres? And if so how BIG is your store? Or because it’s outside the US, and your customer base and stock is going to be under what most US stores might be, is this an advantage you have (the ability to stock more formats per title) than most would be able to do in The States?
I’m just going by my husband’s store—a general bookstore that sells heavily in Romance and Mystery. It’s small comparatively to any US superstore, but it’s decent size. And it’s packed. It would never be possible to carry the varity of titles and genres if it tried to fit in several formats of each title released, if they were released at the same time here. He would have to sacrifice the midlist author. Neither he nor I would want to do that.
If he carried only me—with my output—in various formats at the same time—others would be bumped away. Midlist and let’s-give-this-new-author-a-shot titles. Both of those are very important to the store, and his sensibilities as a bookseller.
Just a note to Bimbo that Nora didn’t tell her that it’s none of the readers’ business *how* an author makes money. No, here’s the quote:
I’m always baffled, too, when I hear the comment `don’t they make enough money.’ Whatever any author makes is really her business.
While I’m nowhere near as successful as Nora, I’ve found that the most common question I’ve been asked since I became published is, “How much do you make?” Do people just not understand that it’s a rude question or something? How is my income anyone’s business but mine? Yet this happens all the time.
So no, I don’t think that Bimbo received a harsh smackdown, but rather a reminder of common courtesy that, for whatever reason, seems to be lacking when many readers speak to authors. You don’t ask your boss, your doctor, or the lady who runs the movie theatre how much she makes. Don’t ask us, either. The assumption that just because a book is in print, the author is making bank, is (oh so unfortunately) just plain wrong wrong. The number of writers who can make a living off their writing is very, very small. The author of your favorite book might be the clerk scanning your movies at Blockbuster or the nice lady teaching your kid’s kindergarten class—two jobs held by a couple of my closest multi-published author friends. (Pen names rock.)
In other news, anyone who’s curious what it takes to print a particular book size should go play on Lulu.com for a while. Of course, these prices vary a lot for big publishers, but it gives you an idea of the cost comparison for printing whatever size. Of the three formats they offer—trade paperback, mass market, and hardback—the trade is the least expensive to produce and offers the highest amount of profit.
Let’s be fair here. I didn’t read anything in Bimbo’s initial post where she asked how much money anyone made. And, while I’ve not seen Ms. Roberts do this, I have seen plenty of authors make the plea to buy new or on a certain date, in essence wanting to control where the dollars are spent. UBS don’t give royalties. Adopt an author, etc. So I definitely see where a reader can respond to that by saying that it’s unfair or frustrating that the author wants them to buy new or in hardcover or on a certain date. And to relate that to the reader’s own personal financial situation.
Lots of thoughts on this one.
Foreign markets: Obviously you are crying out for print on demand, which would make it possible for cheap local printing (if such is available at all), and zero shipping costs. This format has no waste, and has the advantage of still being a physical book, not a dreary computer thingy. But I know there are countries in which the price of a book, whether imported or printed locally, is simply exorbitant. It does seem as if many of you have solved the problem by buying resale lots.
Hard cover books: These are printed on better quality paper (unless a book club edition) and with larger type faces and far better binding. Thus they can last and last, long after the mass or trade paperback spine has cracked, the glue has flaked, and the paper has yellowed. And your aged eyes can no longer read the tiny type. I’ve got a nearly blind relative who can’t read small paperback type, so he must buy HCs if he’s to have the reader experience at all. It’s just not the same when you’re being read to.
Cost: Women in general do not have huge amounts of discretionary income to spend on books (although this crowd surely is pushing that envelope) so buying mm pbs makes good economic sense. When I worked in bookstores, I saw older women buying the HCs, younger ones buying the mm pbs.
Libraries: I made the decision years ago to use libraries as much as possible, to keep clutter under control. I’m lucky enough to live where there are many library systems and I routinely buy yearly borrowing privileges (usually $20) at several so I don’t have to go through the interlibrary loan system. But it exists, and it can get you just about any book from any other library in the country. When I was a teenager, I got old Emilie Loring novels that way. It’s not just for scholarly research.
As to the morality of formats, this is a consumer transaction. The publishers can do what they want, and the buyers can vote with their feet. And then both can complain. Personally, I prefer the mm pbs because they take up less room everywhere and they have cover art that is representational (also called “cheesy”). I don’t much care for the classier, vague and arty stuff on many HCs. My art choice, not necessarily yours.
And I don’t begrudge writers their opportunity to get rich, in whatever format works for them. Just keep writing.
By the way, this site does seem to have frequent problems with a refusal to recognize the security word, and then a futile loop back from the preview page. What’s up with that?
Poison Ivy—I registered, so no need for verification word. Works better. You just log in.
Amy E—as a doctor people TELL me how much I make—LMAO, I’m a family doc, for crying out loud. I have 2 patients who are accountants who come to me because they know I have to be doing this job for pure lurv not money.
I don’t care how much money authors make, if they just make enough to quit the day jobs.
The biggest annoyance I have is when a series I’ve been reading switches from paperback to hardback in midstream. (Hello, Mary Balogh’s “Slightly” series and Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire books!) Now I have to choose whether to buy the hardback and avoid the wait but have non-uniform books on the shelf, or to suck it up, wait for the paperback, and have a lovely shelf of matched books.
My frugality and anal-retentiveness generally result in me waiting for the paperback. I hate the wait, but I love the savings and the nice, tidy bookshelf.
I am not the Aussie bookseller, but I do live and read in Australia, so I looked up the publishing numbers for fiction in Australia. In 2003 (latest figures I could easily google) there were just 124 works of adult fiction published in Australia – that’s not just romance, but ALL adult fiction. And I wouldn’t be surprised if that number has fallen since then. Comparatively, there were about 17,000 novels published in the USA that year. A bit of a difference there! It’s pretty easy to see how an Australian bookseller could stock every version of every book published in Australia and still have plenty of shelf space left for imports (which make up the majority of book sales, I would think).
For myself, the only time I feel “betrayed” about books is when I hear all you guys talking about the latest release – when I know it’s gonna take me forever to get a copy here. Talk about your sour grapes! I make my poor husband go romance novel shopping for me at LAX as he regularly travels through there for work. For some reason, he keeps “forgetting” to ask the booksellers about the new JR Ward! I don’t think he can bring himself to speak the words “vampire romance” …
I asked my bookseller husband last night how he would handle it if books were published in all their formats simultainiously. He said he couldn’t. I told him to imagine he had no choice, this was how it was done. He actually looked pained! Then he said he’d have to buy lots less titles—starting with midlist—and concentrate on stocking known sellers. And he’d be pissed off. LOL.
His store is only about 1200 sq feet of retail space (not including stock rooms, office, shipping room). But I think there are plenty of indies about that size or smaller, and they’d be in the same boat.
Frankly, I think the big guys would handle it pretty much the same way.
Courtesy of Darlene in a thread long ago and far away:
Chris’s Invincible Super Blog takes on a thorough analysis of the Anita Blake comics.