A common refrain out there among the people who are pro-delaying e-books (last spotted in the Wall Street Journal article about S&S’s and Hachette’s delays) is that it’s kind of like how in movies you have the new release in the theaters, and then a while later you have the DVD release. Ergo ipso facto quod erat demonstrandum (Latin! It’s what’s for dinner)… DVDs are same thing as e-books, right? You have the hardcover release and then the e-book comes out later.
I don’t understand this e-book/DVD comparison at all. I’d even go so far as to say it’s Greek to me.
Let’s take movies.
When a movie comes out, you pay to see it in the theater. Once. You don’t get to take home the reels (and even if you wanted to those things weigh like 75,000 pounds). You’re paying for the experience of sitting in a darkened theater with strangers and watching it on a giant screen. You’re not buying something tangible.
Then, six months or a year later, the DVD comes out. It’s a tangible product. You get to keep it or give it away or loan it to a friend. And, by the way, it’s usually more expensive than a movie ticket (assuming you didn’t spring for the $17.00 popcorn). It’s also most likely to be purchased by someone who saw the movie in the theater and wants to re-watch it whenever they want or add it their collection.
How does this have anything at all to do with hardcovers and e-books? Watching a movie and owning a DVD are wholly different experiences and models. As subets pointed out in the comments section: One is an experience, the other is a product. DVDs are more expensive and tangible and you can watch it whenever you want. Going to the theater is cheaper and less tangible and you have to go at certain times.
If theater = hardcover, why is going theater cheaper whereas the hardcover is more expensive? If DVD = e-book, why don’t people usually buy the e-books for hardcovers they’ve already purchased?
I mean, yes, there are some points of comparison between e-books and DVDs, in that they’re both digital. And e-books (could/should be) loaded up with all kinds of cool bonus features that are afforded by an electronic format.
And some people might say that the reason DVDs are delayed is so people who are interested in the movie will be motivated to go to the theater first rather than renting it when it comes out on DVD. But the movie industry’s ideal is that someone consumes a movie twice – first at the theater, then with the DVD. If publishers are hoping consumers are going to buy e-books after the hardcover they’d better get to work making e-books a whole lot more awesome.
We already have a model for the e-book delay that makes way more sense: paperbacks. We can debate the merits of that comparison until we’re hoarse, but at least it makes sense as a model – the theory being that people who are excited about a title will be steered first toward the most expensive version of the product. Releases start with the highest price version and then move to the cheapest priced version.
But DVDs/e-books?
What we have here is a failure to communicate.
Also: Rosebud. Just because.
subets says
A shockingly familiar argument!
Nathan Bransford says
subets-
Ah!! I knew I heard it somewhere recently, but couldn't remember where. Credit is yours and post will be amended accordingly.
Nathan Bransford says
Though I don't totally agree that e-books aren't "things" – you get to keep them, even if they're digital.
dogboi says
While I agree that the model makes sense when compared to the hardcover/paperback split, I think it is the wrong model to adopt. Those of us who read e-books do so for various reasons and for many of us, the main reason is impatience. I don't want to wait for that book to come in the mail, and I don't want to go to the store to pick it up. So what then, do I do, if the e-book is 4 months away?
If I am unethical, I pirate it. Make no mistake about it: delaying the e-book will only encourage people to pirate e-books. I'm not saying that I would pirate books (because I won't), but there are many people who will. Many will do so under the guise of principle: They believe content should be available in the form that consumers want it in. (While I agree with that principle, I don't agree that it is a legitimate reason to pirate content.)
So the publishers will lose sales to piracy. They will also lose sales to disinterest. Usually, 4 months after something is released, I'm not longer interested in it. There are newer things to be interested in. Those companies that are willing to publish e-books at the same time as the hardcover will get my business. The rest, not so much.
And really, we all know why the publishers want to do this: It is not about saving hardcover sales; it is entirely about taking control of content value, since Amazon and Walmart have the power to devalue content.
Anonymous says
An eBook is a product that can be consumed now, rather than going out and picking up a book. An eBook is like an iPhone app. I can buy it on a whim. Buying a book in a bookstore is a completely different experience.
I'm still waiting for digital rentals. Why should I have to BUY an eBook? Why can't I just pay for a subscription and rent books? Think MS Zune music subscription service.
Digital purchases is so last year;)
Anonymous says
I am a new follower to your blog and enjoying it so far. As for the topic, I can't believe this was even a subject matter. I completely agree with you but can't for the life of me see why is was even questioned. Thanks for the info!
Anonymous says
The comparison is born of similarities to distribution models. Sometimes films are made before they are sold. Once they're made, they may make the film festival circuit in hopes of securing a dist. deal. Failing this, the next best thing is to strike a cable TV deal, and then (sometimes in the same deal), a DVD deal. Lowest rung I guess would be straight-to-DVD.
So with books, where the creators of the product are sometimes (oftentimes–almost all of the time?) not able to secure national distribution deals with major publishers after creating the product, the eBook offers a 2nd (or 3rd?) tier of distribution. In a parallel channel, however, those who have national hardcover deals ALSO have ebook distribution, in the same way all theater movies eventually go to DVD. But for some writers, eBook is the only shot at life. Hence the comparison (the similarity is not technological, but has to do with distribution opportunities).
I may have just typed a lot of meaningless driverl, I'm not sure.
jayinhouston says
I'm curious why the publishing industry doesn't model its digital market like the music industry.
Why not give a few page snippet for free, similar to the 30 clip of the song and then allow the reader to buy sections or chapters of the book. 99 cents per chapter, or $2.99 for a quarter of the book.
Consumers consider 99 cents an insignificant sum, so they toss it around freely.
If the book is engaging, they'll gladly fork over the rest of the dough to read through the end.
If it sucks, you already got a few bucks out of them.
The consumer assumes a smaller risk of buying a crappy book and therfore takes more risks and makes more purchases. The publisher wins in either case. Big-time authors will be able to sell "full book only" while up-and-coming writers will have to make a name through quality.
The music industry is still going strong. The money is still there, it's just spread thinner. Maybe that's terrible for authors though.
Just a thought.
Heather says
I don't understand this argument, either. But if publishers want to make that comparison, they can look at how easy it is to download a movie that is still in theaters straight to your computer. Do they want that to happen with their books, where it will be even easier to scan the hardcover and release it on Napster for novels (Novelster? Bookster? Napvel?), because pages are much smaller files than movies? I'm still hesitant about embracing the whole e-reader revolution (though I did put a Kindle on my Amazon wish list), but I know that the smart thing to do is keep up with the times.
Nathan Bransford says
anon@12:05-
I think that comparison makes sense for first publication/first movie release for indies (both books and movies), but usually the comparison is between blockbuster books and blockbuster movies as an explanation for the window between hardcover/ebook and theater/DVD release.
subets says
Nathan – Heh, thanks. I'm just glad someone else thinks along those lines. 🙂
I'm not sure ebooks register as "things" in a consumer mind, because reading an entire book electronically is so common and easy to do legally, for free: anything on Project Gutenberg, or ezines, or blogs, or John-Dies-at-the-End-style novel releases. Readers make no claim to it, they just enjoy it. The music industry is still fighting the same uphill battle to make consumers see songs as "things" that should be paid for, although you can snatch them out of the air via radio for free.
Bane of Anubis says
It is a specious comparison, but I think it's one the publishing industry would like to foster.
Thermocline says
3D TVs are already on sale. How many years before we start seeing e-readers that display 3D images?
The collapse of the pop-up book industry is looming and no one seems to care.
Anonymous says
@jayinhouston:
You can download samples to the Kindle.
jayinhouston says
And Amazon and everyone else is trying to carve out a slice of the market before Apple tosses its hat in the ring and takes over. That's why they're eating losses and trying to muscle the publisher now.
If the rumors are true of a 70/30 revenue split favoring publishers, Amazon and everyone else will have to follow suit or the publishers will distribute exclusively through Apple. Then, with that type of a split and with the dominant consumer electronic manufacturer onboard, publisher will have no choice but to embrace ebooks. And they'll be as profitable as hardcovers by then.
It's awesome to watch capitalism work. Competition in the marketplace is a true spectacle to behold. It's a damn shame there are many out there who fight it.
Anonymous says
Anon 12:05 here.
OK, I see, Nathan. I'd say that there's a much smaller 'experience gap' between harcover books and eBooks than there is between theatrical releases and DVD flicks. Reading is reading, after all–the brain is either picking up the words or it's not, whereas seeing a movie on a bigger screen with better sound literallyl changes the perception of the work. I suppose the tactile experience of a harcover, along with the physical permanence of it lends it a slight edge over ebooks, but not all that much.
To me the big issue–and the real reason publishers want a delay between physical publication and ebook release–is the piracy threat.
Also, someone mentioned free chapters in e-form, but Amazn's Sneak a Peak or whatever they call it is widely used, and major authors usually have sample chapters in pdf format on their websites.
jayinhouston says
Last point. There are many bands who can write a great song. There are only a few who can produce a great album.
iTunes has let the majority at least make a little something off writing a great song.
The same is true of books in many cases. There are several people who can keep the masses interested for 25 pages, but only a few who can keep them interested for 250 pages.
Wouldn't a piecemeal purchasing option subsidize author earnings?
Wouldn't it allow the consumers to determine talent?
Maybe not. I doubt it happens. It makes too much sense in too many ways.
Chris Bates says
Some men you just can't reach.
Also: I think it would be fun to run a newspaper.
As for the ebooks: same day release. Give the ebook customer what they want… which, I assume, is an ebook. Crazy way to run a business, I know.
Matilda McCloud says
Jay–
I would love to be able pay a few dollars to read 25 pages because I put down or can't get through over half of the books I buy or take out of the library. Sometimes after I read the first page, I put it down when I find out it's written in the present tense for the whole book (ick).
atsiko says
I guess I'll never be able to relate to some of these arguments. I buy a book and I read the damn thing. If I want a sample, I do that in the bookstore, but buying most of my books off recs, I don''t have this apparent issue with buying a book I'll never read.
Nathan, I completely agree that e-books are nothing like dvds. I think the paperback comparsion, in terms of market and distribution, is much more applicable. I never buy hardbacks, ever. I always get MMPB. It's a pain in the butt. In my selfishness, I don't see why e-book readers should get their product before I do. So, hey, you want e-books out the same time as hardbacks? Get the MMPB crowd on your side as well. The HB part of the market is nothing in comparison to us two put together.
Rick Daley says
Agreed. Carpe Diem.
If we're clear on the movie / DVD sequence, after we settle the hardcover / ebook sequence can we tackle that whole chicken and egg thing? It's been driving me nuts.
Laurel says
I love Apple.
Whitney says
So, my new and used bookstore has a chance?
Anna says
I'm sorry, but books are just so much simpler than all of this. Want to read? Open book, turn on light, done. Short of sitting in darkness and being illiterate (and, perhaps, sitting too close to an open flame), it is foolproof.
Speaking for myself, I'm growing tired of the ongoing debate regarding e-book's merits. Either you're on the bandwagon, considering joining the bandwagon in the future, or sticking with your paper-bound books. Can we all move on, please?
Chris Bates says
@ dogboi: "So the publishers will lose sales to piracy."
Yep. Just like the film and music industry.
Unfortunately that is the current lay of the land. And it will remain that way forever after. The smart publishers will attempt to factor that into the P&L. Maybe they need to work on additional revenue models as book tie-ins?
Authors are also going to have to step up to the plate and get involved in book marketing and 'self-selling' to survive. Yes, the dreaded platform theory.
Nathan is a fine example. He has a book deal. He has this nice blog here, plus a couple of thousand eyeballs. Now he's over at Huff Post – a few more eyeballs. Is his Jacob book going to be pirated? You betcha. If any author's work is worthy of attention then it will be pirated.
Delaying ebook release is not going to alter that. Nor will it save that hardcover revenue stream in five years time. In fact it's essentially a below the line cost that publishers probably will never recover.
The successful new author won't be a shy retiring, bookish individual who leaves everything up to the publisher. The big authors will be media friendly and their ebooks will be just a slice of their income.
After all, not ever actor/artist/musician is rich and famous.
Nathan Bransford says
Anna-
I mean…… calculus is simple, you just do the calculations and you're done. Navigating a maze is simple, you just make some turns and you're done. Everything's simple if you ignore the details.
Chris Bates says
BTW James McQuivey has a great post here about book pricing:
https://blogs.forrester.com/consumer_product_strategy/2009/12/whats-a-book-really-worth.html
Anonymous says
I wouldn't mind something like a one week delay; I can see people who would otherwise have bought the hardback being too impatient to go out to the store and acquire it (or wait for their copy to show up in the mail), esp. for bestsellers who have such a fanatic following that they can support midnight release parties.
Four months? That seems like an awfully long delay. All the hype of the original publication will be over by then, and people will have forgotten about it. Or pirated their own copy by then.
Brandon says
Excellent points by both Nathan and commenters. I have yet to own a Kindle/eReader/what-have-you, so I don’t have a strong opinion on either side of the outrage over the announced, deliberate delay of e-Books after hardcover releases. However, this comparison between the publishing world and movie industry is terribly flawed.
Oh, and I love the image at the beginning, Nathan. An MS Painter after my own heart. 🙂
Anonymous says
Could it be that people are comparing e-books to DVDs because of their movie habits? In other words, I know people who will not go to the theater to see a film release. They'd rather wait for the DVD release. Some have home theaters and prefer DVDs. And people with kids usually pass on theaters because of the expense. Personally, I can't stand sitting next to other people for that long.
Maybe people are thinking of e-books this way. They'd rather pass on the hard cover edition and wait for the cheaper e-book release.
I agree with your post. But this might be why so many people equate e-books with DVDs. E-books haven't fully reached the point of being equated with hard cover print books in the mainstream.
I write for several e-publishers. And my books are out in digital format before they are released as print books. But the mainstream isn't getting it. And traditional publishing keeps floundering and waiting to make a decision.
It won't last for long, though. I've seen a lot of them start to copy e-publishing models in the past six months. They don't have a choice.
The other day I asked an editor about royalties on e-books sales for a print book I was in that had been released as an e-book. The editor, I swear on this, didn't even know that his own book had been released in digital format. He thought I was joking until I provided him with amazon links.
Scott says
How about this analogy . . .
OnDemand/DVD = Hardback/EBook
First you have the theater release, then the OnDemand (on Comcast cable) release, and then the DVD (sometimes there's only a few days between the release dates). With some Hardbacks, you have the release date, and then a few days later the EBook. DVD is more expensive than OnDemand, btw, so OnDemand would be equatable to the EBook!
Personally, I like OnDemand better, because unless it's an extremely excellent movie, or one I totally enjoy seeing over and over again (LOTR, Mamma Mia, The Women – 1939 version), I'd rather by the cheaper amount, watch the movie once, and not have something else I have to dust on a weekly basis . . . which is the good thing about Ebooks – I don't have to dust them.
S
Kate says
I can see it as being similar to watching a movie in the theater and renting the dvd. I've never bought a dvd in my life, but I watch far more movies on video than I watch in the theater.
When going to a movie in the theater, it's paying for the experience. Seeing the action on the big screen not on a small tv screen. But forking out $9 for movie tickets is a lot more than $3 to rent the video. I tend to buy about as many hard back books as I watch movies in the theaters. In most cases, I'm willing to wait until something comes out in paperback before forking over the cash.
I do own a kindle and read more e-books than paper books. I actually find e-books easier to read, but still don't value the product as much. My e-books are tied to my reader, and five years from now when I end up buying some new reader from some other manufacturer, I'll likely loose all the e-books living on my kindle. So if I really want to have and to hold a book, I'll still buy it in hard back. The same way some movies need to be seen in the theater.
Having three release dates, the hard cover, then the e-book, then the paper back makes a lot of sense to me. For big name books by big name authors, there will be people willing to pay extra for the hard back just to get the story six months earlier. Also letting word of mouth do it's job for six months before launching an e-book add campaign might help paper book sales too.
Anonymous says
Calculus was always mind-bendlingly difficult for me. Integral calc, that is. Differential calc is pretty simple. But when you get into the integrals and esp. triple integrals, my mind gets all mushy.
But that's what got us to the moon.
Bane of Anubis says
Not my mazes.
Annalee says
Personally, I think it would be awesome if ebooks were like DVDs. Like, if they were loaded with extra features like a bundled audio edition (synced up to the text, so that readers could listen to the whole thing, or just highlight that one proper noun they're not sure about), clips from author readings, extra illustrations or minigames (for children's books), maybe a few ink-covered rough draft pages, some commentary, and that awesome scene or two that ended up getting cut but are worth sticking on the dee-book.
Not that half of those are the slightest bit realistic or practical, but man, I'd plunk down full hardcover price if my favorite authors were putting out ebooks that had dvd-esque features to them.
Selorian says
The DVD comparison doesn't make sense to me either. Neither in a distribution nor pricing sense. To me it seems like grasping at straws to legitimize a bad decision.
I have a post with some discussion on bundling, pricing, and the release of ebooks at https://cliffordfryman.com/blog/publishing/e-book-strategies-for-traditional-publishers/ . Some of the ideas may be of interest to you.
Marilyn Peake says
Nathan –
Amen! I agree with you. There are soooooo many books available right now, people I know who own a Kindle just read older books until they can buy newer books for their Kindle. They don’t buy hard cover or paperback versions anymore; they just wait for the Kindle version. They do, however, go to the movie theater AND buy DVDs because they're paying for the theater experience plus an entirely different experience at home.
Someone posted a link on your blog yesterday to an article about Stephen R. Covey’s new deal with Amazon. Here’s a link to another article about the deal. The best-selling author will use RosettaBooks, an eBook publisher, to take a new series of his books directly to Kindle, rather than waiting for his traditional publisher, Simon & Schuster, to first publish hard cover and paperback versions. RosettaBooks, in turn, will give Stephen R. Covey 50% of their profit on his eBooks, explaining that "There are superstars, and superstars are entitled to more." This is an amazing time for small press eBook publishers! Recently, my own publisher – who has, for years, published non-mainstream books for authors published by the big publishing houses – publicly announced eBook publishing services for traditionally published authors. I would think that literary agents are in an awesome position right now, as they could negotiate hard cover and paperback deals with the big publishing houses while negotiating much faster eBook deals with eBook publishers for their clients.
ali says
Love your new look Nathan 🙂
I don't get the comparison either. For one thing, If I love a book (i.e. movie) I don't want to get an e-book, audio or paperback version of the same book (i.e. DVD.) What I want is the hardcover. See, bad, bad reader than I am, I usually either get my first book in paperback or at the library. If I love it, THEN I'll buy it AGAIN but this time in hardcover. I'd buy a book as an e-book first too, but then buy the hardcover.
So, I think it's all apples & oranges. Not just he said/she said.
Marilyn Peake says
"Also: Rosebud. Just because."–???? Rosebud could actually be a link between the CITIZEN KANE movie (now available on DVD) and the publishing industry, as the movie’s about the American newspaper maganate, William Randolph Hearst who whispers "Rosebud" as he's dying. Just sayin’.
Marilyn Peake says
Ooooops, typo – I meant "magnate", not "maganate".
Alyssa says
I admit, I'm kind of surprised that this is a debate but maybe that's because I read too many books that *never* see a hardback release at all. 😉 Makes a girl wonder how that sort of thing factors into this equation.
I've been an advocate of the solution that somehow allows publishers to force the Amazons of the world to simply price the e-book release competitively with the hardback release until such time as they would have released a lower-priced e-book. Seems like a great middle ground.
I know just about every kind of reader their is: The kind who can't wait and will buy whatever version comes out firs (me), the type who buys their preferred format no matter what, and the kind who has to shop on price because otherwise they'd only be able to buy a couple of books a year. This solution seems like it would satisfy everyone, and frankly, put some extra money in everyone's pockets since there are plenty of e-books I'd pay the hardback price for simply for the pleasure of getting the book as fast as possible. I don't buy hardbacks because I like them (though I am anal about my collection and want all my books in a series to be the same format. One of the appeals of the e-book for me is that anal retentiveness will go away with no physical objects to focus on) but because they're first. I recognize that I pay a premium for that and I would continue to pay that premium for another format.
For the record though, I am *also* one of those folks who wouldn't have immediately dismissed the connection between DVDs and e-books since a) I never go to the theater anymore since home theaters offer just as good an experience and I don't have to deal with all those *people*.. and b) I absolutely own more than 1 copy of books I love, I have the paper copy AND the e-book/audio version just because my preferred format doesn't always jive with the release schedule. However I know I'm quite the rare buyer.
Lynn says
Oh my freaking god. Can we take a break from flogging the subject of e-books for a week? Just one week. I'm beginning to think our beloved blogger is getting a kickback. Hmmm.
Munk says
Media… media… media… forget media for a moment and focus on content.
I am not one to gather DVDs, but I watch them.
I also don't collect books, but I read them…
Frankly, I wouldn't mind if all books were paperbacks, because they are easy to carry and then toss in the share-bin after reading. It's the content that stays with me… I carry around Captain Queeg and Augustus McCrae everywhere I go. I also couldn't care less whether I see the content three seconds or three decades after it is published. The best content will survive media… and what's cool about it, is that words translate well to digital sources. It is not "lossy" as my engineering wonk's like to say. Face it, what you all are really talking about is money… which like gravity and friction, always seems to find a way to ****things up.
By God, Woodrow; it's been one hell of a party.
Mira says
Yes, I like the reverse argument.
That people will buy e-books first, but if they really, really like the book, they might buy a collector's edition in hardback.
I think someone in the other thread also mentioned adding extras to the hardback – pictures, a prologue, etc., that would make the hardback more attractive following the e-book as well.
I think there's a possiblity that hardcover books could become an art form, actually.
Nathan Bransford says
Lynn and others-
Please understand that different people come to this blog for different reasons. I know some people come for how to find an agent, some come to hear about books, some come for the monkeys and some come for industry news.
E-books are absolutely dominating industry news right now. This is the news in publishing right now, like it or not, and it's a truly existential challenge for the industry. It is extremely, extremely important to everyone who is hoping to make money off of their writing.
I am still trying to maintain a balance so there's a little something for everyone, but it would be really great if people who don't like e-books could refrain from posting rude comments about how they're sick of hearing about e-books – if you don't hear about them from me you're going to hear about them from someone else. I'm just trying to keep people informed and contribute to a very important ongoing industry discussion.
Nathan Bransford says
And for the millionth time, just because I like e-books doesn't mean I'm getting paid to flog them. I mean, really….
Allison says
Just wanted to say I really enjoy reading your entries Nathan.
On topic, I think the publishers will ultimately end up losing money. I'm the type of reader, as are many of my friends, who suddenly finds myself lacking a book at time when it's inconvenient to acquire another one. Not enough time to go to the store, the library is closed or one of my kids is unexpectedly home sick and I'm stuck. The ability to go online and grab a book on a whim when I'm craving one loosens my purse strings and I spend money.
However, if there's a book I want to read and I can't get it right then and there then I'm tightening those purse strings. I'd have to wait for it anyway so I'll add it to my list at the library and pick it up the next time I'm there.
Anything someone can buy online and have instantly is more appealing than a product you buy and have to wait for. This is a country of people searching for instant gratification and when people are forced to wait they often redirect their attention to something else.
It's Lynn again says
May I be so bold as to recommend eggnog, Paxil and call it a day?
Nathan Bransford says
lynn-
Feel free, drink/pill it up no one is judging.
Rebecca Knight says
"Not that half of those are the slightest bit realistic or practical, but man, I'd plunk down full hardcover price if my favorite authors were putting out ebooks that had dvd-esque features to them."
You and me both, Annalee! 😀 That would be awesome to have video author interviews and stuff "bundled" into the e-books at a higher price point.
Also, thank you for this, Nathan. That comparison to DVDs was making me batty as well. Seriously.