3 ms·

That reminds me, I really hate how they start promoting books a few weeks before they are released. I see the promotion, and then when I go to buy it "pre-order

That reminds me, I really hate how they start promoting books a few weeks before they are released. I see the promotion, and then when I go to buy it "pre-order" ??!?! Like it isn't a fucking yacht, I give you the money you give me the book, I'm not interested in a more complicated transaction. I'd be happier if they did the promotion during a time frame where I could actually buy it.

cstross 12y ago
Business reality, alas. The book biz isn't as bad as movies, which are made or broken by their first 48 hours of box office receipts, but 80% of sales still occur within 3 months of publication (in hardcover, with a similar bounce when the book goes paperback). First-week sales are what count for (a) bestseller list presence and (b) bookstore re-orders based on (a). And pre-orders count towards first-week sales!
TylerE 12y ago
You can buy the ebook. It'll just magically appear on my Kindle on release day.
- myth_buster 12y ago
  Same as pre-order I suppose. I suppose his complaint was that don't build the hype unless we can get hold of it. It's like Nolan's movie teasers which end with "Summer, ++Now.Year()".
- elevensies 12y ago
  Yeah, I probably average 1000 pages per month on Kindle for iPhone. My usual purchase flow is: I see a book that interests me, I get the sample sent to my phone. When I feel like reading, I read some samples and If I like one I can order from my phone and start reading. With this particular book it would be a safe bet, I've read all his books, even REAMDE twice, which others didn't appear to find as compelling. But I don't like even the concept of pre-orders on general principles, although fiction publishers don't abuse them as badly as other i.e. game publishers (http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/2s6zgz/stop_preordering_video_games_a_plea_from_one/ http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/2s6zgz/stop_preorder...) I still prefer not to participate.
lsaferite 12y ago
What I found silly was the buy in the US link went to the HarperCollins store where the book is $35 + Shipping. I look it up on Amazon where it's 24.92 w/free shipping. WTH?

cstross 12y ago

Business reality, alas. The book biz isn't as bad as movies, which are made or broken by their first 48 hours of box office receipts, but 80% of sales still occur within 3 months of publication (in hardcover, with a similar bounce when the book goes paperback). First-week sales are what count for (a) bestseller list presence and (b) bookstore re-orders based on (a). And pre-orders count towards first-week sales!

TylerE 12y ago

You can buy the ebook. It'll just magically appear on my Kindle on release day.

myth_buster 12y ago
Same as pre-order I suppose. I suppose his complaint was that don't build the hype unless we can get hold of it. It's like Nolan's movie teasers which end with "Summer, ++Now.Year()".
elevensies 12y ago
Yeah, I probably average 1000 pages per month on Kindle for iPhone. My usual purchase flow is: I see a book that interests me, I get the sample sent to my phone. When I feel like reading, I read some samples and If I like one I can order from my phone and start reading. With this particular book it would be a safe bet, I've read all his books, even REAMDE twice, which others didn't appear to find as compelling. But I don't like even the concept of pre-orders on general principles, although fiction publishers don't abuse them as badly as other i.e. game publishers (http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/2s6zgz/stop_preordering_video_games_a_plea_from_one/ http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/2s6zgz/stop_preorder...) I still prefer not to participate.

lsaferite 12y ago

What I found silly was the buy in the US link went to the HarperCollins store where the book is $35 + Shipping. I look it up on Amazon where it's 24.92 w/free shipping. WTH?