Comments on: Cover to Cover #387A: Listener Feedback http://www.dragonpage.com/2009/12/21/cover-to-cover-387a/ Conversations with the Creators of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Thrillers! Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:12:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Mark http://www.dragonpage.com/2009/12/21/cover-to-cover-387a/comment-page-1/#comment-742495 Mark Thu, 24 Dec 2009 15:24:54 +0000 http://www.dragonpage.com/?p=2887#comment-742495 I agree, this might have been spun as an alternative to large type books for a specific demographic but in reality it has become what Bill suggested, a price increase. It will be interesting to see how this trend will play out. I agree, this might have been spun as an alternative to large type books for a specific demographic but in reality it has become what Bill suggested, a price increase. It will be interesting to see how this trend will play out.

]]> By: Summer Brooks http://www.dragonpage.com/2009/12/21/cover-to-cover-387a/comment-page-1/#comment-742489 Summer Brooks Thu, 24 Dec 2009 09:30:11 +0000 http://www.dragonpage.com/?p=2887#comment-742489 Mark: I thought that's what the large type books were for! The print in this new hybrid format didn't seem to be larger, but I wasn't checking closely. I will have to go back and compare. Bill: I am not the only one willing to pay the $12.95-$14.95 for a regular trade paperback version, especially given that the tall paperback's a higher price than the mass market version. Arkle: I don't need complete bookshelf symmetry... just series symmetry. That really shouldn't be too much to ask for. I remember being bummed that I couldn't replace my original silver Elric series after they went missing, because at the time the entire series hadn't been reprinted in the newer white format. I wasn't about to have 3 silver ones and 3 white ones... that would have been crazy-making for me. So I had to wait another year before the entire series was out in the white covers. Mark: I thought that’s what the large type books were for! The print in this new hybrid format didn’t seem to be larger, but I wasn’t checking closely. I will have to go back and compare.

Bill: I am not the only one willing to pay the $12.95-$14.95 for a regular trade paperback version, especially given that the tall paperback’s a higher price than the mass market version.

Arkle: I don’t need complete bookshelf symmetry… just series symmetry. That really shouldn’t be too much to ask for. I remember being bummed that I couldn’t replace my original silver Elric series after they went missing, because at the time the entire series hadn’t been reprinted in the newer white format. I wasn’t about to have 3 silver ones and 3 white ones… that would have been crazy-making for me. So I had to wait another year before the entire series was out in the white covers.

]]> By: Bill Smith http://www.dragonpage.com/2009/12/21/cover-to-cover-387a/comment-page-1/#comment-742483 Bill Smith Thu, 24 Dec 2009 03:11:04 +0000 http://www.dragonpage.com/?p=2887#comment-742483 I believe that the reason behind the "taller paperbacks" is simple--a higher price. A standard paperpack generally runs $7.99 retail...most of the "tall paperbacks" run $9.95 retail. I do suspect it was just a shameless marketing ploy to sneak a stealth price increase into the retail chain. Rather than bumping up "standard paperback" pricing and enduring the backlash, they created an "almost trade paperback" format, charging a higher price, and never release a standard paperback format at the standard lower price. By contrast (warning: shameless plug), my ebooks are just $1-2, simple HTML files you can read on almost any device and DRM-free so you can print, backup, and format shift as you desire. Bill Smith Author of the Outlaw Galaxy series and Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels. www.OutlawGalaxy.com I believe that the reason behind the “taller paperbacks” is simple–a higher price. A standard paperpack generally runs $7.99 retail…most of the “tall paperbacks” run $9.95 retail.

I do suspect it was just a shameless marketing ploy to sneak a stealth price increase into the retail chain.

Rather than bumping up “standard paperback” pricing and enduring the backlash, they created an “almost trade paperback” format, charging a higher price, and never release a standard paperback format at the standard lower price.

By contrast (warning: shameless plug), my ebooks are just $1-2, simple HTML files you can read on almost any device and DRM-free so you can print, backup, and format shift as you desire.

Bill Smith
Author of the Outlaw Galaxy series and Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels.
http://www.OutlawGalaxy.com

]]> By: Mark http://www.dragonpage.com/2009/12/21/cover-to-cover-387a/comment-page-1/#comment-742479 Mark Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:32:52 +0000 http://www.dragonpage.com/?p=2887#comment-742479 This was in the New York Times back in August 12, 2005: Books, Not Tales, Get Taller Before Baby Boomers' Eyes, By EDWARD WYATT Publishers are issuing new paperbacks in a bigger size for baby boomers who are finding it harder to read small type. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/12/books/12paper.html This was in the New York Times back in August 12, 2005:
Books, Not Tales, Get Taller Before Baby Boomers’ Eyes, By EDWARD WYATT

Publishers are issuing new paperbacks in a bigger size for baby boomers who are finding it harder to read small type.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/12/books/12paper.html

]]> By: Arkle http://www.dragonpage.com/2009/12/21/cover-to-cover-387a/comment-page-1/#comment-742472 Arkle Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:32:49 +0000 http://www.dragonpage.com/?p=2887#comment-742472 Summer: That way lies madness. Trust me. I had to give up on bookshelf symmetry YEARS ago. Summer: That way lies madness. Trust me. I had to give up on bookshelf symmetry YEARS ago.

]]> By: lows http://www.dragonpage.com/2009/12/21/cover-to-cover-387a/comment-page-1/#comment-742458 lows Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:51:14 +0000 http://www.dragonpage.com/?p=2887#comment-742458 I recently found that as well. I thought, hmmm, new book? Was short but rather good I thought. Tim I recently found that as well. I thought, hmmm, new book? Was short but rather good I thought.

Tim

]]> By: Summer Brooks http://www.dragonpage.com/2009/12/21/cover-to-cover-387a/comment-page-1/#comment-742453 Summer Brooks Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:32:11 +0000 http://www.dragonpage.com/?p=2887#comment-742453 regarding the narrow and tall paperbacks, I came across Jim Butcher's <em>Small Favor</em> in that format, and I actually decided not to buy it. If they don't put out a regular sized mmpb of it eventually, I'll go find a copy of the hardcover. I'd rather have the hardcover messing up my bookshelf symmetry than that oddball size! I prefer the standard trade pb size and the mmpb size, but not a hybrid of the two. I don't know why they are using that size... it doesn't seem to save bookstore shelf space; in fact, in some Borders I've been in, they'd have to adjust the shelf heights to accomodate a lot of those, resulting in fewer shelves per bookcase, I'd imagine. regarding the narrow and tall paperbacks, I came across Jim Butcher’s Small Favor in that format, and I actually decided not to buy it. If they don’t put out a regular sized mmpb of it eventually, I’ll go find a copy of the hardcover. I’d rather have the hardcover messing up my bookshelf symmetry than that oddball size!

I prefer the standard trade pb size and the mmpb size, but not a hybrid of the two. I don’t know why they are using that size… it doesn’t seem to save bookstore shelf space; in fact, in some Borders I’ve been in, they’d have to adjust the shelf heights to accomodate a lot of those, resulting in fewer shelves per bookcase, I’d imagine.

]]>