madaboutbooks Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I was wondering if anybody knows how long it is before the paperback comes out following a hardback. Do some publishers skip the hardback and go straight into paperback? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 A few authors come out in paperback first. There is no 'standard' timing for paperbacks to come out after hardback as far as I know. It seems to vary from publisher to publisher and even from book to book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Can be anything from 6 to 12 months - a bit like DVD's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyD Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Yes, some authors go straight to paperback (like me). The big authors tend to have their own 'slot' in their publisher's year - ie Sophie Kinsella is January, I think, and I guess her new hardback and paperback will come out at the same time. (I could be wrong, though!) I think how quickly the paperback comes out depends partly on how many hardback copies a publisher thinks they can sell - so the bigger the author, the longer the gap between h/b and p/b. Hope that makes sense. Have only had half a cup of tea so far this morning... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madaboutbooks Posted July 26, 2008 Author Share Posted July 26, 2008 I guess I may have a long wait for The Return by Victoria Hislop then. I prefer to buy books in paperback and the library has 43 requests for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonsays Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 This is an interesting thread. I'd always assumed there was a format on the timescale of hardbacks being followed by paperbacks. Does beg the question in these environmentally friendly times: Are hardbacks necessary anymore? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 This is an interesting thread. I'd always assumed there was a format on the timescale of hardbacks being followed by paperbacks. Does beg the question in these environmentally friendly times:Are hardbacks necessary anymore? Would you really want to pay hardback prices for a paperback, assuming that publishers would still want an initial smaller 'test run' of a book before mass producing it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonsays Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 Yep, I agree on that hardback point. The downside is that if you ever have to move, hardbacks are a darn sight heavier to carry!! My point really was that in this day and age of everything being smaller, lighter, more user friendly, surely the hardback has had its day. I mean, aren't the publishers able to just do a small release paperback these days to guage reaction? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 My point really was that in this day and age of everything being smaller, lighter, more user friendly, surely the hardback has had its day. I mean, aren't the publishers able to just do a small release paperback these days to guage reaction? But it would cost them more to produce so they'd still be more expensive than the mass run paperback. At least with a hardback you get more for your money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonsays Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 Why would it cost more to produce a smaller run of paperbacks? Surely short run printing is now easier and more cost effctive than ever?.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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