Paperback Reader

You know, I expected this article, headlined "Literary Novels Going Straight to Paperback," to be disheartening, another sign of the decline of books etc. etc., but it's actually a really good idea. There are at least 5 books I can think of off the top of my head right now that I'd like to buy if they were out in paperback, but by the time they are out in paperback, I will probably have forgotten that I wanted to read them. It's just really hard to justify spending $25 on a hardcover book I may not actually like or even read when technically I could get it for free from the library. Paperbacks cut a nice middle path where I'm more likely to actually read the book since I've committed some money to it, but I don't feel like a chump if it turns out to be not my thing.
So bravo. I don't understand the economics of the publishing industry in the painfully in-depth way I understand the economics of the record industry, but if they can get it to work, I think it's a great idea.
posted by Mike B. at 11:26 AM 2 comments