I’ve been saying it for many years. As the publishing industry changes, and the reading habits of consumers evolve, the whole concept of what a ‘book’ is will likewise ‘go with the flow’.

Hardcover books are still the format of choice for major publishers for new titles, but they cost more to produce than do soft covers or paperbacks, and eBooks are cheaper still. So, one may well ask, Quo Vadis Hardcover?

My crystal ball is no more clear than anyone else’s, but it would seem logical that a book’s price point, and therefore its profit margin, has everything to do with volume. Find a way to sell more books and make more money, and everybody in the food chain is happy.

How many versions, how many formats?

But with the emergence and proliferation of eBooks, and the economic realization that more books are being published in softcover versus hardcover, and with initial print runs being reduced, could the hardcover end up becoming a premium purchase? What would happen if publishers raised the price of the hardcover and lowered the price of the softcover? Would they sell more books?

It’s not so hard to imagine a publishing world where a book is released as a softcover, but a hardcover is offered at a premium price. Instead of a hardcover selling between $30 and $60, what about $100+? What if it sits on a bookstore shelf (bricks and mortar or virtual) alongside a stack of softcover versions priced at $19.95? Different artwork perhaps. Larger format. Signed, numbered, limited editions. I bet they’d still sell. And if the book became popular more hardcovers would be in demand. Movie studios have been doing that for more than ten years with DVDs – theatrical version versus the Director’s Cut (with extras!)

An acquaintance who was in an L.A. bookstore recently (she’s also an author) remarked that she was surprised to see a free-standing kiosk of paperback potboilers and that each came with a coupon good for 30% off the eBook edition. What really surprised her, however, was the fact that half the books were gone – sold. I’d love to know how many eBooks they sold with those coupons, she said. No kidding.

How many versions, how many formats?

In this article from Germany’s Spiegel Online we learn that the whole concept of ‘premium’ hardcover titles sold alongside softcover versions is nothing new. The article also reports on the theory that Germany’s lack of copyright on written works for much of the 19th century may have lead to its rapid industrial expansion, which eventually had an enormous impact on its massive war machine during WWI (a small tangential bit of content and of little importance to the subject at hand). Regardless, it also has some fascinating things to say about publishing in general.

Oh, and if you’re a fan of arcane trivia pay particular attention to the sales figures comparison between Frankenstein and Principles of Leather Tanning! This is a fun article.

○ A Hard Or Soft Option? Oh, And Something About Germany’s Industrial Expansion