Monday Morning PSA on publication schedules

[lagilman]

EtA: I really didn't think this post would raise so much apparent confusion. The hardcopy, physical books are in stores now (I've signed a number of them already) and shipped from the major online retailers. There was no hard laydown date that can be enforced on these titles, but the difference between "May 1st" as the publication date and "April 15th' (when the first copy was sighted in stores) is a bit extreme, and causes the problems I cited. It also plays up the difference in time between availability of print and digital, when the digital adheres to the month-of-pub release, which is why I posted in the first place.

That is all. You may return to your mid-morning coffee, now.
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For those of you wondering why the digitial version of HARD MAGIC is "on-sale May 1" but the paper edition is available now?

It's not that publishers/booksellers hate ebook readers, or any other conspiracy theory. The official, legal publication date for HARD MAGIC is... (wait for it...) May 1st. The digital download won't (shouldn't) be released until then, exactly as it's supposed to be.

The stores that are selling hardcopy now? Totally jumped the gun and put the books out too early. They'd jump the gun on ebooks too, I'm sure, except they can't claim "the clerks didn't understand they were supposed to wait/we didn't have backroom storage for the books")

While that's great news for those of us who hate waiting, it sucks for authors for two reasons.

1. Genre bestseller lists are compiled on a calander-month basis, so with sales split between April and May? Guess what? *sigh*

2. People who had books out in April? Lost shelf space to the incoming May books, halfway through what should have been their run. And they did it to the people in March... and so latecoming readers have trouble finding books that don't backlist (stay in the stores past their initial publication month).

This? Is one of those unspoken sales problems we're all too busy winging our hands over The Death of The Industry to pay attention to. So I just wanted to take a moment and point it out, and remind you to ASK for a book you don't see on the shelves. It might have gotten bumped, ten minutes before you came looking for it.

Comments

[eldestmuse.livejournal.com]

My copy is in the mail :)

[romsfuulynn.livejournal.com]

The only caveat I have is that (unusually for Amazon) mine was shipped April 16, even though the date there shows May 1. So that's another large chunk.

My understanding with bookstores is that some books have a "strict laydown date" that they honor. If it doesn't then it gets put out on arrival. The handling and wrapping is very different.

Borders maintains lists of "strict laydown date" books.

[lagilman]

The only caveat I have is that (unusually for Amazon) mine was shipped April 16, even though the date there shows May 1. So that's another large chunk.

Your digital copy? Because otherwise, yeah. That's what I was saying. So how is it a caveat? *is confuzed*

Laydown or street dates are for hardcovers and bestsellers, and there are fines/handlsapping involved with breaking those. For your everyday trade or mass market book? No such beast. But the on-publication date is still the on-pub date, and the windows still apply, as per my original post.

[eldestmuse.livejournal.com]

I think (s)he means her hard copy, because my hard copy that I pre-ordered from BN shipped April 21 and will arrive today. Even though the website says it's not available.

[lagilman]

Actually, the BN.com website says: "Usually ships within 24 hours" for the print edition.

[eldestmuse.livejournal.com]

What I get for looking at the publication date instead of the "buy" button, I guess :(

[quietselkie.livejournal.com]

Industry question, because I don't know the answer.

At what point is the print book sale counted? If your official lay-down date is May 1, I as a bookseller will have bought that book in April in order to have it for May 1. I don't see a good way for early-month releases to make the lists, unless they're really big sellers week after week.

[lagilman]

I'm not sure I understand your question... the print book sale is counted when cash exchanges hands. Otherwise, as you know, it's a potential-return and the bookstore shells out nothing. But that's a different kettle of rants.

Also, there is a difference between a laydown/street date, and a publication date. A lay-down date is, traditionally, the 2nd Tuesday of the month. A publication date changes publisher to publisher. Luna/Harlequin sets the 1st of the month as their pub date, which means that the books ship earlier, to be in stores for that date. Stores get the boxes and shift the shelves on arrival, rather than waiting. It's logical on their side..,

And yes, that is my point about the best-seller lists, although the Big'uns (NYT, USAToday) are weekly, not monthly.

[quietselkie.livejournal.com]

Hmm... From my perspective as an indie/used and new bookseller...since I don't report my new release sales to any official bean counters, maybe the books I purchase to sell in my shop never contribute to an author's tally. In my shop's scenario, I might order and receive your book in April, not display it until May 1, and not pay the distributor for it (whether I sell it to a customer or not) until May 31.

And actually...bookstores (at least mine, since I buy in small quantities) do have to pay at least a little on a book they return. The Big Distributor I use only gives me back 50% of my purchase price (which was discounted to begin with). I will at least have "rented" those copies for a little while. Not sure how much, if any, of that last little slice goes back to the publisher and then on to the author for returned books. I'm not saying that's fair, you understand. Just how my particular example operates.

[lagilman]

From my perspective as an indie/used and new bookseller...since I don't report my new release sales to any official bean counters, maybe the books I purchase to sell in my shop never contribute to an author's tally

You're not a reporting store WRT bestseller lists, no. You'd know if you were. But I assume you report your sales to some bean counter, and the author eventually gets paid on the new copies! Because otherwise, um...

[quietselkie.livejournal.com]

I would assume it's the distributor who eventually reports sales back up the chain. They must, because I know that after a certain period of time has passed, if I return a book, the percentage I get back drops to something close to a "restocking fee." To my way of thinking, that's probably after the original sales period and reporting to the publisher, and now we're into the remainder/residual period. Those books must have already been counted as sold, as far as royalties and earning out advances. But it's in the distributor-publisher ordering process where that math must take place. I can't imagine grocery stores do much bestseller list reporting, frex, unless it happens at the chain buying level, which again is probably the distributor, IMHO.

Interesting discussion, thank you for indulging my curiosity.

(Edited for [hopefully] clarity...)

[lagilman]

I suspect the confusion is in the type of store you have, vs a genre-specialty (aka Mysterious Galaxy) or chain store (B&N or Borders). You're occupying a far smaller, if still ecologically needful, niche. :-)

[strigine.livejournal.com]

As a new convert to ebooks, I've found the print "jump" very frustrating! And pretty much endemic; I can't think of any books I've eagerly awaited in the last three months that I couldn't have purchased in paper weeks before I could buy digital, even taking into account the big 4/1 turnover.

[martianmooncrab.livejournal.com]

I finished Hard Magic yesterday, I picked it up friday.

[sorek.livejournal.com]

"Hard Magic" is not available at fictionwise, despite it being after may 1st. sorek is not a happy camper.

I also note that mobipocket.com has it, at the non-mass market paperback price of $15 or thereabouts.

Ouch.

Welcome to the new world order. Thanks Apple and Amazon...

[lagilman]

I suspect Fictionwise is having some integration issues with being Part of B&N Nation, now. I know I had some trouble getting paid for short fiction, and ended up pulling it from the site to offer via the new collection only.

As for the "non-mass-market price.." well, it's not a mass market (it's trade paperback, same as the other books), so I can see why they're not pricing it as such! Historically, when the books are issued in the cheaper format, the ebook pricing drops as well.

Right now, you can buy it in hardcopy for around $12 and e-format for $10 at BN.com.


[I've already fired my shot in the ebook discussions; am not going to get back into it now, when I have Deadlines on my heels]

[sorek.livejournal.com]

Update fictionwise is now carrying it, with the following price structure:

Regular List Price: $13.45
Club List Price: $11.43
15% off new titles: $9.72
35% Micropay Rebate: $3.40
Cost After Rebate: $6.32

Which is very much like a mass market paperback price :) Hence my earlier confusion. While the 35% rebate may not always be available (I think they're doing a mother's day special on romance which they've listed hard magic as, go figure) it's common enough that you can almost rely on it.

I also got an additional 5% bonus rebate for choosing microsoft ereader (mobipocket still wasn't available weird) and was able to use "micropay dollars", in essence using $9.72 I'd already "spent" which was partially refilled with the roughly $4.00 in rebates

Now do you see why I like fictionwise so much? :)

Sorry to hear they're not so good from an author's point of view. Here's hoping you get your ebook royalty with minimum problems.

[lagilman]

ah, but you're talking about "good customer" rebates, which is not the same thing as "mass market pricing!"

As for the royalties -- when someone pays me a year late and only because I squalk, the damage has been done I have no say over where my books are sold (and the more outlets the better) but they will get no more exclusive (and they demand exclusive) short fiction from me. I'll go therough BookViewCafe, where I control what's done with the work and how it's priced, etc.

[lagilman]

also, Powells