Pondering hardcovers vs paperbacks
March 8, 2009
I’ve been thinking about this post about hardcovers that I found via Bookninja.
Here’s why I know a book industry era has come to an end: One publisher after another keeps referring to hardcover books as “promotional copies for the paperback edition.”
Yes, hardcover books are selling so poorly that their only use for publishers is to get reviews, book interviews for the author and pave the way for a trade paperback edition that the real audience can afford.
[...]
A larger truth, however, is that mid-list and serious literary books by lesser-known authors rarely find their audience in hardcover. Those adventurous readers who watch and clip reviews, look for new voices and love heated book-group discussions most often wait for the paperback, and who can blame them? The cost of a hardcover book after sales tax is about $30. The cost of a trade paperback after sales tax is about $15.
Pat Holt makes some good points in her post. I can’t even begin to count how many books I’ve waited for to come out in paperback because I didn’t want to pay for the hardcover. And let’s not get into how much I loathe it when books in a series were only released as paperback then suddenly shift to a hardcover release around book three or four. (Really. Let’s not.)
Paperbacks outnumber hardcovers on my shelves. Even among the hardcovers I couldn’t even begin to guess how many of the hardcovers I paid full price for. I know it’s not too darned many. I’d wager a guess that of those that I paid full price for 95% of those are from book festivals. If I bought them online (as I often do) they were discounted, even if on the release day. Many others were picked up from the bargain table. (Can we say remaindered?) I’m very unlikely to take a chance on a new author in hardcover unless I’m getting it from the library. It does happen though – The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society is a good example (excellent reviews from bloggers who had gotten early copies absolutely influenced that though, as did the topic).
I get a better bang for my buck with paperbacks. If I’m going into a bookstore with $100 burning a hole in my pocket and I’m staying away from the sales/bargain tables I’ll get a lot more books if I buy paperbacks instead of hardcovers. It’s not like the hardcovers are only going to be hardcovers – I know they’ll be coming out in paperback eventually. I just have to be patient. This, of course, goes out the window if it’s a book I really, really want.
Since I wrote that post on BlogHer about how much money I saved by using the library I find I’m even more tightfisted with my book money. Probably because even though I knew the library saved me a bunch of money once you see that actual amount staring you in the face you cannot forget it. I’ve purchased very few new books since then. I have, however, gone nuts in a thrift store or two when I found some old YA books for about fifty cents each (awesome). Thrift stores aside my impulse book buying has almost stopped. If that is how much money I save by USING the library I really don’t want to have to calculate how much money I’m NOT saving when I DON’T use the library. (Scary!)
But when I love a book, truly love it and want to keep it on my shelf for all of time so I can revisit it regularly, I need hardcover. Even if I already own in paperback. Generally speaking, I don’t know if I need it in hardcover until I’ve read it. A paperback usually won’t hold up to the test of time and rereading quite the same way. I don’t go out of my way to buy the paperback if I already own the hardcover though, unless I’m buying it as gift for someone.
I’m curious. Are you a hardcover person? Paperback person? A mix? Are there books that you just have to have in hardcover? Does the cost of hardcovers influence the paperback/hardcover decision? I wanna know!
March 8th, 2009 at 9:22 am
If I start a series in hardcover, I have to keep going in hardcover… I have a few series where they are partially in hardcover and partially in paperback, or partially in trade paperback and partially in mass market paperback and it drives me batty to see them beside themselves on the shelf. But unless it’s a book I really really really really need in hardcover, then I usually just buy paperback.
Court’s last blog post..Don’t Judge A Girl By Her Cover
[Reply]
March 8th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Aside from a couple of author addictions, I do prefer the paperback. However, sometimes it has to do with the way the books look. I love tiny hard covers (you know the oddly shaped ones that aren’t “normal” book shape?) For some reason the Melissa Marr books just call to me in hard cover I haven’t liked the look of the trade versions, even though the art is the same.
If the hard cover is a decent price (as in nowhere near full price) and it LOOKS eyecatching and I have been interested in reading the story, I’ll get it. I just did that with The Devouring and Need. Amazon had them for $12 each, which at times is how much I’d pay for the paper version.
I am happy with my 4/$10 HCs that I got at Chapigo the other week. I wouldn’t have bought them, but they were books I was curious about so couldn’t pass up the deal.
Cat’s last blog post..In My Mailbox #6
[Reply]
March 8th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Oh! Forgot what I really wanted to mention – I am desperate to find The Thirteenth Tale in hard cover since I read it from the library. There is something about that book that just screams – YOU NEED ME IN HC! But I have not been having any luck.Boo.
Cat’s last blog post..In My Mailbox #6
[Reply]
March 8th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
I definitely go for a mix of hardcovers and paperbacks but am not picky unless it’s a series that I’m already collecting. Cost isn’t too much of an issue because I won’t pay full price for any hardcover. I give some books a chance in hardcover even if I haven’t heard of them but I also put hardcovers on my Amazon wishlist and then if I haven’t purchased them by the time the paperback version comes out, I switch to the cheaper one. I also tend to wait until they are both available and buy the one that is most visually appealing. There’s nothing worse than buying a hardcover and then they put out the paperback and it looks better!
Okay … done rambling …
Kristen M.’s last blog post..I wish today was a bit more like …
[Reply]
March 8th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
I have to say that I really agree with you on these points. I’m much more likely to wait (and wait) for a book to come out in paperback than I am to buy it in hardback, even if it is an author I really love. Granted, there are a few exceptions, but I’m finding that the library always carries them, so I can wait. And I *hate* when a series goes from paperback to hardback; it’s my biggest book peeve!
hayden’s last blog post..New Reading Ideas
[Reply]
March 8th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
I much prefer paperback even when the book is a gift or free. I like to read in bed and the older I get, the harder I find it is to hold up a hardcover. Paperbacks are just much easier to handle.
Teddy’s last blog post..Giveaway: A LUCKY CHILD by Thomas Buergenthal
[Reply]
March 9th, 2009 at 8:01 am
I’m a paperback girl all the way – easier to hold and carry and cheaper to buy they are the way to go. The only issue I sometimes have is when they change the book cover from the hardcover edition to the paperback. Mudbound has a beautiful red cover on the hardcover – have you seen the paperback version? YUCK!
Stephanie’s last blog post..Princess Academy
[Reply]
March 9th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
I will buy hardbacks in certain instances — usually when it’s an author I love. In that case, I usually know I’ll love the book and I want them to get the money. My “default” setting, though, is paperback. I just read too many to go hardback all the time.
TexasRed’s last blog post..The Crooked Lawyer – Book Give-Away
[Reply]
March 10th, 2009 at 6:46 am
Court and Kristen said what I had been planning to say. Once I’m reading a series in paperback, I want to keep buying it in paperback. For symmetry. I know it doesn’t really matter but…
This leads to a lot of checking things out from the library, and a lot of twiddling my thumbs patiently while favorite series eventually come out in paperback.
Elizabeth W.’s last blog post..Musing Mondays- Book Shopping
[Reply]
March 16th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
I find that there are a few authors I like to get in hardcover — authors I know I’ll stick with through thick and thin, meaning their books will be reread an infinite number of times and will require the better bindings of the hardcover book. There are a few series I began in softcover and then slowly converted to hardcover once the HC editions showed up remaindered, at yardsales, or in thrift stores.
My big secret lately for free interesting hardcover books is diving the recycling bin at my local library branch when they’ve been weeding the shelves.
Melissa’s last blog post..Overheard
[Reply]
March 17th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
I prefer paperbacks because they’re easier to hold (I seem to be getting a little arthritis in my hands), take up less space and cost less. But, I’m a sucker for a pretty cover. Occasionally, publishers will put out a gorgeous hb followed by a hideous pb version. In that case, I tend to go for the hardback. I hate that about myself, though, and try to suck it up and go for the paperbook because I really don’t have much space.
Bookfool, aka Nancy’s last blog post..Monkey Monkey Monkey by Cathy MacLennan
[Reply]
March 19th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Most of my books are hardcover. When you buy them on online stores like amazon they are usualy only a couple bucks more and last alot longer.
[Reply]