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| Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, September 17 2012 @ 02:05 AM EDT |
It's OK, you don't have Hachette's understanding of what
"backlisted" means. Nor does PJ. Nor do I but here's a possibility.
>> [PJ: Hachette also doesn't need to print any more books for
libraries, so that expense and all the expenses that are associated
with providing a paper book are gone. Did they calculate that?
And how many times do libraries need to repurchase books from
publishers? What is the calculation that results in choosing 220%?]<<
Hachette are an old world publisher, printers ink, paper dust and all that.
A book is backlisted when it sells out and they aren't going to reprint.
Those e-books? They're just an experimental sideline, they'll never
replace the printed page. Imagine having your entire library stolen
in a device that fits in your handbag. What? Subscriptions? Replaceable
DRMed copies? Hmmph, they'll need a pantechnicon to move
my library... </irony>
No, Hachette are just stupid, but not beyond belief, I've worked with
people like this. The publishing industry is introverted and doesn't
easily accept new ideas. Think how long it took Gutenberg's disciples
to overcome the monasteries monopoly on copying books. O'Reilly
is an exception, but a good start. Amazon and B&N are booksellers,
not traditional publishers, so Hachette won't take notice of them.
Hachette will charge for a "backlisted" e-book more or less
what it would have cost them to do a new print run. The PHBs
at Hachette who make these decisions are still amortizing the
up front cost of the overpriced contract they signed with their
hosting provider because they didn't know the e-business and were
taken for a ride. The market will pay whatever Hachette asks if
they really want that title, after all Copyright has given Hachette
the monopoly.
Note all the above is rant from the top of my head, but it seems
to me to be as plausible as anything else.
[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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- A simpler answer? - Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, September 17 2012 @ 06:47 AM EDT
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| Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, September 17 2012 @ 06:57 AM EDT |
If I had to guess, I'd guess that 'backlisted' means 'not currently being
advertised'.[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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| Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, September 17 2012 @ 07:54 AM EDT |
This is just my guess, but I'd guess that in the case of e-books, back listed
means : 'marked for conversion to e-book format, but not processed yet'.
Using the existing back listing protocols makes sense in the supply chain,
since it let's retailers and bulk purchasers indicate interest in the book, same
as for back listed paper books, letting the publishing house make informed
decisions about which books are worth converting from a demand/cost
standpoint. [ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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