Reposted by Ned Raggett
Headlines used to be like
"Lawmakers Spar Over Budget Concerns"
Now they're all
"Powerful Wizards Warn of a World-Ending Magic, Mad King Unconvinced"
Ned Raggett
@nedraggett.bsky.social
10K followers 1.8K following 25K posts
Hi! I write about music at various spots (@thequietus.com, @thewiremagazine.bsky.social, Shfl and my Patreon, also in the past @allmusic.com, @pitchfork.com, @bandcamp.com etc. etc.). Plus podcasting about #Tolkien with friends at @bythebywater.bsky.social
![Screenshot from the quote posted article:
Rahawa Haile, in the newsletter Scratch, picks up on this hesitation: "This is rarely the first point mentioned with regards to sagging nonfiction sales, [but] hardcover books grew too expensive in an economic environment where people of all stripes are barely getting by."
Not only that, she continues, but publishers aren't issuing paperback versions nearly as often as they used to.
In a standard royalty structure, the publisher recoups a higher percentage of the hardcover than on paperback; if the former doesn't hit big, the latter is less attractive. In this, publishers' and writers' interests are at odds. Cancelling the paperback ruins a second chance to reach readers through a fresh marketing push, a possible new cover, and-most crucially—a more affordable format.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:mqgocqix73ii3okrzzduspjb/bafkreidp2dfrslldj675fl6az2stkhkomnq4ed5qofgfgnljniqogumonm)
