Dan Brown book selling better on Kindle than hardcover?
The subject of much debate.
(Credit: Amazon)Best-selling author Dan Brown's latest novel, "The Lost Symbol," is apparently selling better on the Kindle than in hardcover on Amazon.com.
In Amazon's overall sales listing, Brown's book is listed as the best-selling title on the site. But that listing includes both the book's hardcover version and the Kindle version.
On Amazon's Mystery and Thrillers page, the two versions are independently listed. At the top of that list is the Kindle version for $9.99. In the No. 2 slot is the hardcover version offered for $16.17. That list is updated hourly.
Blog site The Kindle Nation noticed the phenomenon early Wednesday morning.
As of late morning, the Kindle version is still atop the list. That said, it's important to note that this is one store. The hardcover version is still tops at rival Barnes and Noble, which also sells a digital version.
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment and exact sales figures.
The possibility that the Kindle version of "The Lost Symbol"--which follows Brown's wildly popular "Da Vinci Code" and "Angels & Demons"--is outselling hard copies on Amazon could be a monumental moment in the e-book industry. Prior to the release of the book, its publisher, Random House, was mulling the possibility of not even releasing a Kindle version. Eventually, the company relented.
The Kindle version is leading the way on Amazon.
(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)Random House's aversion to releasing a version for the Kindle e-reader was apparently rooted in its worries over "security and logistical issues." This underscored what has become a battle between publishers and Amazon's Kindle that mimics the battles Apple was forced to deal with when iTunes and iPods were under attack from the music industry.
But if the likely biggest book release of the year sells better on Amazon's Kindle than in hardcover in the massive online bookstore, that's undoubtedly big news for the publishing business. Companies that were suspect of Amazon's potential dominance in the space might realize the value of offering e-books on its device.
Amazon itself hasn't confirmed that more Kindle copies of "The Lost Symbol" have sold and it's possible that the Kindle version is only leading the pack for now, but it's still a significant event that could send shock waves through the publishing business.
Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
Amazon.com is being sued. However, more needs to be done, such as an investigation by relevant Federal authorities. They are out of control in many areas.
Book publishers are able to publish lots of books that don't become best-sellers because of profits made from the best-sellers. When you suck all the profits out of hardback best-sellers, there is no capital to invest in other worthy books that will not get blockbuster circulation. Amazon is just creaming the good stuff and that puts the entire publishing industry at risk.
Publishers are essential. A book distributor like Amazon is not essential. There are many great ways to distribute a book without giving Amazon the right to sell a book $19.96 less than hardcover, then Amazon taking 65% of that $9.99. It's insanity.
As far as this sales ranking these numbers do not surprise me. Brick and Mortar stores such as Borders, and Barns & Noble had Midnight release parties, major major discounting equal to Amazon and author signing appearances.
High sales rankings for the ebook version is strictly because of availably. You want the Kindle version you have to go to Amazon. You want a eBook version you have to go to Sony. You want a print edition... pretty much every retailer from Walmart to Borders to A&P has it. Make no mistake about it the electronic version will sell but the print edition will out sell it 100 to 1.
Plus the kindle price is half that of the paperback. Rather soon the kindle sales will reach critical mass.
Now there are numerous ads for buying on the Kindle, but that's just advertising by Amazon and makes sense, even if it is a bit much.
Lastly, the paperback is more expensive than the hardcover...very strange.
- by SactoGuy018 September 16, 2009 1:42 PM PDT
- I think the publishers will need to consider ebook versions of their novels because of one device: Apple's much-rumored tablet computer, which will likely have a screen good enough to become a decent ebook reader.
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- by cvaldes1831 September 16, 2009 2:44 PM PDT
- There's already a Kindle app for the iPhone so it would not be far-fetched to imagine a Kindle app one day for this rumored tablet.
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- by SactoGuy018 September 16, 2009 2:54 PM PDT
- @cvaldes1831, I'd almost agree but unlike the iPod touch or iPhone, the screen on the Apple tablet is supposed to be around 10" (diagonal), which is quite large and means far better readability compared to the iPhone screen. And Apple will likely offer LED backlighting for this 10" screen, which means reasonable battery life since LED's use far less power than florescent backlit LCD panels.
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- by cvaldes1831 September 16, 2009 7:37 PM PDT
- The size with a 10" tablet isn't the issue; it's plenty big. The iPhone/iPod touch screen simply isn't all that great for extended viewing under direct sunlight. If Apple uses similar technology but a larger size, that's not going to change.
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(20 Comments)I would not be surprised one year from now Amazon will offer a Kindle application designed specifically for the Apple tablet computer, and that would really drive up ebook sales (Apple could offer a deal with Amazon.com where an ebook purchase through the iTunes Store will essentially be buying from the Amazon.com Kindle store). It would be even MORE interesting when you can use an extended version of iTune's LP feature to have the Audible.com audiobook version during audio playback show the pages from the ebook version at the same time (not far-fetched since Amazon.com owns Audible.com).
However, the biggest problems with reading e-books on the iPhone/iPod touch is A.) the readability in direct sunlight and B.) short battery life due to the energy requirements of the backlight.
Kindle is a better e-book reader because the screen technology is different and optimized for e-book reading.
The phantom Apple tablet will likely have a screen that is similar (technology-wise) to the iPhone and thus not optimal for e-book reading.
LED backlighting is not a panacea since the iPhone and iPod touch already feature it. If you never dim the display, trust me, the battery will run out quickly. Trust me, I have two iPod touches. While the tablet would have a larger battery, the screen is also larger, so there would be no vast improvements in terms of battery performance.