W E D N E S D AY, A P R I L 1 9 , 2 0 0 6The Dan Brown ConspiracyBeing being truly obsessive, I decide I need to read "Angels & Demons"before reading "The Da Vinci Code" because it's the first bookintroducing the Robert Landgon character played by Tom Hanks.</p><p> So Igo to Barnes & Noble where only three brutally battered copies of themass market (at $8) are left on the shelf.</p><p> In their place? A new slightlyoversized mass market that is almost an inch taller (why?), has about120 more pages (it's thinner too) and costs $10! Yes, after four years onthe market, they've RAISED the price of "Angels & Demons" inanticipation of the movie coming out shortly.</p><p> So go to Amazon.com andyou'll find this version available for $10 or a hardcover versionavailable for just over $15.</p><p> Gee, and publishers say people don't wantcheap, easily portable editions of books.</p><p> They really want bulkier, moreexpensive, more "classy" trade paperback that often cost $14-$18 andare not much less expensive than heavily discounted hardcovers.</p><p> Howidiotic are publishers, to raise the price of a paperback that's been outfor four years and wonder why people aren't snapping up books? Theylook to DVDs for inspiratioon and include readers' guides and authorinterviews in new editions of paperbacks as "extras." If they reallywanted to mimick DVDs, they'd also have to make the editions nicerthan the hardcovers and LESS EXPENSIVE.</p><p> Many, many people wouldbuy more books -- especially books that have been out for years or evendecades -- if they were published in well-produced, portablepaperbacks with attractive covers and for around $6-$7.</p><p> Charge themtwice that, make them wait YEARS after a hardcover comes out foreven the trade paperback (which costs as much as many DVDs, if notmore), and a year after that (if ever) for the truly inexpensive massmarket and all you do is drive away customers.</p><p> In the UK, mass marketpaperbacks often come out the same day as hardcovers and their coversare invariably much nicer than the US equivalent, so you don't have tofeel like a dolt for buying a $6 book.</p><p> God forbid US publishers learnsomething from them.POSTED BY MICHAEL IN NEW YORK AT 7:51 AM 2 C O M M E N T S :priv8pete said...Next Blog»sal1mineo@hotmail.comSEARCH BLOG FLAG BLOGFOLLOW BLOGP O P S U R F I N G .</p><p> C O MS U R F I N G T H E WAV E S O F P O P U L A R C U LT U R EB Y M I C H A E L G I LT Z & F R I E N D SPOPSURFING.COM: The Dan Brown Conspiracyhttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/04/dan-brown-conspiracy.html 1 of 37/29/09 1:47 AMFAV O R I T E L I N K SAmericablogFive O'Clock Lightning baseball blogDeep Pop -- Lori Lakin's BlogThe Back Page -- Jason Page on ESPNRadioCine-Blog -- George Robinson's BlogDocuments On Art & Cinema - DarylChin's BlogBrucie G's Wondrous Blog OfAdventure and Mystery -- BruceGreenspan's BlogB L O G A R C H I V E▼ 2009 (17)▼ July (3)1939 -- The Greatest Year ForMoviesSwimming Bans Those Hi-TechSuits!Best Movies Of The Year -- TheMaster List► June (3)► May (1)► March (2)► February (1)► January (7)► 2008 (86)► 2007 (781)► 2006 (2412)► 2005 (5)C O N T R I B U TO R SMichael in New YorkAaronBiboy POPSURFING.COM: The Dan Brown Conspiracyhttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/04/dan-brown-conspiracy.html 2 of 37/29/09 1:47 AMPOPSURFING.COM: The Dan Brown Conspiracyhttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/04/dan-brown-conspiracy.html 3 of 37/29/09 1:47 AM
