This one may not seem like much, but trust me, booksellers think this is big news. According to the Guardian Picador has announced that starting this spring, they will publish their new titles in both hardcover and paperback editions simultaneously. Until now, industry practice has been to release the paperback months (or in the case of The Da Vinci Code, years) after the hardcover is published. So we in the stores are forever hearing customers say about some big, much-hyped book, "Only in hardcover? I'll wait then."
Many questions remain: Is this a UK-only phenomenon? Will other publishers follow suit? Will hardcovers become luxury items? I'll try to answer the first one in the next few days. Only time will tell about the second.--David E
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