Penguin no longer participates in Overdrive Library Service

[DustyDisks]

Originally Posted by emellaich

It's not necessarily cannibalizing. Most sales occur when a book is first released. By releasing it to libraries a year later, you may be getting new readers who ay not have bought the book. Hopefully, some will be interested enough to buy the newer releases instead of waiting.

Another 'tatic' I wonder about involves series. I notice that my library has a hodgepodge of books from each series they carry. If I really want to read the entire series, I will be forced to make purchases to fill in the gaps.



I'm not sure it is the same as paper books. Ebooks are much easier to check out -- at home, or even while you travel. If library ebooks are available at the same time as new, then I can see more people jumping on the ebook waiting list instead of purchasing.

For some checking out a book, recommended by a librarian, is the path of discovering a new author that one has never read their works or knew about. And if really liked, will look to buying future works.

That has happened to me , many times in the past.

[ATimson]

Originally Posted by emellaich

It's not necessarily cannibalizing. Most sales occur when a book is first released. By releasing it to libraries a year later, you may be getting new readers who ay not have bought the book. Hopefully, some will be interested enough to buy the newer releases instead of waiting.

I wasn't thinking the library delay would cannibalize sales - they'd help, if anything.

I was thinking more in terms of people who will not buy the ebook (but would have), and instead buy the lower-profit print book.