Waiting for the paperback? Good luck with that!

(Image: Aneta Pawlik / Unsplash)

Sun, 09 Mar 2025

By Jeffrey A. TrachtenbergReaders who don’t want to spend US$30 (NZ$52) for a new hardcover nonfiction book can no longer count on the release of a lower-cost paperback edition.Traditionally, the paperback would hit the shelves about a year after the hardcover. Today, book publishers are printing fewer of them, closing a second-chance window for writers counting on a new cover or marketing campaign to spark sales. The shift reflects changing reader habits, the popularity of audiobooks and ebooks, and the power a few major retail...

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