you know how books are hardcover when they come out...how long is it until they release the paperback version?

Answer 1

It generally depends on the publisher. Hardcover books have a higher return on the investment, so the publisher will want to keep the book available in hardcover as long as it is profitable. Consider how long it took before the Harry Potter novels came out in paperback.

The paperback re-release of an older book is essentially a way to prolong a book's sales curve. These books are a much lower return, but they will move a much higher volume where it comes to students and working-class people who aren't going to drop a pretty penny on a hardcover. This is why, with non-fiction books, the paperback release will often contain added material or new afterwords. This is plain old salesmanship, to make a new copy of an older book more rare, and therefore more desirable.

So publishers will release the paperback version of a hardcover according to a schedule derived from a book's sales figures. A book with low sales numbers may get rushed out in paperback after only a couple of months to get more people to spring for the cheaper book for a smaller gamble. A runaway success may be held for years before the paperback. It's all up to the publisher.

Answer 2

I used to manage a bookstore and did the ordering. Most hardcover books come out in paperback about nine or ten months later. I think they do this because it reminds people about the authors and generates excitement about the next book.

Take books by Janet Evanovich, for instance. Her hardcover books come out in June of every year, without fail. The paperbacks come out mid- to late spring. You can pretty much depend on all popular authors whose books are in hardcover yearly to do this, but at various times of the year.

Other authors, such as Jean Auel, may take longer between books. Some other books requiring a lot of research are a good example.

If you're not sure about the books, next time you pick up a paperback, look at the copyright date, then compare with the publishing date. Check out their other books' publishing/release dates online. Well-known, popular authors will stay pretty much on schedule.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

It depends on how popular the hardcover version is. It took about a year for "Harry Potter and the half-blood prince" to be published in paperback.

Answer 4

they usually wait until sales slow down and then come out with a paperback version in hopes of selling more books

Answer 5

It took about a year for Knife of Dreams, by Robert Jordan, to come out in paperback.

Answer 6

On average? About 1-2 years.

Answer 7

It can be as long as a year. And it has to sell well as a hardback, I believe, in order to be printed as a paperback. Or be by an established author of course.

Answer 8

I think it depends on how popular the book/author is. The more popular, often the longer you'll wait for the softcover...I think it's usually between 3-6 months.