When I first read this article in the New York Times, I thought it sounded ridiculous: "In an attempt to increase book sales, HarperCollins Publishers will begin offering free electronic editions of some of its books on its Web site, including a novel by Paulo Coelho and a cookbook by the Food Network star Robert Irvine."
But the more I think about, it makes sense: readers won't be able to print the books or download them to a Kindle or similar device. Will some pennypinchers sit there and read the entire book online? Of course. But this method of allowing us to browse books on the internet should generate buzz for the titles involved and increase sales. I'm skeptical about whether this would work on a broader scale but I think it's a smart move for the authors/publishers involved.
It's also evidence, I think, of another step toward bookstores becoming irrelevant. The "Search Inside!" feature on Amazon.com allows for easy browsing of books before buying and further developments like this will continue to erode the one advantage that traditional bookstores still have over the internet: You can browse before you buy.
HarperCollins will also begin offering as much as 20% of some books two weeks before publication -- I myself an looking to the preview of the new book from Peter Robinson, one of the best and most underrated mystery/suspense writers going today.
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