KotS Available?

[kmdietri]

This has all made me wonder... Maybe someone who knows the publishing business better then I, can answer this. Why do they make stores wait to sell the book if they've already gotten the copies? Wouldn't it be smarter to say as soon as they're out there start selling, start the money rolling?

 

[Daelkyr]

This has all made me wonder... Maybe someone who knows the publishing business better then I can answer this. Why do they make stores wait to sell the book if they've already gotten the copies? Wouldn't it be smarter to say as soon as they're out there start selling, start the money rolling?

Well, technically, they are breaking the law. The release date for books from publishers is supposed to be firm. I worked in Targets backroom during two Harry Potter releases and it was impressed upon us that Target Corp. did not want a multi-million dollar lawsuit for an early release. As another part of the wait, our first shipment of HP5 was 15 books. It arrived 6 1/2 weeks before the release. If we had released then, the store would have been torn apart by crazed muggles. It wasn't until three days before the release date that our final shipment arrived (the biggest of them all). Besides giving each store a chance to stock up, it is also supposed to level the playing field by having each store release on the same day. But WotC is small potatoes compared to Schribner or Scholastic so this will be overlooked. Anyway, I've got a drive ahead of me...

 

[Vempyre]

I prefer supporting the local hobby shops, they are way too important for our hobby not to support them.

 

[Breschau of Livonia]

A Borders in Massachusetts had a bunch of them this evening.

 

[baberg]

Well, technically, they are breaking the law. The release date for books from publishers is supposed to be firm. I worked in Targets backroom during two Harry Potter releases and it was impressed upon us that Target Corp. did not want a multi-million dollar lawsuit for an early release.

Just an issue of terminology here - they aren't technically "breaking the law" - there's no law that says a company cannot sell an item before the "street date". What it would actually be is breach of contract, assuming that the publisher and the store have a contract which states that the item won't be sold before X date. That's what Target was afraid of, a breach of contract, not "breaking the law".

A minor quibble, true. There could (and likely would) be a civil suit brought and that would hurt the parent company, but the police aren't going to shut down a book store because they sell KotS early.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

I just got shut down on my quest.

 

[RandomCitizenX]

Haha! Just got a line of a few copies in Houma. It will be mine!

 

[Vague Jayhawk]

Thanks for the heads-up. I picked up my copy a couple of minutes ago.

 

[jaldaen]

Btw... those who have picked up the book... what price are you paying? Thanks

 

[baberg]

I just got shut down on my quest.

Doesn't your DM know the new 4e standard response is "Yes you can"?

Did you at least get XP for it?