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Saturday, July 30, 2016

Harry Potter And The Cursed Child - No Longer Available On iBooks!

Okay, I didn't pre-order. I don't do that. Not for an ebook. Even when I was buying the print books I'd turn up on the day at Dymock's and there would be copies available.

But these days I buy mostly ebooks. You can simply log into your  account and buy. It downloads for you. You have a new book to enjoy! Why would you need to pre-order? It's electronic, right? They don't need to reprint, send them to the warehouses, send them to the shops.

And now, about an hour after this book became available to buy in ebook, I received the message,"This item is no longer availabłe."

Maybe it's my baby boomer ignorance of the technology others my age invented. How on earth can you run out of e-copies?

Or maybe I'm just a cynical person who thinks that this is a marketing thing. Allow so many downloads, then withdraw it. Keep them hungry. Then put it back, perhaps for a higher price. That'll learn 'em for not pre-ordering!

I'd very much like to read this book. I loved all the novels and I've heard good things about the play. I have the highest respect for the author, who deserves her high income.

But at this stage I may just add my name to the reserve queue at the local library and wait for my turn. Even if it takes months. I used to do that for new Terry Pratchett books - borrow, read, then buy in paperback. If it's good enough for Terry Pratchett, it's good enough for Ms Rowling.

Sorry, Joanne! And happy birthday.

Happy birthday also to my former student Dylan Cohen, now at university! And to young Natasha, my book clubber now in Year 12. It will be her eighteenth birthday? 

1 comment:

Sue Bursztynski said...

Yes, it was a glitch. I got my ebook later the same day. Er, just a suggestion - "Blogger" sounds almost like "Anonymous." I only published your comment because it was relevant. Perhaps, unless you're working for Amazon, you should give yourself a name for these comments?