Sourcebooks publisher Dominique Raccah (pictured below), who pitched herself into the eye of a storm when she decided to delay the e-book edition a major book, has articulated her reasons for the decision. In a statement published on Booksquare, blogger Kassia Crozser’s website, she takes pains to express her strategic thinking about holding back the e-edition of Bran Hambric by Kaleb Nation when Sourcebooks publishes it in September. (Above right, the youthful author signs advance reading copies at BEA,)

Her conclusion?

“I agree with Kassia that it’s dangerous to expect consumers to play by the rules of last year’s business model. I’ve taken action in this one situation and I certainly wonder if there are other options that are neither mine nor the $9.99 option. And I also agree that we need to experiment, and I see our industry beginning to do that. But this pricing and release-date situation doesn’t feel like an experiment. This actually seems more like a dictate that could have enormous ramifications, perhaps not today, perhaps not tomorrow, but certainly long-term on the future of authors and books. And I think all I’m saying is, let’s think about this. It’s too important. As a publisher, we have to be strategic, book by book (and it’s important to remember that we’re talking about 1 book; Sourcebooks has 850 ebooks available). These are big decisions for our authors and ourselves. So in situations where the e-format release could hurt the author’s launch, what if we were to wait?”

For a cross-section of debate, be sure to read the comments below Raccah’s statement.

Richard Curtis