That’s what the Bookseller is reporting.
HarperCollins and Pan Macmillan have consistently scored well, with Chris Evans’ memoir, It’s Not What You Think, priced £3.99, holding onto the top spot for nearly two weeks. It was knocked off on Wednesday morning by Peter James’ £1.99 Quick Read Perfect Murder. The print a.s.p. of Evans’ book is £5.37, while James’ book is £1.98. Gordon Ramsay’s Humble Pie (HarperCollins) is £1.99 on the iBookstore, where it is fourth, but has a print a.s.p. of £7.74.
As The Bookseller went to press on Wednesday (9th June), the two publishers had six of the top 20 paid-for titles apiece. Within the top 20, Penguin has benefited from reduced prices for The Big Short (£15.99 versus £17.97), Berlin (£7.99 against £8.86) and Freakonomics (£7.99 compared to £8.55).
Conversely, Hachette, which has two of the top 20 iBooks, has plumped for smaller discounts. Stephenie Meyer’s The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner costs £8.99 through the iPad—where it is fifth—while the print a.s.p. is £5.72. Meyer’s Twilight, which is currently 11th, costs £6.99 on the iBookstore, while it is priced £4.85 in print.
Come on Canada. Let’s get the iBookstore open. What’s the big delay? It’s 2010. Get with it publishers!!!