Actual Sort of Publishing-related Questions...
OK, the book was supposed to come out next week, right? So the first printing has been printed. In fact, haven't most of the books already shipped? If they are sending out review copies, then the ARCs (advanced reading copies) have already been sent to reviewers. (I wonder how much they'll go for on eBay? Ack patooi!
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What does this do to bookstores (and non-bookstores that might have carried the book)? Sure, they don't have to pay for unsold books, but they may have planned a display for the book or even made room for it. Now they have to send them back. Does the publisher have to pay for the postage? Also, do they come down hard on any bookstores that opened the boxes (even to take a peek)?
What happens if someone "accidentally" doesn't hear the news and "accidentally" puts the book on the shelf? Or what if someone sneaks a copy out of one of those boxes and sells it? Will the bookstore get in trobule? Or if someone sells an ARC on eBay.
What will this do to HarperCollins? They've lost a lot of money on this. Will that hurt them in the long run (as well as the short run)? I know some writers who have books with them. I'd hate to think that the company might drop some innocent midlist authors to try to make up for the expenses from the mess. (After all, some writers got the shaft after their stock lost a lot of money because of a merger or something, so why not after this?)