Waterstones sell ebooks through Waterstones.com. They're peeved that they won't get a chance to sell Potter ebooks that way.

Lesson to publishers: obtain the electronic rights as well...might as well chuck in any other rights that can be thought of (telepathy?!?). Of course they realise this now and the mega-rich Rowling is not the first to tread this lucrative e-path with a 'legacy book' established in print. The key question is: how popular will this be? The Potter books are an established phenomenon rather than a novelty and the first encounter children are likely to have is now through the films and other merchandise, rather than through reading. I suspect kids and e-readers do not (yet) go well together and there will probably be a roaring trade in the printed paperbacks, new or second hand (which authors have to grin and bear) for a while yet. Will she publish new stuff electronically as well? Assuming there is any new stuff, although the Potter world can surely stretch beyond the aging Harry and chums.

It's amusing to see bookchains hoisted by their own petard...the eye-watering slice of the RRP that they take simply isn't funny. Add to that the increasing costs of print publishing, and the move towards e-publishing by writers and readers is clear to see. I'm wondering how things work the other way... will the e-published (whether through Amazon etc or through an e-publisher) be able to hold onto print rights? In general, e-publishing is a great opportunity for readers and writers, but there are huge risks in going alone, unless you are established like Rowling or able to do it without an editor and promoter.

What about public libraries? Many public libraries offer eBooks for loan. It does not appear that there are any plans to allow the HP books as digital loans.

I think you've made a great point Matthew, and this is what I feel as well. I'm surprised no-one has made any comments on what a complete whack in the face this is to Amazon, and their intention to lock everyone else out. Amazon are remaining very quiet, basically because they prefer to put the frighteners on publishers who won't play ball, but - they can't do this with Rowling: too big, too popular. What are they going to do: remove the buy-now button from Rowlings book? That's been a satisfying thing to see. This does seem to be another writing-on-the-wall moment for Waterstone's though, and I can understand their panic and anger.

I do think this has the potential to be a gamechanger as far as children + eBooks is concerned though, and that is worrying me. It has the potential to be a 'Dire Straits' moment and I've seen plenty of older kids borrowing iPads / Kindles off Mum and Dad recently...

Our strategy, for what it's worth, is to continue to discover and champion new books and new authors. If some of the older indies think back, isn't that what you did when Potter first came out, and wasn't it great to be part of that? Let's go find the next Rowling, and in the meantime celebrate JK as the British Institution she invariably is.

Well done for admitting it! Very rare on the Internet.

Well done for admitting it! Very rare on the Internet.