Paperback publishers quicken their pace

It used to be like clockwork in the book business: first the hardcover edition was released, then, about one year later, the paperback. But in an industry that has been upended by the growth of e-books, publishers are moving against convention by pushing paperbacks into publication earlier than usual, sometimes less than six months after they appeared in hardcover. This week included the trade paperback release of "Swamplandia!," a debut novel by Karen Russell, five months after it was first published in hardcover in February. "The Tiger's Wife," the much-praised literary novel by Téa Obreht, which came out in hardcover to rave reviews in March, will be followed by the paperback in October, seven months later - New York Times