They can always do what they did with Steven King's latest - make the available date a month after the hardback release date. From what i've seen over the years, by that point most of your 'oooo new book' hardback sales are done, and people are waiting for it to go on sale or the paperback to come out, so you haven't lost any sales.

Mind you, I don't have a problem with paying $15 instead of $9.99, either.