Quote:
Originally Posted by Ben Thornton
Given the low cost of self-publishing, through lulu and the like, it seems strange to me that academic print runs are so expensive. I suppose that there is a kudos element of being published by a "proper" academic press. Now that there is no real economic reason for such books to be expensive, I can't see it lasting.
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The high cost is due to the fact that academic books have to be rigorously proofed and peer-reviewed, to a far higher standard than novels. Editing/proofing is always an expensive process; with academic books, the cost of it can only be offset against a small number of sales, hence the high unit cost.