Quote:
Originally Posted by Giggleton
Well as the saying goes, if everyone read second hand books, authors would have no incentive to produce new works.
|
Well, yes, and if everyone bought used cars, auto makers would have no incentive to make new cars. However, the chances of everyone buying used cars are zero, just as the chances of everyone reading used books is zero. In the real world, the question is not what would happen if the used market share was 100 percent (bad for authors but impossible), but rather what would happen if the used market was just a little bigger that today (arguably good for authors).
Think about what might be the reason for textbooks being so expensive. Someone will say that one reason is all the students who have to buy those books. Something in this direction is a factor, but most don't really have to buy them, because college libraries have them in the reserve room. I'd say that another reason for high university textbook prices is the robust used market. Students can buy the book used for, say $75, and sell if back to the bookstore for $50. Since the net cost for most student is then a reasonable $25, the publisher can get away with charging the few affluent students who buy new, and the library, a retail price of $125. Sometimes more.
One reason the eBook revolution will likely hurt the average author is that it harms the used market. This is a class of problem that may not have a solution.
P.S. This is not meant to criticize what Giggleton wrote, just to reflect off it. Maybe we agree. Maybe I'm just his or her pompous alter ego
