Quote:
Originally Posted by LadyKate
What is the difference between a used book and a pirated copy? The author/publisher does not get anything from a resale of a used book.
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It is the same difference that exists between a used car and a stolen car.
When I buy the cheapest used copy of a book from bookfinder.com, the next-to-cheapest instantly becomes the cheapest. This allows the new price to remain a bit higher than it could have otherwise. More used sales = higher resale value = higher retail price, just like with cars.
When demand pushes the used price high enough, some people will instead buy new, further helping authors, agents, editors, and publishers.
One of the worst things about eBooks, for content producers, is that repeated reading doesn't cause cosmetic deterioration -- so they can't reap the price support advantages of a used marketplace.