Dear Mr. Aiken,
I wish to show my support for the sale of used books everywhere books are sold, including Amazon. To prohibit the sale of used books because it harms the bottom line for the industry is ludicrous.
What is this, an analog version of RIAA vs. Napster?
In our material culture we tend to purchase lots of items but rarely keep them beyond, or near, their intended life span. The sale of used products (books, sewing machines, etc.) not only helps to extend the life of these items, it's also an integral part of the US economy and culture.
Ever been to a garage sale? Are you going to require that people who hold garage sales make sure and cut a royalty check to the Authors Guide?
I have yet to meet an author who would rather one person read his/her book vs. giving, selling, lending their books to as many people as possible. Authors are artist, and artist want to share their work with as many people as possible. It's a very important part of the function (and creative need) of how art works.
Selling used books is one means, and a very effective one, for growing the audience by getting new, unknown, and best selling authors into the hands of those who might not have otherwise come to know them for financial reasons.
At $7-10 for a paperback book these days, the cost somewhat prohibitive. Most used book stores offer these treasures normally for half their new retail value thereby making these products affordable to another economic class.
Instead of spending time, energy, and money to work against successful businesses that sell books, why not work with them to help sell more books, new and used.
Better yet, why not divert all of these resources away from Amazon and towards literacy programs? The more people who learn to read, the more customers your industry will have.
Sincerely,
Greg Storey
Join the fray by reading through and commenting at the end.
Right on! I'm in the process of writing mine. Just this week I received two used books that I bought off of Amazon.
Say it, Brotha!
Where did you hear about this guy?
Kristian, I received this email from Jeff Bezos a few days ago.
Read to Lead! The only way to be a good leader is to be informed. The best way to be informed is to read. Where would college students be if they couldn't buy used text books. The cost of new books is unreal. Kids can't afford new books. Some of my used ones tell a story of their own - who owned it before, what do the notes mean that are written on the pages, etc. Have a good day!
Did I offend?
Ben, sorry I thought I was being spammed because of the Hotmail address (its happened before and I am a guarded man ever since). Go ahead and post again.
Ah I see.
Scary. If it was truly an analog of the RIAA and Napster, that would mean we would eventually have to pay for even the privelege of reading a library book. People who can't even afford to buy a used book would have no recourse.
On the other hand, I know some people who would just flip the whole thing off and tell me that there isn't much difference in getting it used or new so why not get the new text? Of course, I don't listen to them because I'm just biased--I gag whenever I see the prices of the textbooks I have to buy each term.
the used book marketplace on amazon not only allows me to buy twice as many books as i would have otherwise but i know i could sell them there, too, if i could ever get my head around the thought of getting rid of a book. i think it's fab-u-lous.
Artists wish to share their work, but when is the last time an artist (in today's America, at least) had the ability to work for free? It's not just corporate America that needs to keep the meals coming. If you know a talented writer that doesn't mind writing for free and doesn't have a job, let me know. Next time you buy a used book, think about the poor sucker that wrote it- he/she will never see a dime from that purchase.
It would be interesting to know how many new books are sold vs. used. In other words, how many new books make their way into a secondary market.
If this was known then book publishers could begin to calculate better royalty payments -- for good or bad to the consumer. But then is it just accepted that new items will eventually make it to a second hand store, Amazon.com, or a garage sale? Or is has this always been a bone of contention with artists, authors, and musicians?