Used Books, New Books
I think this particular comment is worth pulling out from yesterday’s post on cheaply acquired books, because it’s an important point about how we balance being thrifty with being socially conscious consumers. Authors don’t get paid from the sale of used books, but they may gain readers who will support them in the future. We want to support businesses like the Paradox Bookstore, while also supporting writers, editors, and designers by paying full price for books. Why not do both? Support your local secondhand store, or church, or wherever it is you’re going to find secondhand books, but buy new ones from your favorite authors as well.
If you went to college, you probably were required to spend thousands of dollars on books, and as someone who had to take loans out to pay for these books, you probably bought many of these books used, and then sold them back to the bookstore after your courses were completed. This is unfortunate for the authors and publishers of those books because they didn’t see a dime from any of those sales. It’s likely that most college students aren’t aware of this, and they’ve (we’ve) also become conditioned to seek out used books, or get their books at a discount by shopping on Amazon.
I was that college student, and am guilty of seeking out the lowest prices on books I could find in an attempt to offset the cost of my expensive education. But as I’ve built my career as a writer, and have made friends with other writers and authors, I’ve switched gears from being that kid in college looking for the lowest price, to being more conscious about how my dollars affect writers like myself. I’ve lost jobs and watched friends lose jobs as writing and print journalism was declared a dying industry. And an answer to that is to put my dollars at work. I’ve gotten to a point where I can afford a digital subscription to The New York Times, and to buy new books I want to read when they come out, so I do. And when I don’t have the money, well, The New York Public Library is a wonderful institution, and I am thankful for it.
I’m reminded of a scene from You’ve Got Mail—which I re-watched last weekend after Nora Ephron’s passing—the one where the famous children’s author stops by Kathleen Kelly’s independent bookstore, The Shop Around the Corner, to ask her how business is doing after the mega-bookstore Fox Books opens down the street. The author tells Kelly she’ll support the indie bookstore any way she can, but then later appears at a signing at Fox Books. The Shop Around the Corner is eventually put out of business. Words of support only go so far. Money goes much farther.
But our pockets are only so deep. And secondhand books have their own sort of magic about them. Author Julian Barnes recently wrote about secondhand books, and the future of books, in an essay for The Guardian:
By now, I probably preferred secondhand books to new ones. In America such items were disparagingly referred to as “previously owned”; but this very continuity of ownership was part of their charm. A book dispensed its explanation of the world to one person, then another, and so on down the generations; different hands held the same book and drew sometimes the same, sometimes a different wisdom from it. Old books showed their age: they had fox marks the way old people had liver spots. They also smelt good – even when they reeked of cigarettes and (occasionally) cigars. And many might disgorge pungent ephemera: ancient publishers’ announcements and old bookmarks – often for insurance companies or Sunlight soap.
Barnes has also evaluated the age of the e-reader and has come to the following conclusion:
Books will have to earn their keep – and so will bookshops. Books will have to become more desirable: not luxury goods, but well-designed, attractive, making us want to pick them up, buy them, give them as presents, keep them, think about rereading them, and remember in later years that this was the edition in which we first encountered what lay inside. I have no luddite prejudice against new technology; it’s just that books look as if they contain knowledge, while e-readers look as if they contain information. My father’s school prizes are nowadays on my shelves, 90 years after he first won them. I’d rather read Goldsmith’s poems in this form than online.
I believe that books will earn their keep—but only because I know that I’m willing to pay for them. Just promise me you’ll buy my book when it comes out someday. And if you buy this theoretical book used, well, I promise I won’t give you a hard time about it.
Photo: Shutterstock/Andre Viegas
i am a big fan of the book as an art object, a thing you can turn over in your hands and smell that new book smell in the pages and the binding. i try to split the difference with new/used books. i’m also insanely protective of my new ones. when i see someone bend back the cover of a brand new book–eeeuuuch. skin crawlies all over.
i have not yet been able to transition to an e-reader. i just–can’t. yet.
and mike dang, i promise i will buy your book.
Per my own comment on that post, I was thinking today about how they should just give you the Kindle version when you buy a paper book. But not like an automatic Amazon thing. No, the book would have a unique code printed in it (much like the keys that you use to register games on Steam). Type in the code, and you can register and download the book onto your e-reader.
There are three advantages here. One, it satisfies people like me, who enjoy bookstores and the book as an object, but mainly read on their devices. Two, it makes the physical book more desirable, at no marginal cost to the publisher. You’re getting two things for one! And three, it would be a small but significant encouragement to buy new instead of used.
@stuffisthings I wholeheartedly agree with this idea.
@stuffisthings I just realized that this could lead to scofflaws perusing the used bookstore shelves looking for un-redeemed codes (which they could then write down without even buying the book!). But I’m sure the basic premise is still workable. Figure it out, geeks!
I just recently moved to a new apartment in Somerville and upon unpacking realized that I had 37 beer boxes of books. I had never done the count when I was packing them, putting them away to sit in storage for a year was traumatic enough, but to count them in their magnitude and know that I wouldn’t see them for awhile… well that was a bit too much trauma to take.
I do my best to buy used for my wallet, but so often I don’t. However, when in a bookstore I do my best to find the damaged new ones. The ones that are hurt by rough handed delivery and stock people that I know no one will take home because if they’re buying new, that book had best be as pristine as possible, goddamnit. I don’t even ask for a discount. I rather like the fact that my books have dings and scratches. It gives them marks of character, like the characters they hold inside them.
I know, eventually, I’ll make the transition to an e-reader (I only have so much shelf-space, after all). However, at present, I still have a room only 2/3 full of books. I can stand to bring a few more mishandled babies home.
@wearitcounts, @mike_dang: I too shall buy your book.
@thecoffeestain you are in somerville? i too am bostonian! cheers.
@wearitcounts: I am! The dirty water is my home! Cheers right back at’cha. ;)
Yes. My perspective is that my buying a hard copy of an author’s book from a bookstore is akin to my sending a little note to the author’s publisher — “Please keep giving this author book deals and make sure his / her existing books stay in print!” I try to save most of my book dollars for books by living authors versus dead ones, and particularly for debut novels and those all-important sophomore novels.
I try to save my Kindle purchases and used book purchases for classics, out-of-print books, and authors like, say, Jon Krakauer who already have plenty of name recognition and publisher support. I’m not 100% with this plan (I love the library! And used book sales!), but I try to throw my financial support toward as many new authors as I can.
I kind of have to disagree that with no bookstores there will be no where for authors to have signings. I mean, conventions? Especially for genre writers? I could also see universities and such putting on special events for author signings. I mean, the innovative people will figure that shit out, if it ever comes to that.
@Megano! “nowhere” may be too strong a word, but “significantly fewer, with significantly less chance to reach new readers outside of hardcore genre fans.”
The con model assumes (a) genre fandom; (b) willingness to pay money to attend a genre con; and (c) ability to travel to a genre con. I am definitely A, across multiple genres, but I have only once in my life done either B or C. I go to a hell of a lot of readings and events though. And while big-name literary writers would still be able to give readings at campus theaters, there are a lot of mid-career, early-career non-genre writers who are doing great things, but can’t fill a theater yet, and won’t have a con for them. (Cue my memories of a Rick Moody reading in the 90s, with 20 people there.)
I also note that my friends who are genre writers, and successful ones, still do a lot of bookstore events, and one of the many reasons for that is the value of building relationships with bookstores, and with the people who will handsell your book, and make sure their store orders your next one. This matters less than it used to, but it still matters a lot.
Waving your hand and saying “the innovative people will figure that shit out” seems like a massive copout from here, unless you’re one of the people actively trying to figure it out yourself.
I know there are a few people here who work in publishing, so I have a word problem for you:
Completely outside the questions of supporting physical bookstore, I’m wondering, if you buy a new hardcover online and the original list price is $24.99, but Amazon is offering it for, say $15.99, does the author get 2% (or whatever) of 24.99 or 15.99?
I was told the percentage is based on the catalog list price (which would be 24.99 in this case) no matter what Amazon is selling it for. But can that be true?
@AnnieNilsson Yes, that is true. The whole money side of publishing is kind of effed up, because there are so many middlemen. But basically, publisher sets list price, author gets set % of list price based on whether paperback or hardcover and how many copies sold, publisher sells to booksellers at a discount of anywhere between 40% and 60%. In the meantime, the publisher also has to pay the printer (who is owed money before they even see a cent from the bookstores), warhouseing, AND SHIPPING. The reality is, if you REALLY want to help the publishing industry, you should be buying from the publisher directly.
@Megano! Not to mention returns!
I just discovered the App “IndieBound” that lets you buy eBooks from your local independent bookstore and read them on the device of your choice. Although I love physical books for the bath and the beach, my goal of decluttering my life and my recent 11 hour plane rides finally pushed me to tryout digital books.
While I am a strong supporter of my local used and new bookstore, I would love to know if it matters for authors whether I buy their book from my local store, Costco, Amazon hardcopy, Amazon ebook, or chain store. Also, I tend to get the most use out of instructional books (cookbooks, craft, finance, travel, etc…) and appreciate having a durable version while I feel guilty for the trees that were cut down for my beachy reads and try to buy them used and give them away.
When I was studying abroad in England, one of my medieval history professors told me the he netted less than £100 for his latest book on Crusades history. He was, at the time, beginning research for his next book.
I love buying books. I love buying them from independent bookstores. I appreciate deeply the contributions of writers past and present. As Mike said however, “our pockets are only so deep.” Most of my purchases are done at yard sales and discount sources online. I use the library and I borrow books from friends. Yes, occasionally I buy something at list price at Kramer Books. Or, if there is a release that I am particularly excited about, I’ll run out and get that too.
Perhaps this is too tangential, but I have to admit to a general feeling of frustration and discomfort that so much emphasis is currently being placed on monetary support of an ideology. I’m sure this is as old as time, and I’m just more tuned into it now that I balance a checkbook, but sometimes I feel like I can’t win. And of course I get it…put your money where your mouth is. But I have limited resources and infinite demands on it. Fair trade coffee, locally raised sustainable produce, handmade crafts, products from companies with ethical labor standards – all these are things that I support and things that come at a premium. And that’s not to mention charities and foundations that do wonderful, wonderful work that depend on donations to survive.
I guess I’m trying to say, we’re all doing our best. So I wish the people with clipboards on the sidewalk would stop asking glaring at me when I decline to donate and hostilely asking me why I don’t care enough about the earth/starving children/equal rights/etc to give them my credit card number and pledge $20.00 per month. Because I do care.
@Aunt_Pete
I totally agree with this, especially the part about feeling frustrated with constantly being exhorted to spend money on things to support them. And kind of especially on this site, where we’re also being reminded to save save save. (No offense to The Billfold, of course–I know it’s a site about all things monetary/financial.) But I just do. not. have. the money to buy locally-designed clothes and new books from independent bookstores and organic produce from farmers markets and so on and so forth forever and ever, even though, if I had the cash, I would absolutely support small and/or local business. But for right now, I buy undies at Target and I find not the cheapest grocery store, but the regular one, not the Whole Foods, and I get my coffee for a couple bucks at Dunkin’ Donuts.
As someone who has very little discretionary income, and who is also an avid reader, I choose to patronize the library almost exclusively for my books. I don’t even like buying them used at thrift shops because I think $3 is a lot of money to spend on a used book (thanks mom!), one that I will read once and then give away or spend the rest of my life carting around. And honestly, I do not feel even the slightest bit guilty about that decision. It would financially break me to spend all of my money on used books, and I don’t need to have tons of fiction books sitting around, because I don’t need them as “objects.”
BUT. I am also willing to spend a reasonable amount of money to see bands I love, to go to the symphony, to see a comedian, etc. And I will give to charity when I have the money, and even sometimes when I don’t. It’s just that I, and a lot of/most people, cannot give to all of the causes in the world, no matter how deserving they are.
Sorry for the rant!
@cynicalsunshine I agree. I’m an avid reader but feel no guilt about using the library and used books to get my fix. I don’t WANT books I won’t re-read multiple times hanging about my house. I also feel that new books are overpriced, and that the industry could use a better business model. And I’m an environmentalist- I don’t want to encourage the production of more copies than are necessary to meet the true demand.
Also, re-sale prices are for some people factored into their decision to buy new books, especially textbooks. Publishers know that the used market exists and price accordingly.
@Aunt_Pete Capitalism IS all about spending your money with the products you want to see succeed. That’s how it works. I like to think that being thoughtful about our spending in the “don’t go broke” way is tied to the larger process of being thoughtful about our spending in the “I want where I can to spend money in ways that make me feel good about the purchase” way.
And hey if it helps, charity watchdog groups say that you should not give money to the clipboard kids – way too much of the money they raise goes to middlemen. http://www.sfweekly.com/2011-09-28/news/grassroots-campaign-nonprofit-solicitation-taylor-friedman/
@mishaps
Capitalism IS all about spending your money with the products you want to see succeed. That’s how it works.
I actually think that’s a pretty non-mainstream view of how it works and that most economists would say that the invisible hand is invisible. Capitalism works by consumers buying the goods and services that best suit their needs and wants, and then businesses survive if their goods and services are meeting consumer demand.
I’ve been increasingly annoyed by demands on this and other websites that we spend our money virtuously to support creative workers. Part of it, I think, is that I’m not this website’s target audience. I’m a little older than most people here, so I’m at the point where I’m realizing that not having a lot of money is going to be a permanent thing, not a temporary stage in my life. And I live in middle America, where not having a lot of money is pretty standard and where there’s an expectation that you’ll stop whining, buck up, and figure out how to make due with what you have. I get frustrated with that attitude, to be honest: it’s admirable in a lot of ways, but I think it gets in the way of people viewing their situation in political terms. And your attitude, that we should all just be “thoughtful” and support people who deserve to be supported, is kind of the privileged-urbanite flip-side of that. The problem here is the eroding spending power of the American middle class. It’s that young middle-class people are graduating from college with a mountain of debt that means that they just can’t responsibly make the consumer choices that were open to young people even 20 years ago. It’s that I’m trying to figure out how to save for retirement on a ridiculously low salary, and there’s no room in my budget for luxury goods.
So I guess what I’m saying here is that I think that discussions of supporting creative workers would seem less out-of-touch and scoldy if there was some acknowledgement that the problems of the creative economy are tied to problems in the larger economy and that part of the solution has to be finding the political will to shore up middle-class spending power. We can’t spend money we don’t have. If you and David Lowery and the people with those ugly artisinal clothes want us to buy your stuff, you should probably think about how to address the fact that we have very little disposable income to spend on anything. The creative economy can’t survive if your potential consumers are hanging on to the middle-class by our fingertips.
@WhyHelloThere you say “buying the goods and services that best suit their needs and wants,” I say “spending your money with the products you want to see succeed.” I think they’re roughly the same thing, with a difference in emphasis – for me, the products I want to see succeed are ones that meet my needs and wants, by definition. Adam Smith’s concept of the invisible hand of the marketplace included from the start the idea that the way people spend their money has a social impact, and that sometimes that can be a motivating factor in why/how they spend their money in the first place.
I am not sure how encouraging people to occasionally spend ten bucks on a new paperback makes me part of the problem here. If you don’t want to see the middle class destroyed, which I think we both agree is happening, then spending money locally is a terrific small way to do that. Short-term, buying new books only from Amazon (which I do a lot of as well, let’s be clear) is great for your pocketbook – long-term, it increases the risk that we’ll all be working those shitty Amazon warehouse jobs from that Mother Jones piece, where they keep the ambulance outside the warehouse rather than actually fix the overheating problem.
After reading thousands of books over the last 50 years, I realize that actually owning a physical book isn’t the point, nor is it worth the purchase price to buy a new one and only use it once (rarely will I read a book twice-there are too many that I haven’t read to go back to most of the ones I’ve already finished.)
I understand the tactile pleasure of a real book but again, content is what counts and reading a good book on my nook is quite satisfying.
2nd hand is how I go, after the library. And now, when I finish reading a good book, I pass it on. My shelves are already filled with dusty tomes from the past and I would rather go find something new to read than look back at the ones I am finished (!) with.
Authors may want to re-think their plan if they have become writers in order to make a living. The economics of publishing are not designed to enrich writers; get used to it.
Hey, thanks, Mike! What a nice surprise.