Online Battle of Low-Cost Used Books

The New York Times > Technology > E-Commerce Report: Online Battle of Low-Cost Books[Registration required]: "IS Amazon.com becoming the Napster of the book business?"

Here is an interesting article about publishers concerned about used books being sold on Amazon and that this is cutting into new book sales. Considering that it is now easier for anyone to start a used book store online than it is to start a bricks and mortar store I think the publishers and authors better get used to it.

Why is there a demand for used books?

1. Price of new mass market paperbacks is high. People read a book new and then try to recoup some of the money they shelled out by reselling it or trading it.

2. If price is the issue, maybe the publishers should consider competing on price with ebooks?

3. Backlisted books out of print. If publishers cannot keep their backlists in print people have to search for used copies.

What worries me in all this is that the special interests might try to pass a law against selling dead tree books used - there own private vested interest DRM scheme. Sorry if I paid for the physical book I have the right to sell it. That is pretty well established by centuries of custom and practice.

Of course the publishers can go back to the defacto DRM of the early mass market paperbacks - print them on high acid paper so that they yellow and fall apart after a few years. That might limit the resale life of each book. But it might limit new sales too. I think the publishers need to quit whining and rethink their marketing.

Source: Teleread