Book Market Chaos

Folks,

I taught a seminar Saturday, in which a student had bought my book and asked how
I felt
about my book being sold by others for a lower price than Amazon offered it, on
Amazon?
And don't I worry about used book sales on the Amazon site? Isn't every used
book sold a
new book not sold? And thus, I am out money, in the form of what would have
been a royalty
for me on a new book sale?

Well, of course, I don't care who sells my book, but as i understand it, amazon
buys and
stocks my book at about $16 a copy and offers it at $25.95, with free shipping.
At my
webpage at Amazon, it usually says something like "32 new qand used copies
available
starting at $19.95" and if you click thru you see highly rated independent book
dealers who
are making the offer.

As far as the used books go, what business is it of mine if someone who bought
my book
now wants to sell it, and what business is it of mine if there is someone who
wants to buy it
for less than a new copy? I should have the power to tell someone what he can
do with his
copy of my book? I should have the power to tell the buyer of the used copy
what to do with
his own money?

What I think happens is since Amazon will allow anyone and everyone to sell
their copies,
they fdo, so people looking for used copies come there, and Amazon makes a cut
on the sale.
Since everyone goes there, I benefit in that measure. I assume the mqarket for
used books is
bigger than new books, so I appreciate that Amazon clears the market of used
books
efifficiently, leaving the new book market more likely. (If you cannot find it
used on Amazon,
you ain't gonna find it, so buy a new copy).

As to NEW copies sold on Amazon by book retailers for less than what Amazon
charges, well
they too are simply taking an order at say $19.00, buying the book from the
wholesaler who
stocks it for $16, and then sells it on Amazon clearing $3 profit. the buyer
pays for shipping
and handling, bringing the price up close to what they would pay if they bought
the book
from Amazon, who ships for free recall.

I'ved noticed from sales reports my book is selling overseas as well, via
amazonUK. I noticed
one seller offers a "New copy, printed in England" (hence, i guess, the ability
to charge the
lower price). I checked the amazonuk site and the book is offered for £14.52,
or US$27.22,
or the same retail... but I have no way of checking what the wholesale is in the
UK, which is
the salient point, but I doubt the wholsale is cheaper.

So what do I care since I get a royalty on every new copy sold anyway?

And when I bring in new copies fort $3, and offer new, signed by the author
copies for $12,
and none of these people can get them for less than sixteen, i will get all of
the biz, with
someone shipping out of Sparks NV to the customers (unless i can figure out how
to ship
economically and timely direct out of Hong Kong.)

And Amazon will get a small percentage as I leverage their massive capabilities
to my specific
product. Or so it seems so far. As usually, we'll find out. At any rate,
Amazon is structured
to make money no matter what happens.

More as this proceeds.

John

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