Woo hoo! Thanks, Dr Clark! I just gave myself a belated birthday present!
Why does a 100 page book have to be so expensive in the first place. You could publish through IngramSpark and make them available for less.
They are expensive. In my defense, I had no idea. I just contributed to it.
The publisher did invest time and resources in copy editing and typesetting etc. So, there are some differences between that and self publishing.
If I’m not mistaken, the publisher is an imprint of Macmillan which is an academic publisher. Those are generally much more expensive for whatever reason.
It is.
They are more expensive because they are not mass marketed. They are aimed at libraries and at scholars. They do short print runs. This particular series is print-on-demand.
Right. For a 100 page book, print-on-demand costs, even if a hardcover, would be about $10. Selling for $24 is over a 100% markup.
Geoff,
This isn’t a self-published POD. This publisher does maintain a website, does market products, and does proof-read texts, provide an index etc. $25 means that each essay costs $6.25–mind you none of the contributors receive royalties–which is a reasonable cost for professional academic work. I agree that the regular price is outrageous and I rather doubt that they sell many copies. I don’t understand their model but it’s their business.
I do think, however, that we should compare apples with apples.
I think such works are worth the full price. Scholars get paid very little…and I imagine scholarly publishers also don’t make much.
I know a man who has published a much used textbook in his field. Though it has sold many copies in universities across America, he says that he has made very little money. He wrote the book to fill a need…to serve.
Those who write and edit such books are worthy of whatever pay they receive…and publishers like Brill, Rutledge, Cambridge, etc., are gatekeepers of good academic work. They too are worthy of the price, for they have to survive, keep the lights on, pay overhead, etc.
So–while the price may seem snooty, it really isn’t.
That’s my two cents worth–or should I say my twenty dollars worth? 🙂
This is the best price at which they have offered this volume for some time.
Woo hoo! Thanks, Dr Clark! I just gave myself a belated birthday present!
Why does a 100 page book have to be so expensive in the first place. You could publish through IngramSpark and make them available for less.
They are expensive. In my defense, I had no idea. I just contributed to it.
The publisher did invest time and resources in copy editing and typesetting etc. So, there are some differences between that and self publishing.
If I’m not mistaken, the publisher is an imprint of Macmillan which is an academic publisher. Those are generally much more expensive for whatever reason.
It is.
They are more expensive because they are not mass marketed. They are aimed at libraries and at scholars. They do short print runs. This particular series is print-on-demand.
Right. For a 100 page book, print-on-demand costs, even if a hardcover, would be about $10. Selling for $24 is over a 100% markup.
Geoff,
This isn’t a self-published POD. This publisher does maintain a website, does market products, and does proof-read texts, provide an index etc. $25 means that each essay costs $6.25–mind you none of the contributors receive royalties–which is a reasonable cost for professional academic work. I agree that the regular price is outrageous and I rather doubt that they sell many copies. I don’t understand their model but it’s their business.
I do think, however, that we should compare apples with apples.
I think such works are worth the full price. Scholars get paid very little…and I imagine scholarly publishers also don’t make much.
I know a man who has published a much used textbook in his field. Though it has sold many copies in universities across America, he says that he has made very little money. He wrote the book to fill a need…to serve.
Those who write and edit such books are worthy of whatever pay they receive…and publishers like Brill, Rutledge, Cambridge, etc., are gatekeepers of good academic work. They too are worthy of the price, for they have to survive, keep the lights on, pay overhead, etc.
So–while the price may seem snooty, it really isn’t.
That’s my two cents worth–or should I say my twenty dollars worth? 🙂