From a student: "Mr. Reis, you're requiring us to buy your textbook so you can get rich. What do you make, about $20 on each one we buy?"

From a colleague: "It's a conflict of interest, your writing a textbook, using it in your own class, asking others in the department to adopt it. Instructors shouldn't write textbooks."

As the author of textbooks that I and some of my colleagues use in classes at Los Angeles Trade-Technical Community College, comments like these, though infrequent, were beginning to grate on me. I began to think: There must be a way I can forfeit my royalties on textbooks sold at my institution and, at the same time, benefit students, perhaps in the form of scholarships? I went to my college store manager, Andy Nasatir, and together we developed a plan that would do just that.

I knew I could count on Andy for help. Long ago he recognized the existence and uniqueness of a faculty-author cadre, and has been reaching out to this group in creative ways ever since. Believing, as he put it: "a happy faculty is a happy billboard," Andy was ready to assist. In the end, I wound up donating $250 to a student scholarship for electronics students. Not a princely sum, to be sure, but a contribution, nonetheless.

Faculty-authors: Who are they? Not all faculty-authors earn what I do on the sale of textbook. Some actually earn less. Fortunately, my books sell at other institutions, not just my own.

After writing for more than a decade for small, medium and large publishers, and talking with dozens of fellow authors, I have come up with an informal, non-scientific, four-level classification of textbook authors that might interest you. Here's how it goes:

Level I faculty-authors: At this level (in terms of sales, usually the bottom) are the one-time-only, never-to-do-it-again professors. Frequently recognized experts in their field, upon the urging of deans, colleagues and even students, they somewhat reluctantly undertake the writing of "their book." After years of effort, punctuated by long non-productive hiatuses, their scholarly, somewhat esoteric tome is finally submitted. Upon publication, they swear to God and their spouses never to undertake such an opus again. Sales of the book are often paltry, in some cases being confined not just to the author's institution but to his or her classes.

Level II faculty-authors: These are the famous author wannabes. They like to write, relish seeing their books in print, and long for the day when they can make "real" money as authors. That day may never come. Yet these stalwarts keep at it, creating new editions as the years go by. Sales are modest, at perhaps a few dozen institutions.

Level III faculty-authors: By any standard, these are truly successful faculty-authors. Their books sell -- they are at college and university stores all over the country. Royalty income approaches six figures. Professors at Level III have combined both teaching and writing to achieve recognition, status -- and money.

Level IV faculty-authors: At last, the giants, the select few occupying the apex of textbook publishing. Adored and courted by family and publishers alike, they could easily retire from teaching if they chose. But love of learning, and the desire to impart it, keeps them in the classroom during the school year. During the summer, they tour Europe or lounge at the lake in their spacious second home.

The foregoing classification is based on sales quantity, not necessarily textbook quality. Nonetheless, publisher size and sales rep efforts aside, Level III and Level IV faculty-authors are obviously meeting the needs of their adopters, if not always their readers.

Turning on the billboards. Your institution may be blessed with Level I, II, III and even Level IV faculty-authors. As a college store manager, you would be wise to recognize these faculty-authors as a core group, then form a distinctive partnership with them. Eventually, that partnership could spread to the faculty as a whole, creating "neon-lit billboards" in classrooms throughout the campus.

It is important to understand that faculty-authors tend to look at the college store in a unique way. They will have a more positive attitude toward the store and its management than the faculty at large. Of course, as a manager you'll want to treat all faculty with courtesy and respect. Yet identifying and singling out this group for special attention can reap mighty dividends, not the least of which is improving your bottom line. Keep in mind, faculty-authors are likely to be leaders in their department. What they feel and say about the college store will get heard. This group is the first to switch on billboards -- billboards that will be seen by all.

For me, working with a college store manager that sought me out as a faculty-author made it easy to deal with a nagging issue -- what to do with my royalties on books sold at the college store. In the process, I got to know Andy and his operation close up. Now I'm spreading the word, trying to tear down stereotypes that hurt everyone on campus. With students and fellow faculty, I seek to encourage a more positive, less "emotional" attitude toward "our" store and what it can do for all of us.

If "a happy faculty is a happy billboard," I'm definitely smiling.