A: Robert
Christopherson, TAA member, author of Geosystems:
Robert
Christopherson |
"Quick response
on used-book impact. With my 3-year revision cycle we do not stay
ahead of the used-book sales erosion. Fortunately in my field there
is so much dynamic change that such a revision cycle is warranted.
The largest royalty
checks occur April 1 (sales July 1 to Dec 31) the first year
after a new book. Oct 1 (sales Jan 1 to June 30) is usually low for
early spring instocks. If you have multiple titles that are on
alternate years, that helps even the royalties--as one title
is hit by used books, the other title is on the rise. You can
have a market leading text with increasing adoptions and see
sales go down in the third year because of used-book sales.
Keep track of
how many printings your edition goes through by checking with editors
or checking shipments at the bookstore of new books and the print number
on the copyright page. Also, check Amazon and others and see what
the discounts are for your book--I've found a poor competing
book, losing market share has deeper discounts than a book on
the rise, commanding new market share---I take this as an indicator
of used-book availability---short used-book supply, less discount.
A best seller, one that might be kept as a reference book, has smaller
discounts.
To make a text
more of a 'keeper,' if appropriate in your field, write with a voice,
a POV, to the student, with the student, for the student. I embed
over 200 URLs throughout my texts not only to help the pedagogy
but to make it a reference work, one to keep.
Used books are
a nightmare---a leading text with growing market share and declining
sales---go figure. So glad we have TAA."
John
Budd |
A: John
Budd, Industrial Relations Land Grant Chair and Director of Graduate
Studies at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management,
and winner of a 2005 Texty Award for his textbook, Labor Relations:
Striking a Balance (McGraw-Hill/Irwin):
"In the budget
/ business plan for a new text I am proposing, my editor at McGraw-Hill
assumed that approximately 60 percent of the total sales would be
in year one, 30 percent in year two, and 10 percent in year three."
A: Ginny
Borden Maier:
Ginny
Borden Maier |
"Thanks for the
replies to my query about how I should expect sales to drop year-over-year
within an edition as a result of used books. It's clear that
the answer is different depending on the discipline and nature
of the market.
I will share
the answer I received from my editor. He estimates that, when
adoption rates remain the same (so the same number of copies are being
sold), a little more than 50% of the books sold after one year are
used copies. In other words, I should expect royalties to drop to less
than 50% in the second year of an edition. He wasn't as certain about
the third year, but essentially said 'don't expect much at all, kid.'
I would say that
my experience is near the worst-case scenario in terms of impact
of used book sales. I write Biology textbooks for non-majors -- these
students are much less likely to hang onto a book for 'reference'
after the course than a major is. (Hmm. Kinda wondering about my career
choice here. Should have tried to get into anatomy books for
med students, maybe.)
Anyway, my query
was stimulated by my learning that my September 'royalty' is a negative
balance, due to all the bookstore returns in Jan-June of this year.
I wasn't expecting much, but I needed to know whether my expected
royalty in March of 08 was going to cover this balance and leave any
payout for, say, groceries. Thanks again for your replies, and
happy writing!"
