Comments on: Textbook Kickbacks and the First Sale Doctrine

By: Scholarly Communications @ Duke » Where should we spend our money?

Scholarly Communications @ Duke » Where should we spend our money? — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:57:14 +0000

[...] faculty do not come out unscathed in this discussion either, as this post about the practice of professors commissioning “custom” textbooks and receiving “royalties,” which William McGeveran of the University of Minnesota Law [...]

By: George

George — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 02:28:33 +0000

Kathleen–having worked for publishers on a freelance basis, and knowing a number of well-selling authors of writing handbooks, I can assure you that precious little of that $59 is going to the author.

Furthermore, in this situation, whoever profits is not doing so because of the author’s skills. They are profiting by establishing a monopoly. The students have no choice about the product. I have taught with Hacker’s book, and it’s fine, but so are many cheaper books, and certainly any used volume of it is just as good.

That the university is taking a cut from this scam is appalling, but serves to highlight the dreadful funding situation for most writing programs at American universities–and the generally dismal funding situation for public education in general. That the university’s legal department sanctioned the “this book may not be bought or sold used” nonsense really takes the cake.

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:51:53 +0000

After reading over my comment, I realize that it is riddled with punctuation and spelling errors. My apologies! And here I am trying to represent myself as an editor. My opinion still stands I hope.

(see, this is why people need grammar books!)

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:39:36 +0000

With all due respect to the author of this article, I have to strongly disagree with the David and Goliath picture being painted here. I used to work for Bedford/St. Martin’s, and I was paid $30,000 a year as an associate . Assistants there make $27,000. bedford/St. Martin’s is a company that publishes educational materials to help writers. Most editors there are writers, and i you want to encourage writers, isn’t it logical to conclude that you would eventually want to create an environment in which they have opportunities to profit off their skills? If books are going to be so cheap, how will writers ever make any money? Why not attack the Paris Review for charing $11 for their magazine, or Harper’s for charging $5. People make so many assumptions about textbook publishers being these big evil giants, but they’re not.

By: Scott Gunsaullus

Scott Gunsaullus — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:57:59 +0000

I still have the Bedford handbook for writers that I was required to purchase in 1996, during my freshman year of college. I'm the latest edition is still a good resource for the first year college student. However, use of English language, at least in academics, has not changed enough to warrant such a high price tag. This is the most blatant use of the college book monopoly scam that I have heard of to date.