Re: Xerox machines and book prices
That's an idea almost as old as xerography. Does anyone knows of a company (or library) that markets this type of service? michael gilson de lemos a *crit : Hmmm. What about on-demand publishing, which is JIT, controlled set-up costs and dependent on photocopying technology? Best Regards, MG
Re: Xerox machines and book prices
This has been going on for years. Xlibris, Ingram, American University Press (starting up), Libertarian Sci-Fi author's Schulman's Pulpless.com, LIO is looking into using it for translations, etc. The nice thing is also many books out of print are now available like Dover used to do, only more titles. Best Regards, MG From: Bernard Girard [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2000 1:51 AM Subject: Re: Xerox machines and book prices That's an idea almost as old as xerography. Does anyone knows of a company (or library) that markets this type of service? michael gilson de lemos a *crit : Hmmm. What about on-demand publishing, which is JIT, controlled set-up costs and dependent on photocopying technology? Best Regards, MG
RE: Xerox machines and book prices
I never understood the appeal of on-demand publishing for new titles. Getting a manuscript ready to become a book involves a lot of labor while the paper, printing, and binding account for less than twenty percent of total costs. The first copy of a scholarly book thus costs $30,000 and the second copy perhaps $5. Publishers spread their editing costs over the whole run which still implies a high price for the book if the run equals, say, 250. You can see actual market prices (i.e. san subsidy) for scholarly books in the catalogs of commercial publishers; $130-150 is the range. On demand printing makes virtually no difference for new titles. Out of print titles are different. Fixed costs are covered; the primary costs is manufacturing which in very small runs (say, 25-50) is about $15 per unit. In general, I would guess that the book industry probably loses money as a whole at times. Scholarly book publishing as a whole always loses money. John Samples Washington, DC -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of michael gilson de lemos Sent: Monday, September 11, 2000 8:45 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Xerox machines and book prices Hmmm. What about on-demand publishing, which is JIT, controlled set-up costs and dependent on photocopying technology? Best Regards, MG
RE: Xerox machines and book prices
evidence of the reality of the copy vs bound book is that publishers are stingy with their pre-publication "galleys" (which are bound photocopies of books) and much more willing to give reviewers finished books, as the price-per is MUCH lower. offset printing (plus binding etc) is a lot more cost efficient than photocopying. erik p.s. the Xerox Corp isn't happy about its name being used casually. Even though this puzzles me, because I always figured any advertising is good advertising. If everyone calls photocopies "xeroxes," or nosewipes "kleenex," doesn't that help boost brand awareness? -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of fabio guillermo rojas Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2000 2:30 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Xerox machines and book prices Good points, but let me point out that copying is a good substitute for short, expensive books such as many kinds of technical books. Maybe for most books, copies are a bad choice. I suppose that the bigger the book, the less useful it is. -f I'm not sure that copying is a cheap subsitute for most books. Assuming that you're copying a 300 page book, and that copies cost 10 cents/copy, the resulting pile of pages would cost you $30.00. Add another $2.50 for a 3 ring binder. Assuming it takes you an hour to copy the book, hole-punch, and collate, and assume that you make minimum wage, add another $5.25. So now you've spent $37.75 for a 300 page "book" that's twice as bulky as the original, with poor picture quality, and pages that are easily ripped out. Most trade softcover book prices fall around in this range, and you get a truly bound book.
Xerox machines and book prices
1) Has the invention of the xerox machine suppressed book prices by offering a cheap (illegal) substitute for new books? 2) If so, any empirical data? How much woul a book cost in a world with no easy copying? 3) Have tape decks, CD burners, etc suppressed music CD prices in a simialr fashion? -fabio
Re: Xerox machines and book prices
Good points, but let me point out that copying is a good substitute for short, expensive books such as many kinds of technical books. Maybe for most books, copies are a bad choice. I suppose that the bigger the book, the less useful it is. -f I'm not sure that copying is a cheap subsitute for most books. Assuming that you're copying a 300 page book, and that copies cost 10 cents/copy, the resulting pile of pages would cost you $30.00. Add another $2.50 for a 3 ring binder. Assuming it takes you an hour to copy the book, hole-punch, and collate, and assume that you make minimum wage, add another $5.25. So now you've spent $37.75 for a 300 page "book" that's twice as bulky as the original, with poor picture quality, and pages that are easily ripped out. Most trade softcover book prices fall around in this range, and you get a truly bound book.
