We should keep in mind, though, for this discussion that the original
question wasn't how many ARCs are printed in relation to the entire printrun
by publisher X or Y, but rather how many of these editions end up in used
bookstores to be resold, presumably cheating the author and publisher of
royalty and income. While the number of ARCs may vary from publisher to
publisher from less than 1% to 5% (or more), I still maintain that my
experience with used bookstores (which, much to my wife's chagrin, is
considerable) has the number of ARCs in their inventory much more
consistent...and very, very small, a fraction of a percent. Tens of
thousands -- hundreds of thousands, I'm sure, at larger bookstores like
Powell's City of Books in Portland -- at Half-Price Books, et al, of
paperbacks, hardcovers, reprints, remainders, old books, newer books -- line
the walls and fill the shelves, but the number of ARCs is so small as to be
mathematically insignificant.
Perhaps the Seattle area just isn't a hotbed of book reviewing.
Ron C.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com [mailto:rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com] On
> Behalf Of New Pulp Press
> Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2010 8:25 AM
> To: rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RARA-AVIS: Re: Used Books and ethics
>
> We obviously sell a small fraction of what Hard Case Crime sells, and we
have a
> different printing/marketing model, but our ARC and giveaways is at least
5% of
> books sold.
>
> Jon Bassoff
> New Pulp Press
>
> --- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "davezeltserman" <Dave.Zeltserman@...>
> wrote:
> >
> > Charles, the 5% figure I guessed at (and I think is accurate for my
situation) were
> for both ARCs and giveaways--with the giveaways being the books that are
given
> away at book shows. 10-20K mass paperback runs like the norm from I've
heard,
> but for independent publishers print runs for trade paperbacks and
hardcovers tend
> to be smaller.
> >
> > --Dave
> >
> >
> > --- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "hardcasecrime" <editor@> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > I can't speak for any publisher but myself, but I can tell you that we
> > > might print 100-200 ARCs of any given title and I don't think we've
ever
> > > printed fewer than 10,000-20,000 copies of the finished book. So for
> > > us, at least, ARCs are never more than 1% of the print run.
> > >
> > > Of course, there are other publishers who only print 2,000 or 5,000
> > > copies of a finished book...but even they are unlikely to print more
> > > than 100-200 ARCs (if that many).
> > >
> > > So the only way you could possibly get up to 5% is if your ultimate
> > > print run is really awful (and your publisher is nevertheless
> > > mysteriously generous with ARC production).
> > >
> > > --Charles
> > >
> > > --- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, mhall@ wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > I haunt a lot of used bookstores -- well, perhaps not a *lot*
since
> > > there
> > > > > fewer and fewer of these operations around -- but would agree the
> > > ARCs
> > > > > make
> > > > > up a very insignificant amount...in my experience, in fact, much
> > > less than
> > > > > Dave's number... probably a fraction of a percent.
> > > >
> > > > From the used bookstores in my area they are usually to be found in
> > > the
> > > > TPB section. At times though, there can be a fair number in this
size
> > > > section.
> > > >
> > > > Best, MEH
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 06 May 2010 EDT