As the fall semester draws to a close and students begin to sell and purchase books, textbook publishers continue in their ongoing battle with the used book market for sales.
Jeremy Hunt, manager of the independent Student Book Store on the Corner, said while sales vary from semester to semester, most students buy used books. He said in order to cut costs, students purchase used textbooks for 75 percent of the publisher's price.
Students' option of purchasing used books, however, creates problems for the publishing industry, Hunt said.
"Publishers are in the business of making money, so they are opposed to used books," Hunt said.
While students are attracted to the lower prices of used books, they are not aware that buying used books prevents the publishers from holding down the costs of future textbooks, according to Judith Platt, spokesperson for the Association of American Publishers.
"Students perceive them to be a bargain," Platt said. "The author who wrote the book and the publisher who made it a reality do not get any of [the profits]. It is a business, so it is expected to earn profit to stay in business. This is not a monopoly. It is the most highly competitive industry. They are in cutthroat competition."
Laura Nakoneczby, director of public relations at the National Association of College Stores, said to reduce the cost of textbooks, the association promotes used books.
"College stores do everything they can to put used books on the shelves," Nakoneczby said.
The economic principle of supply and demand explains the cost of textbooks, Platt said.
"There is a limited market for textbooks," Platt said. "Publishers are limited to the number of students taking a course. It's finite."
Compiling textbooks also is an expensive endeavor, which adds to the cost of the books.
"Birthing a textbook is a complex process," Platt said. "Publishers spend more than $1 million before a single copy is sold."
Buying used books is difficult because of the frequency of new editions which generally are published about every three years, Hunt said.
"With the escalating rate of new editions, the book a student has now does not have a lot of value," she said. "As publishers increase the rate of new editions, more new books are sold than used books."
Another factor driving up textbook costs is packages which include CD ROMs, Internet passwords and study guides. Publishers purportedly use the packages to stifle the used book market.
Hunt said publishers persuade professors to require that students purchase packages which result in higher costs.
"There needs to be more communication between faculty and students about aggregate costs of books and help the students to use them effectively," Platt said.
The college store association currently is working with publishers to make them aware of students' needs, Nakoneczby said.
"We want specific ways for college stores and publishers to work together," Nakoneczby said. "These dialogues help publishers understand the role of college stores and see us as a viable partner."
Platt said publishers currently are searching for ways to drive down textbook costs.
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