Congrats, Heathy.
I love them because the majority of my gaming library came from there...most of it for less than half-price (God bless their coupons).
Do you have a Paperbacks Plus nearby? I had never bothered getting a Deities and Demigods 3.0, but I picked one up there for 8.12 today. It's rarer to find game books there, but I generally get luckier there when it comes to fiction (Leigh Brackett books, Old Sword & Sorceress, etc). A smaller selection, but more harder-to-find books.
Oh, they only had the one. But for future reference it might be a place worth knowing about, if there is one near any of your regular traffic patterns.
Half-Price Books is my new favorite bookstore, after B&N.
I've found Vampire: The Requiem, Scion: Hero, The Black Company, Exalted, Midnight and MET there. I noticed a Pathfinder book on the shelves the last time I was there. Hopefully, it's not gone by the time my next paycheck arrives.
Silverwolf, I demand you reveal your location!
If it was any of the RotRl (except 1 or 5), I just may have to do that...
Silverwolf, I demand you reveal your location!
Do you live near Houston?
:Zone of Truth:
Nah, I live in Big D, but I'll be coming through Houston in late May on the way to and from Galveston.
Mairkurion, if you come through on the weekend or even during the week you might consider stopping by Asgard Games especially on Sunday as that is when our Pathfinder weekly game is there. Send me an email at silverhair2008(at)hotmail(dot)com and I will send you directions. Have a safe trip any way.
Thanks for the invite, Silverhair. With the people that will be along for this trip, it'd be a no-go -- I'll keep it in mind for the future though. I'm just hoping I can get away with talking them into the terracotta warrior exhibit. Anybody been to that?
I noticed a Pathfinder book on the shelves the last time I was there.
…and I get burned at the stake for suggesting this was even possible.
"I" being the key word...
Ah ha!
Produces tiny silver fiddle.
Keep it handy for when Rome burns, Nero.
Yee-haw!
Things Texans invented: Half-Price Books, the Chicago pizza...(let's keep the list going)...
We didn't invent it, but damn, we do it big. I guess I can't complain too much, it brings in some money for now. :(
Chief Technical Officer
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If you patronize used bookstores, please read the following essay by bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole:
Used bookstores are everywhere and serve a vital function in society -- they make books available at a reasonable price and are often the only source for out of print paperbacks. I have bought and do buy books from used bookstores, especially when the books are out of print and not available elsewhere.Readers should be aware, however, that authors do not get paid for books sold in used bookstores. Our royalties are figured on sales by our publishers to bookstores, but used bookstores do not buy from the publishers. We get no credit for those sales because there is no accounting system for them.
Before you dismiss this as a rant by a greedy author, rightfully pointing out that if not for used bookstores many readers wouldn't take a chance on an author they've never read before, bear with me for a moment. Because the publishers have no way to track used bookstore sales, they don't have an accurate picture of the popularity of their authors. It could be that a book purchased from a used bookstore makes its way through 4-5 readers, and each of them decides they like this author. That's great, but his publisher has no way of knowing that.
Readers, in the current retailing system, really are patrons of the arts. If you find an author you like, by all means, buy a copy of his current or next book from a new book retailer. By doing that you show the retailers and his publisher that they have a reason to continue to sell and publish his books respectively. It's the only way you can let the publishers and retailers know you want to see more of this author's work. (Cards and letters to the publisher would be nice, sure, but the accountants tend to consider only dollars and cents.)
And concerning the greed factor, please understand that most authors make between 6-10% of the cover price of the books. In the case of books written in a series owned by someone else, the percentage can be decidedly lower. In other words, a $5 book produces 30 cents in income for the author. At that rate the author loses money on the postage for replying to a fan letter! With the average SF/Fantasy novel selling fewer than 20,000 copies, we're talking an income of $7,000 for what probably was a year's worth of work. Kinda dismal, really.
Yes, patronize used bookstores for the books you can't get elsewhere. If you find an author you like, support her by buying her books *NEW* and guarantee you'll get more from them in the future.
Readers should be aware, however, that authors do not get paid for books sold in used bookstores.
I think this is an oversimplification. How about, “Authors do not get paid again for books sold in used bookstores.”?
No, there is no way to track if a book has been through 4-5 people…of course you can not track all the fans that lend their books to other fans either.
I concede that authors may get paid too little for their work. If I find an author or rpg publishing company I really like, I tend to buy their stuff new. When I go to a used book store I am not generally looking for a specific title. It is a grab bag. I buy things I was not willing to pay full price for, but am willing to consider at a reduced cost. So as a customer, I have already shown my support (or lack thereof).
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Thanks for the invite, Silverhair. With the people that will be along for this trip, it'd be a no-go -- I'll keep it in mind for the future though. I'm just hoping I can get away with talking them into the terracotta warrior exhibit. Anybody been to that?
Thursday's my birthday AND free museum day, so I was thinking about checking it out then :)
I'll let you know how cool it is!
Happy pre-birthday, Houstonderek!