The New York Times staff writer David Streitfeld recently wrote an article lamenting the faltering state of the publishing industry.
Some large publishing houses like Houghton Mifflin Harcourt announced that they will not be taking any new manuscripts. Similarly top bookstores are closing left and right. For example Olssons Books and Records an independent bookstore in Washington D.C. closed down in September. Robin’s Bookstore the oldest independent bookstore in Philadelphia is due to close its doors this month.
Although we are logically tempted to link these new developments to the poor economy Streitfeld said individuals and companies like Amazon who have been selling old books online for unbelievably low prices are causing the bulk of this damage.
No easy solution can address the problem of Internet book reselling. On the one hand the public is not obligated to keep publishing houses in business.
Using the free market logic of economic theorist Adam Smith this innovative system of reselling books online has naturally altered the book market in a manner advantageous to the populace. Thus publishing companies bookstores and authors all must adapt accordingly.
On the other hand leaving the publishing companies bookstores and authors out of this buying and selling cycle may prevent publication of new literary material – something that could negatively affect society.
Publishing companies take a risk when they agree to publish books. As fewer people buy books from bookstores and more people buy used copies from Internet sellers publishing companies slink slowly toward bankruptcy.
Americans value the First Amendment right to free speech. Publishing houses serve as a vehicle that enables self-expression. Do Americans then have an obligation to stop buying books in a manner that does not benefit their authors and restricts the publication of new material? Yes.
The legislature should look into passing an intellectual property rights law banning the resale of books. In other words amending copyright law to prohibit people not only from copying and distributing books but also from reselling used books might remedy the concerns of the ailing publishing industry.
Although proposing such a bill seems righteous in theory in reality such a bill might be unpopular. After all the network of selling used books on the Internet benefits consumers immensely. For example after spending over $500 dollars on schoolbooks doesn’t it seem more enticing to buy a $1.00 used copy of Locke’s “Second Treatise of Government” from Andrew Jones of Marion Oregon than a $11.95 copy from the bookstore?
In his article Streitfeld admits that he himself contributes to this machine. He purchased the book “Room for Doubt by Wendy Lesser from a woman who was selling the book for 25 cents on the Internet.
Streitfeld received a heavy dose of criticism from Michael Barnard, owner of Rakestraw Books in Danville, Calif. Barnard accused Streitfeld of taking Ms. Lesser’s work while depriving her of an income.”
He later confronted Ms. Lesser about his purchase. Although she regretted that her work was selling for a quarter on the Internet she stated that at least I “gained a reader if not an income.”
Similarly Heather Mash the woman from whom Streitfeld purchased Lesser’s book stated that “I would rather sell a book for a penny and let someone enjoy it than keep it collecting dust.” Thus on a positive note the Internet’s forum for selling used books has allowed more books to become accessible to more people at lower prices.
Looking at this development from a long-term perspective however begs the question: “How can new books be published if publishers are losing money due to chronic book resale?” Therefore although the Internet’s forum for selling books may benefit the consumer in the short run in the long run this development may rob society of potential innovative intellectual and creative works.