You make some really good points here, Rosalynn, which I hadn't really considered in any depth before. I don't buy books from Amazon anymore, as I no longer even have an account with them. But I do buy pretty much all books second-hand, both on- and offline, and usually only if either it isn't available at my local library or I have read it from there and really want to keep a copy on my shelf. In an 'ideal' world, I would like to be able to pre-order and purchase brand new copies from local independent bookstores to support my favourite authors, but financially this just isn't viable. Also though, your point about a reader walking in and buying every book by a writer: I can think of several books I have bought at secondhand book sales without knowing the author, and have then gone on to buy everything they ever wrote! Some secondhand, some new. So I think you are right; you are doing a great service for books and writers in general!
I agree too. I would have to be seriously rich to buy all the books I want to read but instead I try to support my favourite authors by buying new, often from independent bookstores. I buy many second hand through my local Oxfam bookshop, often taking back copies that I’ve read but don’t plan to re read. Plus I buy from Persephone Books- an independent publishing house specialising in 20th century women authors.
This is a thoughtful piece and I agree with you. One of the most touching letters from a reader I ever received was from a 17-year-old girl who found my book at a used-book store and grabbed it thinking it would be an easy solution to a paper she had to write for a class. She ended up reading the book and thinking hard about the questions it raised and then contacted me with a long, thoughtful email full of insights and imaginings about what might have happened had the story continued. I loved that.
Also: books and authors thrive on word of mouth and used bookstores help with that just by making them available after their "sell-by" dates at commercial bookstores. Most readers get their books from a variety of sources. As a writer, I try to support writers financially with pre-orders and purchases but without the library or used bookstores, I would not be able to afford my reading habit.
I also buy new and used books - I'm lucky that there is a fantastic independent bookshop where I live now, that I daren't go in too often! There's a small library, which I use mainly to order books from across the county, and several charity shops in the nearest town. I don't do Amazon any more - it's great that I don't need to - but like you, was excited about back in the day. I recently read a rather large tome that I think I got from a paperbook club many years ago, that's waited until now to be read!
One point I think, is that the author of a book wants their words to be read. Yes, ideally they would received remuneration every time, but for every new reader there's the chance of recommendation, and at the very least their writing has touched another person.
You make some really good points here, Rosalynn, which I hadn't really considered in any depth before. I don't buy books from Amazon anymore, as I no longer even have an account with them. But I do buy pretty much all books second-hand, both on- and offline, and usually only if either it isn't available at my local library or I have read it from there and really want to keep a copy on my shelf. In an 'ideal' world, I would like to be able to pre-order and purchase brand new copies from local independent bookstores to support my favourite authors, but financially this just isn't viable. Also though, your point about a reader walking in and buying every book by a writer: I can think of several books I have bought at secondhand book sales without knowing the author, and have then gone on to buy everything they ever wrote! Some secondhand, some new. So I think you are right; you are doing a great service for books and writers in general!
I agree too. I would have to be seriously rich to buy all the books I want to read but instead I try to support my favourite authors by buying new, often from independent bookstores. I buy many second hand through my local Oxfam bookshop, often taking back copies that I’ve read but don’t plan to re read. Plus I buy from Persephone Books- an independent publishing house specialising in 20th century women authors.
This is a thoughtful piece and I agree with you. One of the most touching letters from a reader I ever received was from a 17-year-old girl who found my book at a used-book store and grabbed it thinking it would be an easy solution to a paper she had to write for a class. She ended up reading the book and thinking hard about the questions it raised and then contacted me with a long, thoughtful email full of insights and imaginings about what might have happened had the story continued. I loved that.
Also: books and authors thrive on word of mouth and used bookstores help with that just by making them available after their "sell-by" dates at commercial bookstores. Most readers get their books from a variety of sources. As a writer, I try to support writers financially with pre-orders and purchases but without the library or used bookstores, I would not be able to afford my reading habit.
I also buy new and used books - I'm lucky that there is a fantastic independent bookshop where I live now, that I daren't go in too often! There's a small library, which I use mainly to order books from across the county, and several charity shops in the nearest town. I don't do Amazon any more - it's great that I don't need to - but like you, was excited about back in the day. I recently read a rather large tome that I think I got from a paperbook club many years ago, that's waited until now to be read!
One point I think, is that the author of a book wants their words to be read. Yes, ideally they would received remuneration every time, but for every new reader there's the chance of recommendation, and at the very least their writing has touched another person.