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A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Two books on sextants.
From: George Huxtable
Date: 2008 Dec 15, 23:33 -0000
From: George Huxtable
Date: 2008 Dec 15, 23:33 -0000
A major fraction of a publisher's total spend is unrelated to how many copies are sold, as Bill Morris has explained. The pricing is presumably a commercial decision, intended to maximise the publisher's profit. Such books as "Sextants at Greenwich" are selling in a specialist academic market, never a mass market. They are not expected to sell in large numbers, But pricing at the "prestige price" of �120 will ensure that it's only going to get bought by corporate customers, rather than ordinary readers such as you and me. It makes it certain that only small numbers will sell (at that price); a self-fulfilling prophecy. However, I wish it success, even if it's way out of my reach. As for its predecessor on "Astrolabes at Greenwich", I rejoice that "remaindering", at a quarter of the original price, has now made it accessible, to me anyway; indeed, I have just ordered a copy. It's the market-laws at work. I guess that OUP has already made its profit on that publication. I doubt if any of the authors involved in these books ever make a fortune from them. George. contact George Huxtable, at george@hux.me.uk or at +44 1865 820222 (from UK, 01865 820222) or at 1 Sandy Lane, Southmoor, Abingdon, Oxon OX13 5HX, UK. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Navigation List archive: www.fer3.com/arc To post, email NavList@fer3.com To , email NavList-@fer3.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
