Klarinet Archive - Posting 000073.txt from 2009/04

From: George Kidder <gkidder@-----.org>
Subj: Re: [kl] Orchestra parts Errata - "The reprint rumor letter"
Date: Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:23:21 -0400

Oliver,

Once you can break the students of the habit of insisting on a chapter/page
number for every topic assignment, and convince them that the index/table
of contents is there to be used, the cure (in my experience) is easy. Make
assignments by topic, and let the student find the topic in whatever
edition they have. This bypasses the publisher's attempts to force sales
of new books. But to be effective, you need to make sure the book store
knows your intentions in time to buy back the old edition for resale - and
they will if you tell them.

In Biology, this only works for a few years before the textbook really is
out of date and should be changed. I suspect Chemistry is slower, and
other fields will each be different. But we don't HAVE to put up with the
prices of new books.

(BTW, have you notices the increased use of "white space" in textbooks -
makes the book bigger with no increase in content!)

George

At 07:05 PM 4/6/2009, you wrote:
>I would add to Dan's posting that the "Stravinsky Strategy" is used
>routinely in the college textbook industry of the U.S. A publisher and
>author get royalties on first purchase only. When the student sells the
>textbook back to the bookstore and the book is resold, no royalties go to
>the publisher or author. I believe that this is called the "first sale
>doctrine." The effect of the doctrine is that publishers track their
>profit and after a couple of years the author is told that it is time for
>a "new edition." The author, not surprisingly, says, "But very little has
>changed." The publisher then says, "Would you like to have a
>philosophical discussion about epistemology and pedagogy, Professor X, or
>shall we discuss the sale of your textbook?" So the author cranks out a
>new edition, changing words here and there, rearranging paragraphs, very
>likely writing another chapter and/or cutting out some stuff. Copies of
>the old edition disappear from the bookstore shelves and the new edition
>goes on sale. There is always the traditional cocktail party with the
>author offering signed copies. This unholy alliance between authors,
>professors, bookstores and publishers routinely forces students to pay
>well over a hundred dollars per new textbook.
>
>Oliver
>
>At 03:35 PM 4/6/2009, you wrote:
>
>>As for changing notes in an edition to preserve the copyright, I belief that
>>this was done by Stravisnky. He would change this or that note for bassoon,
>>and another here and there for a trombone, and he would do it in perhaps
>>half an hour's time. Then he claimed that he had made a new and improved
>>edition. Go ahead an copy the old one, he would say, the new one is the one
>>that will sell. That man was no fool. He knew full well how to work the
>>copyright laws to his benefit.
>>
>>Dan Leeson
>
>
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