Buying Used books - Any guilt involved? Any authors here want to chime in?

[Dill]

Same as what Loerwyn and JunkMonkey said! Also there are places in the world where you can't even buy a new book, and the ones that are available are second, third, tenth handed... yep, places like Amazon and others on-line retailers also don't deliver to some parts of the world... so apart from the beauty of recycling and helping the environment, the fact that people can get their hands on books, stories, and they read and hopefully enjoy, more readers are being created and sustained, probably one day, they too will buy a new book. I think its more important for people to be able to read, and lack of finance is a deplorable reason for them not being able to do that. Read what you can when you can and how you can, and if you can, do please buy new, ebooks, save the trees, otherwise have a swinging time book hunting down at the thrift and house clearance places. Peace Chang

[Toff]

Gawd! I bought a used house AND a used car, I feel so dirty .....

[Dill]

and used Toff, very used..........

[steve12553]

It occurred to me, several years ago, that in spite of reading novels in a couple of genre for over a half a century, I've not read all the books available that are both suitable to my tastes and in existence at this point in time. There are many books where the author is long dead and the book is out of print. I've picked up several from Amazon that were used and quite a few from Project Gutenberg and similar sites. I have 3 devices that carry ebooks but I also have accumulated several hundred hardbacks, paperbacks and mass market paperbacks that I keep in a growing number shelf that I can access when I get the whim. At some point I will retire and I may need to condense. It would bother me a lot to not have access to a book I read many years ago because I frequently feel the need to reread something from the past. To find the origin of a thought. To find the exact quote.
On the other side of the coin, I have bought a paperback to read. Later bought a copy of the same book in hardback because of it's esthetics and later purchased the ebook for convenience. A really good piece of writing may be purchased many times.

[Dill]

Here, here, Steve12553

[Awesomov]

If not for used book sellers, I would not have been able to find nearly as much as I have, especially on my budget (which is next to nothing). I don't know about other authors, but I'd prefer to at least get my ideas out there rather than worry about making money.

[DennisC]

...

On the other side of the coin, I have bought a paperback to read. Later bought a copy of the same book in hardback because of it's esthetics and later purchased the ebook for convenience. A really good piece of writing may be purchased many times.

Oh, how true. I have purchase Douglas Adams' works several times due to moves, loss, and cute leather bound editions. =)

[Steven L Jordan]

I used to buy a lot of used books because they were out of print and otherwise unavailable. But I rarely shied away from buying a new book if one was available (always paperback; I never wanted the clutter of hardbacks). But honestly, I never gave the matter of author's compensation any thought... I knew they were paid for the printed book at least once. No guilt from me.

With the growing use of ebooks, it would be nice to think that books will never again go "out of print," and that authors can now earn more from their books by keeping them in digital circulation, every book a "new" book. We'll see how practical and realistic that turns out to be... but an author can have hope.

[Loerwyn]

We could hope they'd not go out of print, but we'd be kidding ourselves. I've seen ebooks go from available to unavailable, which is kinda annoying 'cos you don't have the other option of buying used.

[Action Avenue]

My preference is to buy new books whenever possible. This is especially true if I need to purchase a "how to" book of sorts, which might require me to do some highlighting and note taking within the book. I have bought used books on rare occasion, like if I know the book is out of print, or if I am at the rare garage sale that has books worth buying. I love bookstores, by the way; hope we don't lose them entirely to ebooks, ereading devices or purchasing books on the net.

[Steven L Jordan]

We could hope they'd not go out of print, but we'd be kidding ourselves. I've seen ebooks go from available to unavailable, which is kinda annoying 'cos you don't have the other option of buying used.

I know... I actually said that, knowing that I've pulled a few of my earlier books out of circulation with the intent to proof/update the text, and haven't done it yet.

[TaylorS]

I'm the official "book guy" at the thrift store I work at and there is NOTHING wrong with used books! Indeed, I have found older sci-fi books at the store that are out of print and are apparently really hard to find.

[Michael B]

I'm the official "book guy" at the thrift store I work at and there is NOTHING wrong with used books! Indeed, I have found older sci-fi books at the store that are out of print and are apparently really hard to find.

I find the effort is no longer worth it compared with hunting for them on the Web. It does mean though the magic of the bookshop has gone when you can track a copy down in days rather then visit every two weeks/a month for two years to get a gem. That is, at least for me. One of my work colleague girl loves bookshops and visiting them to see if another in a series has appeared. I hope that she does not lose the memories of the magic and keeps reading for the next eighty years whether it is on paper or electrons.

[CarlAlves]

I wouldn't have a problem with someone buying one of my books used, even though I wouldn't be making any money off it. I want my books to be in the hands of as many readers as possible. The way I figure, a used book sale, or borrowing at a library may translate into a future sale.
Carl Alves

[oceanworld]

Buying used books, in this economy its the best way to go right now. Plus I don't think authors would mind especially if they were bought before. But also talk about the book, get involved with other readers who have read that book.