Re[2]: [at-l] Busy little hikers

[Bob C." <ellen@xxxxxxxxxx (Bob C.)]

>"...I thought the 2003 edition was available only from trailplace?"

No. Anyone can buy it and resell it. It's just that given the limited demand,
major chains, like EMS, insist on buying through distributors, who take 40% off
the top, and who then demand another 20% minimum profit.

The system essentially cuts books with limited demand -- like a thru hikers
guide that becomes obsolete after six months -- out of the market unless the
author gambles with what is essentially a self-published book that is printed
only as orders are received.

Major publishers used to gamble on books. After decades of consolidation, the
industry rarely does that any more. Books for the most part are published only
with the expectation of major sales. Most everything else is subsidized one way
or another by the author. You know the system. It's known as "free" enterprise.

Weary