Are libraries tacky?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Libraries are absolutely not tacky!
I can see how the author wants to get their $$ though. I love my local library.

Another person who thinks libraries get books for free.

I never said that? Whats with the attitude?
But a library with 1 copy and 1000 people reading it is not making the author as much money as if those 1000 people bought their own copy.

I’m willing to read their book, but I’m not willing to buy it. So the author can have 1000 people read it and zero of them buy it (but maybe the library bought a few copies) or they can have zero people read it, zero people buy it, and zero library copies.

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To add to the two above posts: library sales are great and appreciated BUT library sales do not make a growing author's career work. Retail sales make them work, first week sales make them work, bookscan numbers, NYT, etc, make them work.

People are conflating two separate issues. Simply, don't post that you don't love the author enough to BUY their book. For a growing author, library sales really only help the publisher. Retail sales means READERS are willing to shell out their hard earned money to buy the author's book. THAT helps growing authors.

And again, libraries are great. This is all about announcing on social media that you're waiting for a library hold because you don't want to buy the book yourself. That you can't afford to buy the book is for another thread. NOT this one.

Not. Everyone. Can. Afford. It.

You clearly did not read the post. This isn't about whether you can afford it or not. How is this so hard? This is simply about NOT stating on social media that you are NOT going to buy the author's book. Just say you are looking forward ot reading it. The end.

I have to believe that book people aren't really this dense. They are just being defensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I commented on an author's social media that I couldn't wait for my library hold of her new book to come through. I was jumped on by people who said it was tacky not to buy.

It's not the library that is tacky, it's you. You know she makes money when people buy the book, right? It's a little rude to follow her on social media but then admit that you don't think it's worth it to pay for her product.

Libraries purchase books via property taxes.

Do you just hate poor people?

Seriously, this is ridiculous. I am blow away that READERS don't have critical thinking skills. This isn't about being rich or poor. It's about social media etiquette. Just say you are looking forward to reading the book. The end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Authors make a living by selling their books for money.

You told an author you would read the fruit of their labors for free without giving them money.

That was terribly rude of you. Authors know that people use libraries all the time, or borrow from their friends, but you do not TELL THE AUTHOR THAT!

I mean, even my socially-challenged autistic teen knows not to step in it like this. This goes beyond a metal health disorder.

I hope you're a troll.

PS: libraries are not tacky.

Libraries buy books.

<-- Exactly.

Libraries buy many many many books.

There are thousands of libraries in the country. There are large library systems that may buy 100 copies of a title. There are potentially many hundreds of libraries buying copies in all 50 states: lots of book sales. Even if a system only buys one or two copies, that’s still may be more than one reader will.

Many people may read each copy bought by a library so it means more readers for the author than one person’s purchase and potential word of mouth talk about the book. Reading that book means readers may want their next book, and the library will buy it which in turn builds the author’s career.

Word-of-mouth and, nowadays, Tik Tok videos drive interest. If there is a lot of interest in a book, libraries buy even more copies. The lone reader does not.

I’ve never met an author who had a bad word to say about libraries and I’ve met many. Many people will read a book for a library-sponsored book club. Libraries will sometimes buy say, 20 more copies for these meetings.

Libraries hold author events/festivals/panels/readings, and, in my experience, the authors usually sell their books at these. Publishers will also arrange for these to be held at libraries in order to sell copies or they donate copies as giveaways for attendees. They wouldn’t do this if it weren’t good for business and the author’s career. The point is to get books in many people’s hands, for recognition of that book and for future sales of the author’s subsequent books. Libraries work with authors, publishers and bookstores to bring the books in to sell, as well as libraries being large purchasers themselves. Libraries help authors’ careers and keep publishers in business. Everyone benefits.

(Retired librarian/administrator for 34 years.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I commented on an author's social media that I couldn't wait for my library hold of her new book to come through. I was jumped on by people who said it was tacky not to buy.

It's not the library that is tacky, it's you. You know she makes money when people buy the book, right? It's a little rude to follow her on social media but then admit that you don't think it's worth it to pay for her product.

Libraries purchase books via property taxes.

Do you just hate poor people?

Seriously, this is ridiculous. I am blow away that READERS don't have critical thinking skills. This isn't about being rich or poor. It's about social media etiquette. Just say you are looking forward to reading the book. The end.

You're asking people to hide how they consume, even when it doesn't harm the author.

[Anonymous]

I feel wasteful buying a book that will just sit on my shelf or I will try hard to give away later. Libraries are a fabulous example of reduce, reuse recycle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I commented on an author's social media that I couldn't wait for my library hold of her new book to come through. I was jumped on by people who said it was tacky not to buy.

It's not the library that is tacky, it's you. You know she makes money when people buy the book, right? It's a little rude to follow her on social media but then admit that you don't think it's worth it to pay for her product.

Libraries purchase books via property taxes.

Do you just hate poor people?

Seriously, this is ridiculous. I am blow away that READERS don't have critical thinking skills. This isn't about being rich or poor. It's about social media etiquette. Just say you are looking forward to reading the book. The end.

No. This is about people not realizing that it is good social media etiquette to say that you are getting the book from the library because authors love libraries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel wasteful buying a book that will just sit on my shelf or I will try hard to give away later. Libraries are a fabulous example of reduce, reuse recycle.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am curious how much libraries pay for books? So a book that is $15 retail would cost how much for a library?

$15

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread has gone off the rails and I always think that Book People are above the narrow minded, only see a limited viewpoint vs the overall picture, mindset of many DCUM posters.
TLDR.
Libraries are a great asset to readers and the community.
Just don't blare it out that you don't think highly enough of the author to actually buy the author's book on social media.
Why is this so hard, people?

It's fine to say that you got a book from the library. In fact it's great. Authors really do appreciate knowing that people are taking their books out from the library.

I'm sure there are some who don't - I don't know them - but for most of us, yes, we really like to hear it. Librarians are big advocates for books and authors, and them discovering you and sharing your work with their community will only help your career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am curious how much libraries pay for books? So a book that is $15 retail would cost how much for a library?

$15

It's actually more, sometimes double. For ebooks, the author sometimes get royalties whenever a book is checked out.

- former literary agent

[Anonymous]

That's insane. Libraries are awesome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, in case there are folks who don't know, you can always request that your library purchase a particular book that they don't already have. That's a great way to drive attention to an author (even a--gasp!--z-list author like someone mentioned above).

I did this recently with a fairly new cookbook author whose book was getting a bunch of attention in social media circles, but my major regional library system (Prince George's County) didn't have the book. I requested it, they ordered it, it showed up about a month later, and then it was checked out twice in a row before I could get my hands on it!

Now i want to know the name of the cookbook!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, in case there are folks who don't know, you can always request that your library purchase a particular book that they don't already have. That's a great way to drive attention to an author (even a--gasp!--z-list author like someone mentioned above).

I did this recently with a fairly new cookbook author whose book was getting a bunch of attention in social media circles, but my major regional library system (Prince George's County) didn't have the book. I requested it, they ordered it, it showed up about a month later, and then it was checked out twice in a row before I could get my hands on it!

Now i want to know the name of the cookbook!

It was this one! Super popular in all my various sourdough groups, but I wanted to check it out before I committed to it. (And I did eventually buy it--so add that to way that libraries are great for authors!)

https://foodbodsourdough.com/my-new-book/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ha!! Just shows that those folks know nothing about publishing! Authors love library adoptions! Authors outside the NYT Bestseller lists make most of their money from library adoptions. And checking out the library's copy of a book (whether ebook or physical book) might inspire the library to buy more copies of that book or future books.

But buying the book is also good. Making fun of people for how they get books is not good.

Agree.

Authors want to be stocked in libraries! Libraries are NOT tacky; they are community hubs where people can access books and information, all for free.

If you like buying your own copies of books, great. I read dozens of books a year; buying them all would cost a lot of money and take up a lot of space.

My friend is an author and I always request his book at the library so that they'll buy it if they don't already have it.