Well, when I saw this, my mouth actually fell open. About twenty years ago I self-pub a book, which as I stated before there was lots of publicity around this book. Anyway, this morning I was on Amazon checking out a short story I put up yesterday. I typed in my name and what pops up--a copy of my twenty year old book. I have seen it for sale there before, and it was listed for $100, which I thought wow, but who in their right mind would buy it. This morning there it was--$250.00 (I stopped typing and went back to check, thinking maybe it was 2.50, but no, I read it right.)This is unreal. No way would a sane person paid that for this book. Anyway, the revised edition is coming out this week. I do not want people to think I am trying to sell the first edition for this price, or any other price because there aren't any more (at least not from me). I still have calls for this book, but I don't have any to sell in that edition. Is there any way for me to let it be known this is not me selling this book? I plan to call the local media in the morning to see if they will run something on the book coming out and that the $250 is not me, but that's just local. Got any ideas?
This I can not believe
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This is pretty common, actually. There are people who buy up copies of self-published books for next to nothing--literally pennies in some instances--then market them as if they are collectibles. It only takes one sale from someone who doesn't know any better to make this worth having done. Well, that and some storage space.
I wouldn't bother to contact the media or the seller. The media probably won't care, and the seller's not doing anything illegal.
(I have a relative who self-published a non-fiction work many years ago, and this is exactly what happened to her. The book was for sale online for $150, if I remember right. But she also found a case of them for sale for less than a dollar per copy. She bought them up and sells them to her clients.)
Maryn, thinking you might want to write a new one
I wouldn't bother to contact the media or the seller. The media probably won't care, and the seller's not doing anything illegal.
(I have a relative who self-published a non-fiction work many years ago, and this is exactly what happened to her. The book was for sale online for $150, if I remember right. But she also found a case of them for sale for less than a dollar per copy. She bought them up and sells them to her clients.)
Maryn, thinking you might want to write a new one
Or buy your relative's book if there's still a margin of $100 floating around. 
and - according to Barnum - every minute apparently produces another likely purchaser.
and - according to Barnum - every minute apparently produces another likely purchaser.
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Amazon has Hans' self-published graphic novel Chloe for $22.00 used even though it hasn't gone out of print and you can buy it straight from him for the cover price. not sure how that happens.
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They do it because once in a while an uninformed person buys one at the ridiculously inflated price.
If it is a non-fiction on a very precise focus it might actually be worth it for some people.
I know from experience that when you are researching a particular topic (such as the HungerWinter or the New Zealand Flu 1919 Flu Epidemic) it is an amazing find when a search brings up a title like 'A collection of first person accounts of XXXX' ... when that is the exact topic you are looking for !
When you are frustrated doing research .. you are glad to pay $100 for book with a title like that.
I actually think a highly focussed series on certain events could be a real money earner. The organisation is simple - interviews with elderly people. You can even put the same interview in different collections (eg: European Jew & Poland).
I've seen some great CDs for sale on the internet that are oral histories ... basically old guys rambling on about their life on the Western Front (or whatever). They are incredible resources .. most people won't see the value in them but if it is a subject you are interested in they are worth their weight in gold.
Mac
I know from experience that when you are researching a particular topic (such as the HungerWinter or the New Zealand Flu 1919 Flu Epidemic) it is an amazing find when a search brings up a title like 'A collection of first person accounts of XXXX' ... when that is the exact topic you are looking for !
When you are frustrated doing research .. you are glad to pay $100 for book with a title like that.
I actually think a highly focussed series on certain events could be a real money earner. The organisation is simple - interviews with elderly people. You can even put the same interview in different collections (eg: European Jew & Poland).
I've seen some great CDs for sale on the internet that are oral histories ... basically old guys rambling on about their life on the Western Front (or whatever). They are incredible resources .. most people won't see the value in them but if it is a subject you are interested in they are worth their weight in gold.
Mac
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Art books can really get up there too. I ran across some painters lamenting that an excellent out-of-print technical manual by a legendary painting teacher was going for about $100 a pop. And I kept my eyes out for years for a particular book on curvilinear perspective, translated from the French, which was going for $150-$200 from most sellers (I eventually found an ex-library copy for $10).
I was just hoping the media would give me a little coverage for the revised edition that is coming out. I hope this person can sell this book for $250. I think that would be neat that someone would paid that for one of my books. Oh, was that my ego speaking.
I had a similar situation with a book published in the 1980s. If you haven't done so, set up your author account with Amazon's Author Central. It's free and it will allow you to "claim" the book as your own. Once you do that you can also take the cover image off the book, and make a note in the product description that the book has been replaced by the new edition you are about to publish. That way browsers will be directed to the new edition.
Hope that helps.
Hope that helps.
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I've been working on a book list for a friend's website filled with mostly older non-fiction books, and I've come across several that are similarly priced. I had the same reaction you did, but I guess if people pay that much for a textbook, maybe for an academic it doesn't seem like that much?
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A book on sale on Amazon for $250 is very far from being newsworthy.
Now, $23 million...THAT hit the news.
http://www.michaeleisen.org/blog/?p=358
(Note: This link is to the author's blog post, but this story really did hit the news. I first read about it on CNN.)
Now, $23 million...THAT hit the news.
http://www.michaeleisen.org/blog/?p=358
(Note: This link is to the author's blog post, but this story really did hit the news. I first read about it on CNN.)
Book on Kindle
Ok, I finally got my book, Under The Fish Pond, on Kindle. When a person types in the title, what comes up first---one for $250, but at least there is my little old book now on Kindle. I will admit, my mind is going in so many directions of things that I still have to do. I attempted to create a Facebook page, but I'm not satisfied with that yet. My short story, Thomas Matthew is also on Kindle and Smashword. Under The Fish Pond will also be in paper form. A local bookstore said they were interested in copies of the book, that ever so often someone calls them for it. Of course, the callers are looking for that first edition. Wonder if they are willing to pay that person $250? Just kidding.
Ok, I finally got my book, Under The Fish Pond, on Kindle. When a person types in the title, what comes up first---one for $250, but at least there is my little old book now on Kindle. I will admit, my mind is going in so many directions of things that I still have to do. I attempted to create a Facebook page, but I'm not satisfied with that yet. My short story, Thomas Matthew is also on Kindle and Smashword. Under The Fish Pond will also be in paper form. A local bookstore said they were interested in copies of the book, that ever so often someone calls them for it. Of course, the callers are looking for that first edition. Wonder if they are willing to pay that person $250? Just kidding.
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