FionaTheGreen t1_j29wbk8 wrote
Reply to comment by HauntedReader in Best way to purchase books to support the authors by Vizzenya
>As far as libraries go, I don't think they make anything off the physical books you check out.
They do actually. Each country will have its own law, but in the UK we have the PLR (Public Lending Right) that entitles authors to be paid for the public lending of their books, just like when songs are played on the radio or anywhere public the artist gets paid.
So, OP, checking books out from your local library is still a way to support authors. Also, depending on where you live, most indie bookshops will be happy to ship books to you, and you'll be supporting small businesses at the same time.
Edit: I don't know about how it works in the US, as different states might have different laws regarding this.
BigBoxOfGooglyEyes t1_j29x4lq wrote
In the US the authors only make money from the initial sale of the book to the library.
SubstantialPressure3 t1_j2ahurm wrote
Libraries do have ebooks you can check out, though.
HauntedReader t1_j29wyvl wrote
I live in the US so I don't think that's the case for our libraries. I know it's different with digital lending here but with physical books not so much.
As far as indie bookstores, I always advise people to look into them before supporting. I use to hit the one local bookstore by me pretty frequently until it came out they're huge Trump supporters and were funneling a lot of money into his campaign. Supporting a small business isn't inherently a good thing.
Griffen_07 t1_j2amx2i wrote
However, libraries are good for growing a readership. They get books in the hands of people that will not think to buy them at a store. They also host smaller authors for events and can promote less known books. They keep the back catalog going for longer than most bookstores.
FionaTheGreen t1_j2a3c99 wrote
Oh, I can see the reality is very different there, then. PLR is supposed to compensate authors for the loss in sales, essentially. A quick search tells me there was a campaign to implement a similar scheme in the US, but I guess it didn't take off.
Small business isn't nearly as politicised in the UK; indie bookshops certainly don't make enough revenue to make significant contributions to political parties, as they're usually a labour of love. Amazon's destroying traditional bookshops everywhere, so I always advocate for readers to remember them whenever possible.
HauntedReader t1_j2a4ipu wrote
>Oh, I can see the reality is very different there, then. PLR is supposed to compensate authors for the loss in sales, essentially. A quick search tells me there was a campaign to implement a similar scheme in the US, but I guess it didn't take off.
Our libraries currently barely have the funds to stay open and stock new books. Something like this would likely close most small-town libraries, which is likely why it didn't take off.
Especially with the current climate of the alt-right looking for excuses to pull funding.
gjallerhorn t1_j2a9n1m wrote
>Our libraries currently barely have the funds to stay open and stock new books
And this is already with barely paying librarians anything.
hmountain t1_j2amp00 wrote
it's not just the alt-right, the right has been trying to cut public programs including library funding for at least half a century
HauntedReader t1_j2an5d8 wrote
True but what is happening now is much more specific and targeted. It makes it a bigger threat than just cutting funds.
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