Weird Book-Buying

Why does one edition of a book sell well, another just plod along, not breaking any records or causing any stir? I’m not talking about books by different authors here, or even different books by the same author, but the same book by the same author in different editions. I can understand buyers preferring a paperback to a hardcover or vice versa, but how about a revised edition to the original edition?

Surely, if a buyer had the choice of both original and revised editions, you would expect the revised book to gradually overtake and then way outsell the original?

Not so! I have the latest figures from my publisher for the two editions of my book, “Write Ways To Win Writing Contests.” Last month, the original 2004 edition sold nearly THREE times as many copies as the newly published REVISED AND EXPANDED 2009 edition!

Explain that if you can – particularly as the new edition not only has more pages and extra, right-up-to-date information, but is actually cheaper – only $12.50 versus $14.99! In fact, currently at Amazon, the new edition is "on special" for only $11.25!

Maybe people have a fixed idea that if one edition of a book is more expensive than another, then the cheaper book must of necessity be inferior in some way?

That is definitely not so in this case.

I thought when the new edition went on sale, the old would be withdrawn. At least I now understand why that didn’t happen.

Write Ways to WIN WRITING CONTESTS: How To Join the Winners' Circle for Prose and Poetry Awards, NEW EXPANDED EDITION   (Rated: E)

ASIN: 0557023254
ID #109753

Product Type: Book
Reviewer: johnhowardreid
Review Rated: E

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