>Just a reminder that your average author is not wealthy, and if you enjoy a book series, pirating it can actually hurt an author’s chance at getting more work published if sales aren’t high enough.

Attacking the ability to resell products you own is some take.

The Alchemist is overrated. It seems to be the most purchased book among teens and young adults (though I didn't read this because of that). I tried reading it and was bored halfway through. It seems like the character's journey is never-ending, with no certainty as to where the destination was or what.

And I *love* reading different genres of books, so if I say this about a book, you'll know it's that bad because I hardly ever get bored with anything I read.

>When was the last time YOU put up the 10s of thousands or even millions of dollars it costs to publish books???

Tens of thousands and millions are vastly different sums of money. And we are talking about ebooks so the price of publishing is vastly cheaper, especially if the cheap out on ebook features for digital works that don't already include them by default, which I can only imagine they do.

>I don’t know much about computers, what I do know is, if you’re sharing my book, cool, but don’t take advantage of me. Pay me for my work for those extra copies

Do.. Do you think the publishers created those books?

>why should a global archive that’s not even a real library

A library is a concept, not a building.

I read a book as a kid that was a sequel to a book that hadn't been written/published yet.

Seriously the author put in footnotes to check out a book that was coming soon. I don't know if it ever got published but really weird the author started with the sequel first.

GRRM did say that he hopes when he dies someone will finish his work. So it is possible that no matter how long it takes these books will someday be published.

For authors just look if they have published peer-reviewed papers and how often they are cited, or what their experience is (for example a journalist that was based in a foreign country for 2 decades could write just as well about an event as a historian might, but from a different point of view).

And for books I'd look at Wikipedia. For most popular books there is usually a Wikipedia page with a section that aggregates the book's reception by scholars with sources. For example:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapiens:_A_Brief_History_of_Humankind#Reception

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_War_for_Civilisation#Reviews

I’ve been waiting since about 1997 for Melanie Rawn to finally write book three of her Exiles Trilogy…

Just a reminder that your average author is not wealthy, and if you enjoy a book series, pirating it can actually hurt an author’s chance at getting more work published if sales aren’t high enough.

Further if you take a book out from a library, the author still gets paid, and while ebook licenses obviously need to be thrown out the window like the garbage they are, IA’s model isn’t the answer either.

This is such a bizzarre post. Like no fucking shit we have access to more info than ever, we all know what the internet is.

If you've enjoyed all of them so far, it's a bit brutal to say the spark is fading from just this one. It might be that he's trying something new - and it wouldn't be the first time - or that this one is just not for you. And that's okay too. But don't give up on an author who has hit the mark for you so many times based on just one misstep. As many negative things as I might have to say about him, I've got to admit that he deserves better than that.

Honestly, I feel a bit jealous that you've appreciated him for so long. Or maybe it's a feeling of respect? It's wonderful to think there are people like you out there who have kept up with him.

Jasper Fforde's shade of grey, for example.. If you persist as a fan, this may eventually change though!

Walmart actually has a very low profit margin, <2%.

Walmart makes its money on volume.

https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/WMT/walmart/profit-margins

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> Do you ever feel like there's a wealth of knowledge available to us in this day and age?

Always.

> With the internet, we have access to countless books, literature, and other resources that could help us become experts in any field we desire.

Agreed.

Yet many suffer the "paradox of choice" with too many choices making us less happy. This is because when we have too many options, it can be difficult to make a decision and we may end up second-guessing ourselves. Additionally, having too many choices can lead to stress and anxiety.

> It's disheartening, though, that so many people choose to spend their time on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram instead of delving into this vast pool of knowledge.

How a society spends its time is a matter for society however how my neighbors spend their time is a matter for my neighbors.

Social media recommendation algorithms lead many to interesting content but also leave many trapped in shallow even pernicious content.

Due to proliferation of information sources and recommendation algorithms different groups now see different "facts" and this is a genuine problem for society.

> Can you imagine what kind of advancements we could make if everyone dedicated just a little time each day to expanding their understanding of the world?

Lots. Yet think to when pyramids were being built and at that time someone might lament "Can you imagine what kind of advancements we could make if everyone dedicated just a little time working harder... " How do the pyramids look to us now?

Some expand their understanding of the world via Instagram, some via Reddit, some via math textbooks. A free economy has everyone individually decide what is and is not worthwhile and that allocates resources in our society. These decisions are not always the best but freedom even to be dumb and suffer the consequences I believe should be respected.

> It's a missed opportunity, but there's still hope that more people will recognize the potential that lies within easy reach.

Agreed.

Let's say they paid X for the book. They had extra work with it, to prepare it for library use, so that's an upcharge. It was on offer in the library for people to use for X years, so that's a downcharge. Depending on the state it was in, that might also influence its value. And then they have their own calculations (which I don't know) that calculate the fine. Then based on the popularity of the book, the number of copies they have, its importance to the library etc, they may or may not get a replacement.

So you're paying for the book you lost (and how much it was worth to them), not for its replacement. (So for this book you might pay a 200€ fine, not 1500€ for the ebay replacement)

But again, this is VERY library dependant.

If you're struggling with gravitys rainbow then you can do some supplementary reading on it while you're reading it, maybe summaries and analysis online or such. I understand why it can be a struggle for some but if you put in the effort it's very readable. Everyone can read it with this in mind.

Most libraries do have it written as "depends on the book" or "by the judgement of the library" or sth though, not a stable price.

>I don't know how your library prices this. In my experience, they usually charge the loss, based on the value of the book, not straight up charge you for the book of ebay. They might write the book off and not have it anymore, they might be able to get it from other sources (sometimes printing houses keep extra copies, sometimes the company,...)

What do you mean by charge the loss, based on the value?

I don't know how your library prices this. In my experience, they usually charge the loss, based on the value of the book, not straight up charge you for the book of ebay. They might write the book off and not have it anymore, they might be able to get it from other sources (sometimes printing houses keep extra copies, sometimes the company,...)

Your best bet is really just talking to your library.

If you like making paper airplanes, you should try making a V2 rocket!

Woah really? Why are the library versions so expensive? Is it an option for libraries to purchase retail copies instead?

I'll do that when I get the chance to today. Thanks.

Call your library or check their website and find out. There's usually a fee but how much it is depends on your library and we wouldn't know.

When Desmond Bagley died he left one book unfinished (Juggernaut) and the manuscript of another that he had written years before, and not submitted to a publisher since he felt it wasn't up to his usual standard. (Night of Error)

Both books were later published, doing his reputation absolutely no good at all, although giving his publishers some extra money. Not cancelled, but they should have been. This is where a literary executor would have been useful.

Yeah every time someone asks an easily googleable question on reddit.