Open letter to American Publishers’

Open letter to American Publishers’

For decades, American Publishing Industry, have been helping of collection development, of a number of Latin American Academic Libraries, thanks to those important academic books they’ve published in a regular basis.

However, as we can see, the market is rapidly changing without the appropriate attention of American Publishers’, on the region.

Why? Because, the full business still on greedy hands with the indifference of Publishers’ and Aggregators.

It is well known that locally, Latin American resellers, very small companies (often a single owner) with enough tricks on its pocket, convince American companies, for its own benefit to resell its catalogue. The first example, falls on printed books: for too many years, universities and corrupt practices, promoted for local resellers, have been paid incredible high prices of PRINTED books with the excuse of shipment and import fees.

Universities, have been doing a tremendous effort to expand libraries’ collections while local resellers are just interested in money. That´s the truth and no one can questioning.

But, why local resellers’ increased double or triple price´s list for an EBOOK? ebooks doesn't need to be imported or pass through customs.

Let’s say that one American Publisher makes a herculean effort to publish an ebook by organizing authors, publishing and IT deparments’ and too many other involved aspects while the local resellers in Latin America, will take the biggest and sometimes unfair portion of the cake.

So, if an American Publisher offer an ebook in $ 50.00 USD, why a local reseller increases twice or even more the list price of the same ebook, invoicing it in $ 100 – 150 USD a single title?

Looking for any proof? Nothing more easy: look into invoicing records of your own local resellers in Latin America or ask to the library-instituition if they paid the correct price.

Finally, American Publishers’ will easily increase the annual sales (double or even more) if they puts enough attention to the invoiced prices of its own printed and electronic books. This also, will benefit tremendously the expansión of any library collection.

Can you see that? Please, spread the Word. It’s time to play fair on the academic sales.