Publishers work in
mysterious way
books to bookstores at a dis
count from suggested list
Last month
The Print prices. The difference between
published an editorial I wrote the price is the gross margin of
concerning the high cost of col profit the bookstore makes,
lege textbooks, and the which must cover expenses.
After the money comes
response I received from
readers was overwhelming. from the bookstore to the
Students and teachers alike ex publisher 6 percent goes to
pressed their feelings on this editorial expenses. The next
subject. I’d like to thank one expense is the, 27 cents the
unknown person who clipped publisher spends for manufac
out the article and sent it to turing the book that the student
Holt, Rinehart and Winston bought. This expense breaks
publishing company in Burl down into two categories, first
is a one-time costs of setting the
ingame, California.
After reading it a represen book into type, drawing il
tative sent it back with a booklet lustrations, and making the
titled “Book Bucks, the printing plates. The other is the
Business of College Textbook repeated cost of actually prin
Publishing.” This booklet is in ting the book. That includes
tended to inform college pro paper, presswork and binding.
fessors of some of the basic The people who coordinate the
facts about the industry they production are also included in
depend on to provide their this 27 cent figure.
students with quality textbooks.
The next expense is 14
I found the book very infor cents to begin the process of
mative and it answered many marketing the book. Support
questions that I had; I would ing editors and marketing peo
like to pass on the facts to you. ple are the ones who are put in
In the two decades since to the impersonal category of
1960, the growth of the college “services” and they take 18
textbook industry has followed cents of the dollar. The last of
the unprecedented growth in the publishing expenses is
college enrollments produced known as royalties. That takes
by the postwar baby boom. In 14 cents of tbe sales dollar.
1960, total college sales were
The sales of the average
estimated to be $97 million. By textbook does not make its
1979 they had grown to an author rich, because that book
estimated $825.6 million. Also sells fewer than 5000 copies
in this same period, college per year and does not earn its
degree credit enrollments grew author five-digit royalty checks.
from 3.6 million to over 11
What about paper-bound
books? In some cases they cost
million.
These sales figures do not as much as hardbound books.
reflect the total sales of college These books are intended for a
texts, only new books. A study smaller audience and are more
conducted in 1980 that was often used for supplementary
jointly sponsored by the reading. The publishing com
Association of American panies claim it costs as much to
Publishers and the National stock and ship paperbounds as
Association of College Stores hardbounds.
found that the sales of used
The fact that the paper
textbooks were 21 percent of bound textbooks are priced as
total sales to students in the high as they are is the result of
stores surveyed. And as we the balance between quality
know used-book sales have in and costs.
creased in the last few years.
I hope this article touched
It begins in the College base with some of your ques
bookstore. When a student tions, it may not decrease our
buys a textbook, the money is book bills but we can unders
shared by the store and the tand why they are as high as
publisher. Most publishers sell they are.
By Kristi Blackman
Of The Print
From the VA
Ways to avoid financial foul-ups
The Veterans Administra
tion has some suggestions to
help students avoid delays in
their VA education payments.
Every month 600,000 VA
checks worth more than $200
million are mailed to veteran
students and to eligible
dependents, and the agency
wants to do everything possible
to avoid delays.
In an attempt to avoid
possible delays, the VA sug
gests the following:
—When a student feels the
initial payment for the school
Office: Trailer ,B; telephone: 657-8400, ext. 309,310
■■Editor In Chief: J. Dana Haynes
News Editor: Doug Vaughan
Arts Editor: Brett Bigham
Sports Editor: Tracy M. Sumner
Photo Editor: Wanda Percival
Copy Editor: Kristi Blackman
Staff Writers: Victoria Archila, Shelley Ball, Kari Gassaway, Doris
Hatcher, Tom Jeffries, Etta Leonard, Walt McAllister, F. T. Morris
Staff Photographers: Roberta Ellsworth, Duane H ¡ersehe, Troy
Maben, Joel Miller
Business Manager: Joan Seely
Typesetter: Teresa A. Hannaford
Advisor: Sara Wichman
Wednesday, December 1, 1982
the semester.
—Students who have got
ten education benefits in the
past should consider whether
an overpayment is outstan
ding. If an over payment exists,
current benefits are withheld
until the overpayment is
recovered by the VA.
For further information on
possible education payment
delays contact the nearest VA
regional office. Toll-free
numbers are listed in the white
pages of the telephone book
under “U.S. Government.”
Dialogue
Nutrition
article
inaccurate
To the Editor:
THE PRINT, a member of the Oregon Newspaper Publishers
Association, aims to be a fair and impartial journalistic medium
covering the campus community as thoroughly as possible. Opi
nions expressed in THE PRINT do not necessarily reflect those of
the College administration, faculty, Associated Student Govern
ment or other members of THE PRINT.
term has been delayed, he or
she should check with the
school to find out the date the
enrollment certificate was sent
to the VA. At least four weeks
should be allowed from that
date before an education check
can be expected.
—If an advance payment
check is expected, the student
should make sure the required
written request was signed.
The specific request for the ad
vance money should have
been submitted to VA at least a
month before the beginning of
I would like to clarify a
statement I made when Ms.
Henkes interviewed me for the
article on athletic nutrition
printed November 17.
Athletes need protein in
the same amounts as other
adults the same size. This
amount can be obtained from
4-6 ounces of meat or meat
substitute as eggs, cheese,
peanut butter, beans (28-42
gm) and 2 cups of milk, yogurt
or other dairy product (16 gm).
Added to this is protein in
bread, cereal and vegetables.
In practice most male
athletes consume 75-150 gm
of protein/day when their RDA
is only 55-65 gm. Female
athletes’ RDA for protein is
45-55 gm/day. Provided the
athlete eats 2,000 calories of
food/day, she would easily ob
tain 60-75 gm protein.
To build new muscle takes
a small amount of additional
protein over the RDA
amounts. Because the weight
of the muscle is 22% protein
(70% water) and one can gain
a pound of muscle over a 10
day period with only about 10
gm per day added to the daily
need for maintenance. Extra
protein foods to meet this need
could be obtained from an egg
plus V2 cup of milk or 1V2
ounces of meat daily or 5 slices
of bread.
It is evident that most male
and female athletes already eat
enough extra protein to build
any new muscles. Of course
there are people who because
of low calorie intakes or high
intake of high sugar, high fat
foods (“junk foods”) do not eat
adequate
protein
for
muscle.
Carolyn Knutson
Chairperson, Department of
Family/Human Services
Thanks from
Tom Milne
To the Editor:
Linda and I want to ex
press our appreciation to
everyone who supported me in
my bid for County Surveyor. I
look forward to serving the
people of Clackamas County.
Again, my sincere thanks.
Tom and Linda Milne
801 5th Street
Oregon City, OR
page 3