This isn’t my advice, but AOL’s advice, yesterday, on their home page, I’m told. This is such lousy advice. Anyone who doesn’t know the publishing biz may not think this is bad advice, may in fact think it good advice. Yet, how could anyone not know that an author makes no money on used books. Buying used books counts in no way toward an author eventually getting royalties.

A couple of weeks ago a friend–bless her heart–told me she found my book online at a great price. I was speechless. She thought I’d be happy and I could see she truly did not know that I’d much rather her paid a little bit more for a new book at that same online store.

So listen….if you want to keep the publishing industry alive, buy new books. Go into bookstores–indies, chains, even online–and buy new books. Only buy used books if the book you want is out of print or way out of your budget. It’s sort of like poetry; so many people are budding poets but they never buy poetry books and the poetry market is rolling in the dust.