Why are textbooks so gosh-darn expensive?

It’s a frustration that has plagued college students for years: How come a novel that is cherished for years only costs $20, when a textbook that will be skimmed for three months, and then rendered useless, can cost $90 or more?

There are a few legitimate reasons for the high price tag, but many are just asinine cash-grabs and examples of flawed logic.

Textbooks have a more rigid publishing cycle than does a typical novel. Since new editions of textbooks are being churned out constantly, and those editions will be serving a niche audience and lose their relevance quickly, the few editions printed need to have a high enough price to produce any sort of profit for the publisher. J.K. Rowling can churn out Harry Potter books that can be mass-produced well past her lifespan because it has a huge, varied audience and the books never change.

The material in these books also partially determines the price. Rather than fiction writers making up stories, many textbooks are crafted by professors who must add updated information on a very specific topic. And, there are typically more than a few professors collaborating to create one book. These people need to be appropriately paid for their services, which helps boost the cost.

These reasons may be valid, but they are among the few.

One dubious claim by publishers is that the increasing popularity of used books has forced them to raise their prices to make up the difference. The constant stream of “new editions” is largely meant to combat the used market. This is just unintelligible economic logic. The reason people buy used books and turn to alternative sources is because the books are so expensive to begin with. If those prices keep going up, people will continue to be further dissuaded from purchasing the new copies.

People don’t love the idea of buying used books, and only do so because costs are so high. While students seek alternative paths, many can lead to dead ends. Students have conceded to the possibility of lower grades (by using outdated versions) in favor of saving some dough. If the prices were more manageable, people would be more inclined to buy them.

The rate at which prices have increased, and how these fees are implemented, are also ridiculous. A study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office showed an 82 percent increase in textbook prices from 2002 to 2012. These are not simply routine price hikes to break even; these are increases certain to ensure an egregious profit.

Bundling has also become an irritatingly popular business venture for major publishers. All of the recent extras that textbooks include, such as CDs and other digital items, add to the overall cost. And we are not given the choice, normally, to buy the book as just “vanilla.”

There’s also a problem in the manner in which instructors choose books, making it woefully inconvenient for students. Many instructors don’t really look at the price of a textbook; they just pick the ones they like. I know that there are plenty of instructors who try to work around this by not requiring a textbook for their course, but many simply don’t care.

For a while, the publishers didn’t even tell instructors how much the books were. In 2008, Congress passed a bill requiring publishers to better telegraph the costs of their books to instructors. However, the GAO has found this law has had a limited effect on how teachers choose books.

Lowering the prices on new books would be beneficial to students, teachers and publishers alike. Publishers would make up the difference with higher sales volume, more than by constant price increases. They would make less profit from each book, but far more books will be bought, in total.

There is no greater way to rebel against a product than by not buying it. Students have had the right idea with chasing down used books, sharing and the purchasing of e-books.

Keep doing it! Publishers and instructors will eventually catch on. If instructors want a more cohesive class environment, they need to better tailor their choice in books. And publishers will, in turn, have to tailor their prices for what those instructors want.