The Hidden Cost of Cheap Books: Why Competing on Price Is Undermining Authors and Readers Alike

Introduction

For years, I’ve been immersed in the world of used books—first as a reader, then as a volunteer at Books4Life Amsterdam. I’ve always loved the accessibility of secondhand books: the low prices, the variety, the sense of discovery. But working behind the scenes has revealed a troubling pattern—one that’s quietly reshaping the way we value books, authors, and the act of reading itself.

In our effort to make books more visible and sellable, we often list them at the lowest possible price. It’s a strategy that works—until it doesn’t. Over time, this race to the bottom drives prices so low that many books become unsellable. They’re recycled, discarded, or lost to storage. And while cheap books may seem like a win for readers, they come with hidden costs: fewer titles on the shelves, less diversity in the market, and a growing disconnect between readers and the authors they love.

This blog post explores the dangers of competing solely on price in the used book market. Drawing from my experience at Books4Life and the broader trends we see across resale platforms, I’ll unpack how this pricing model affects sellers, authors, and readers—and how Author Advantage is working to offer a better way forward.

The Race to the Bottom

In the world of online book resale, visibility is everything. Almost all platforms rank listings based on lowest price. For sellers, this creates a clear incentive: list your book at the lowest possible price, and it’s more likely to be seen—and sold.

When I worked at Books4Life Amsterdam, we followed this logic closely. Every time we listed a book, we’d check the current lowest price and match or undercut it. The goal was simple: be the first result in the search. But over time, this strategy revealed its darker side.

When every seller is trying to be the cheapest, prices spiral downward. What starts as a competitive tactic quickly becomes a race to the bottom. Sellers undercutting each other leads to constant downward pressure on book prices overall. To many people, this looks like a clear application of the free market—one where businesses respond to us as buyers. And the signals are clear: readers of secondhand books want the cheapest books.

But this pricing model doesn’t just affect individual sellers. It reshapes the entire market. It sets a precedent that used books should be cheap, always. And once that expectation is established, it’s nearly impossible to reverse. Sellers who try to list at a fairer price are pushed out of visibility. The right price for a local bookshop will be higher than what a multinational conglomerate can offer. Readers are trained to expect bargains, and anything above the lowest price is ignored.

The result is a market that rewards the cheapest option. This erodes the perceived value of books and weakens our connection to the writers we love.

When Books Become Unsellable

I volunteer at Books4Life Amsterdam, a non-profit dedicated to reselling used books and donating any profits to various charitable causes. Every week, we receive donations from across the city—boxes of books from individuals, estates, and institutions. Each donation carries the hope that these books will find new readers and generate funds for good causes. But in practice, a significant portion of these books never make it to the shelves.

Roughly one-third of donated books are recycled. Not because they’re damaged or irrelevant, but because they can’t be sold for enough to justify the cost of listing, storing, and shipping—even in a nonprofit setting with volunteer labor and minimal overhead.

This is a striking reality. If a volunteer-run organization with low operational costs can’t afford to sell a book, what does that say about the broader market?

The answer lies in the pricing dynamics discussed earlier. When resale platforms prioritize the lowest price, they create a threshold below which books are no longer viable. And that threshold is higher than most people think. If a book can only be sold for €7.00, and the cost of listing, handling, and shipping is €7.50, it’s not just unprofitable—it’s unsellable.

And when books become unsellable, they disappear. They’re recycled, pulped, or left in storage indefinitely. This isn’t just a logistical issue—it’s a cultural one. Every recycled book is a lost opportunity for discovery, learning, and connection. It’s a voice removed from the shelf, a story that won’t be passed on.

The race to the bottom doesn’t just lower prices—it shrinks the market. It reduces the diversity of books available to readers and accelerates the disappearance of titles that don’t meet the narrow criteria of profitability. Of course, there will always be a point at which books become unsellable, and cultural tastes will dictate that some writing falls out of fashion. A world in which no book ever disappears is unrealistic. But if we can stop—or even pause—the downward pressure on prices, millions of books can be prevented from becoming unsellable.

The Author’s Loss

At first glance, cheap books seem like a win for readers. More access, more affordability, more choice. These are, in fact, all factors that have driven my love for used books. But the long-term consequences of a market driven solely by price are far less generous.

When books are treated as interchangeable commodities, the connection between reader and author begins to erode. The work behind each book—the years of writing, editing, and refining—gets flattened into a price tag. And when that price tag is consistently low, it sends a message: this work isn’t worth much.

This shift doesn’t just affect authors financially. It changes how their work is perceived, valued, and remembered. A book that sells for €0.50 doesn’t carry the same weight as one that sells for €15.00, even if the content is identical. Pricing shapes the reader’s expectations and experience. And the gap between new and used books can be enormous. Even a small increase is enough to shift perception.

Looking at myself, I cannot tell you how many books on my shelf were picked up for a euro or two only to sit there unread. The mental calculus surrounding that purchase doesn’t drive me to read. A new copy of a €17 book, on the other hand, feels like wasted money if it languishes on my bedside table. And although it’s nice for authors to have their books purchased, I would venture a guess that they would prefer to be read.

Over time, this dynamic creates a negative feedback loop. Readers expect lower prices, sellers respond accordingly, and the perceived value of books continues to drop. Authors—especially those without major marketing budgets or bestseller status—struggle to maintain visibility and relevance in a market that prioritizes cost over content.

Cheap books may feel like a benefit, but they come at a cost. They diminish the space for authors to be celebrated, discovered, and sustained. And ultimately, they make it harder for readers to engage meaningfully with the voices they care about.

The Reader’s Loss

The used book market has long been a haven for readers. It offers affordability, variety, and the thrill of discovery. But when pricing becomes the sole driver of visibility and sales, readers lose more than they gain.

As prices drop, so does the diversity of books available. Titles that can’t compete on cost are removed from circulation. They’re recycled, discarded, or never listed at all. Readers may not notice this immediately, but over time, the selection narrows. The books that remain are those that can survive the pricing gauntlet—not necessarily those that offer the most insight, originality, or relevance.

This leads to a “strong get stronger” scenario, where the most popular authors have the most staying power on the shelf. In this pricing environment, we see the quiet disappearance of the small author, the first publication, and the geographic transplant. These are the voices most vulnerable to vanishing—not because they lack merit, but because they lack market momentum.

The pricing model shapes not just what readers buy, but how they read. It influences which books are valued, which are prioritized, and which are left to gather dust. And while cheap books may seem like a gift, they can quietly erode the reader’s relationship with literature.

The loss isn’t immediate or dramatic. It’s gradual. Fewer voices on the shelves. Fewer surprises in the stacks. Less incentive to explore beyond the algorithmically sorted cheapest option. Over time, readers are left with a thinner, flatter version of the literary world.

A Better Way Forward

If the current system rewards only the lowest price, what reason does a reader have to choose anything else?

Right now, there’s little incentive to select a book from a seller who lists at a fairer price. The algorithms don’t reward it. The platforms don’t highlight it. And for most readers, the difference between one listing and another is non-existent—unless it’s cheaper.

This is the core challenge: how do we create a system where price isn’t the only signal of value?

One answer lies in ethical resale platforms—spaces that prioritize sustainability, transparency, and author support. These platforms offer readers more than just a transaction. They offer context: where the book came from, who benefits from the sale, and why choosing a slightly higher price might help keep more books in circulation.

This is where Author Advantage steps in. Our partners are points of sale where readers can support authors even in the used market. By choosing to buy through Author Advantage partners, readers help ensure that authors remain visible, valued, and present on the shelves. It’s a small shift in behaviour with a big impact on the literary ecosystem.

We believe readers care about more than just price. They care about stories, voices, and the communities that make books possible. By offering a way to align purchasing decisions with those values, we can begin to reverse the damage caused by the race to the bottom.

It’s not about abandoning affordability—it’s about restoring balance. Giving readers the chance to choose value over price. And giving authors the chance to be read, remembered, and respected.