remaindered

[DudiousMax at aol.com]

Yo dudes,

                Though I am sure the element of schadenfreude runs strong in 
some folks, the reality has more to do with taxes.  In the Regan 
administration (I think) the tax codes were adjusted to some considerable 
extent, the exact details of which I leave to lawyers intimate with 
publishing to fill in.  Before then, if a book was a good steady seller it 
could have a long shelf-life.  The tax law penalized having a book warehoused 
for a period longer than a calendar year from its date of publication.  So 
the truth is, every book is remaindered within a year of its publication 
date.  The only way a book doesn't get remaindered is if the demand and 
supply match perfectly.  If there is more demand, there are more printings.  
Sooner or later the demand poops out and there are unsold books.  Then, those 
are remaindered, a year after pubication.  Friend or enemy, all books wind up 
in that remaindered pile.  Sorry to be the one to tell youse.
                Max