The Unvarnished Press reduces the bloated cost of textbooks and other educational books by using a different, more direct model.
Textbook prices have risen rapidly partly because the people making the purchase decision — instructors assigning a book — are not the ones paying for the titles they choose. So textbook companies enjoy a captive audience. Many college textbooks now provide extras to benefit professors, e.g., Powerpoint lecture disks, quizzes and exam question templates, etc. that further inflate prices. College bookstores offer the convenience of one-stop shopping for all course texts, but take a healthy cut of the purchase price.
The Unvarnished Press cuts out the major textbook publishers and reduces the role of bookstores by selling directly to students with a print-on-demand model of publishing. Faculty and bookstores can order directly from us and we still provide desk copies. Purchase order discounts for 5 or more copies are available, but there are no options to return unsold books. Students enjoy the savings.
Contact us: jmcmanus (at symbol) gradethenews.org, or 408-773-8711;
The Unvarnished Press, 297 N. Frances St., Sunnyvale, CA 94086