According to The Chronicle of Higher Education,
professors at some institutions receive payments from publishers
when they require a new edition of a book for their course. The
Chronicle found that younger teachers can sometimes be the target
of this lure, as they may have student loans to pay off, and do not
earn as much money as more experienced teachers.

“I don’t know of any cases here [where professors are paid for
requiring new editions]; students may be able to find editions
through friends or the Web,” said Heather L. Bednarek, Ph.D., an
associate professor of economics.

However, if new editions of books are required for students,
purchasing a cheaper version of the book is normally not an
option.

Bednarek also said, “Other institutions get payments to
departments,” for buying new editions of books, “and it ultimately
means more money for the department.”

In those cases, professors require more expensive books and in
turn gain royalties from the publishing company.

“Professors often request the newest edition of a book, which we
are required to carry,” said Tim Fortner, the textbook manager at
the Saint Louis University Barnes and Noble Bookstore.

He said that when a professor does not have a preference about
which edition of a book is required for his or her course, “We
always try to get the old edition first.”

When a publishing company produces a new edition of a book,
production of the older edition is usually cancelled. When this
occurs, according to Fortner, “The bookstore and faculty are forced
to order the new one, or the professor may have to change to
another book.”

Professors will sometimes cut cost for course texts by bundling
books together in a single, cheaper package. This is only possible,
however, if the professor uses the same publishing company for all
the course books.

“Publishers control the availability of old editions,” Fortner
said. “The new edition issue is rarely a decision the bookstore
controls.”