“Out-of-print” refers to when a publisher decides not to print copies of a particular book anymore and no longer sells it. It indicates no rareness or increased value, simply that sales have stopped.
Publishers often decide not to print specific titles for various reasons, whether their sales have decreased significantly or they want to focus more heavily on other labels. Or perhaps their copyright has expired, and they decided not to renew it.
Whatever the cause, when a book goes out of print, it can become difficult for readers to locate copies. Libraries may still have copies available but need more time to replace worn-out copies. Used bookstores may still sell these titles at higher costs than new bookstores would allow.
There are various methods available to you for finding out-of-print books. Online bookstores like AbeBooks specialize in hard-to-find titles; PODBooks and Lulu offer services that print books on demand, while libraries remain an invaluable source.
Consideration should also be given to whether or not an out-of-print book should be printed. A book that has become out-of-print may no longer be published or readily available for purchase, making it more difficult for readers to obtain copies, thus diminishing its popularity and increasing costs significantly. Due to these reasons, it’s vital that when making decisions to print books, that out-of-print status is taken into account when making these important decisions.