Quote:
Originally Posted by SensualPoet
I am calling these books "remainders" -- that may be the wrong term. My understanding is these are hard covers that have been returned to the publisher (or maybe "over-printed") and then bought back as remainders. The original price was $30; now they are $9.99 and the bookshop is still making some margin. Aren't these books royalty free as well?
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I've always assumed those books pay little or no royalty to writers -- but the upside is that they might get read, however undeservedly so.
I have been rather surprised, in real live and while reading around here, how serious writers take themselves and how serious they are taken. As an analogy, I like to play soccer, a bit of training and some matches. I'd laugh at the very idea that anyone would want to pay to watch me play (heck,
I pay for the privilege of playing). But, if there's a couple of handfuls of spectators, I am more than happy (as long as we win). Certainly, there are people that get payed to play soccer -- some of those rather handsomely; and there's those paying to watch them play. But, it is a rare minority of those playing soccer that get paid. And, fortunately, most people that play soccer don't expect to get paid for it.
Conversely, as soon as an aspiring writer puts the pen on the paper, or sits down behind the keyboard, they consider it their inherent right to be able to live from the proceeds (just overstating a tiny bit to get the point across
). I really don't mind paying for a well written, properly thought out book. But, most of the stuff that gets published is hardly worth my time and money.
It is therefor beyond me why more than say, the top 1 or 2% of writer expect to be able to make a living from it. If a writer enjoys writing, doing it in his/her spare time shouldn't be a burden. If it is perceived as not being enjoyable, well, find something more fun to do....