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frahse · 10-31-2011, 07:23 PM

Publishing a book in print form or in digital form is in most cases a joint venture.

Almost always the publisher and author are bound together in this venture by a contract. The contract starts out fairly standard with certain selectable features.

The publisher has to feel it is to their advantage to obtain and publish the book, but also they have to bear in mind that if they give one author a perk, it will get around, and other authors will want the same thing. The publishers have an advantage over most authors because the publishers have the ability to give out money in advance. This causes the authors to become "voluntarily" beholden to the publisher and gives the publisher more leverage. Then there is the "new author" who wants more than anything to "be published," and this author will appear at the door of the publisher disheveled, hungry, and with their manuscript in one hand and their soul in the other, ready to sell for a pittance, or to sign a restrictive contract.

The only way an individual author has to be able to become somewhat the Master of their fate and the Captain of their destiny is to:
1. not need the advance or
2. already be published with some success or
3. both 1. and 2.

Then that author is able to exact better terms from the publisher.

Even many successful authors have a hard time with their finances and need that advance badly, and they give the publisher very little resistance to what is asked, though they will certainly grouse about it to their fellows.

10-31-2011, 07:23 PM	#44
frahse occasional author Posts: 2,315 Karma: 2064403292 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Wandering God's glorious hills, valleys and plains. Device: A Franklin BI (before Internet) was the first. I still have it.	Publishing a book in print form or in digital form is in most cases a joint venture. Almost always the publisher and author are bound together in this venture by a contract. The contract starts out fairly standard with certain selectable features. The publisher has to feel it is to their advantage to obtain and publish the book, but also they have to bear in mind that if they give one author a perk, it will get around, and other authors will want the same thing. The publishers have an advantage over most authors because the publishers have the ability to give out money in advance. This causes the authors to become "voluntarily" beholden to the publisher and gives the publisher more leverage. Then there is the "new author" who wants more than anything to "be published," and this author will appear at the door of the publisher disheveled, hungry, and with their manuscript in one hand and their soul in the other, ready to sell for a pittance, or to sign a restrictive contract. The only way an individual author has to be able to become somewhat the Master of their fate and the Captain of their destiny is to: 1. not need the advance or 2. already be published with some success or 3. both 1. and 2. Then that author is able to exact better terms from the publisher. Even many successful authors have a hard time with their finances and need that advance badly, and they give the publisher very little resistance to what is asked, though they will certainly grouse about it to their fellows.