Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
So Ms Rusch, whoever she may be, knows more about the economics of digital publishing than Penguin's global digital director? 
What is Ms Rusch's background in publishing? |
She's been a professional author for several decades, of both novels and short stories. She's worked with (and more recently, against) several different publishers. She has her own publishing business, still active if small. She & her husband run publishing seminars for authors.
And yes... she knows more about some aspects of the economics of business publishing than Penguin's director, because Penguin's director assumes that authors *need* a BPH to be truly successful. Rusch knows that what authors consider "successful" is not the same as what Penguin considers "successful"--and that it varies by author. She helps authors sort out how they can be successful on their own terms.
BPHs that assume they can set the terms for author success are on a long slow downward slide as many talented authors decide that they'd be better off doing things differently. Whether that's "sign with an indie press with more flexible terms and more author control over covers, descriptions, and sales venues" or "publish solo with hired editors" or even "publish solo with no editors for $1, and capitalize on the cheap-impulse market," Penguin (and other BPHs) are going to lose a lot of great authors by not being more flexible in their contract terms.