Quote:
Originally Posted by pwalker8
That is the big difference. Of course, for midlist and up authors, they re-release books every 7 years or so. Once they get enough of a backlist catalogue, they get a decent revenue stream. This particular model has been around for a while and is fairly well understood. The ebook model isn't quite as well understood, so it generates anxiety for the authors. They worry about piracy and their backlist losing value. (Jerry Pournelle use to call his backlist, his 401K plan).
From a consumer point of view, I love the ebook model. When I find a new author that I like, I can quickly snarf up that author's complete catalogue. It seems obvious to me that in the long run, it's going to help authors, but then again, I'm not the one betting my livelihood on it.
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I'd venture to guess that most midlisters don't really consider it a "decent" revenue stream. It's a revenue stream, but many midlisters have day jobs and continue to have them even when they have a backlist. Many midlisters have a second income stream from a spouse as well. Decent is nice, but the amount of money authors make is vastly overestimated.