[Timboli]

NOTE - I have focused in another thread, on how silly the thinking of some publishers is. In this thread I would rather we focus on authors, with a little commentary on publishers maybe ... you can't really avoid them.

DISCLAIMER - Naturally any views and determinations expressed in the following are mine, and some maybe of those who may feel the same in part or whole ... that latter very doubtful though, considering how different we all are, and the different journeys we have all had/are having.

Writing a book costs time and money and no small amount of skill.
The author should be compensated for that, even if it is just the joy of such a wonderful achievement.
Many of course want more than that, and a good number get so lucky, and why not ... if others like their work, then why not reward them in the hope of more but also as a thank you, and a show of appreciation.

The only question then, is how much they should be rewarded. Something that is probably best left to the market rather than someone choosing some quite arbitrary amount they think is fair. I say arbitrary, because how do you honestly judge such things. You cannot and should not judge it on liking alone, as people have such varied tastes ... and often more than a few biases etc.

I'm not even sure you can judge on just the hard work either, especially as for some the words flow more easily, and others not so much, especially when considering quality etc. It is not wrong to think some authors are more caring and diligent than others, and there are various motivations playing their part.

Some write a book in as little as a few months (maybe weeks) and some take many years. Some create something new from the ground up, while others are continuing a series etc, where much of things have already been fleshed out.

Some books take or require a lot of research. And when a book or story has been finished, the word count can vary hugely, and is not really an indication in many cases of the amount of work, as much can get culled during editing etc. It is not as simple as just paying based on word count.

Some authors write with great love of what they are doing. Some write out of necessity to survive or due to obligations (deals, etc). Some write to a trend or fashion, following the money so to speak. Some of course, write to please fans or for acclaim from peers. Many are a mix of those and more.

Some books are a hell of a lot more worthy than others, but often that is only in the mind of the reader or critic.

Many authors of course, experience a whole range of things when writing, especially as they are impacted by the world around them and by their health. When writing fiction especially, it is about imagination and inspiration, and those can be impacted by all manner of things.

If a writer experiences a tough time writing or finishing a book, should they be compensated the same as someone who did it easily, or should they get more?

Determining the reward or compensation for an author, can be fraught with many difficulties & variables.

Certainly in years past, the price of a book was often set based on what readers would likely be willing to pay, and could be genre based as well due to expectations. Often though, a really thick novel could cost the same as one a quarter of that size, and have very little bearing on the years taken to produce.

Were we paying too much for some books or not enough for others?
Hard to know really, as much of course was dependent on overall sales or projections of such. Still, reality has often shown many contradictions when it comes to pricing and policies.

Some publishers reportedly sponsor less popular works, they deem important to mankind (or their own agenda), using profits made on other authors. Some customers think that fair, some not ... especially as the claimed or promoted altruism isn't always readily apparent or believed or even acceptable at times.

Anyway, when it comes to pricing now, are things really that much different (digital vs analogue aside)?

Do we still have that disparity brought about by similar pricing, that is often not based on merit or other relevant factors? Certainly it seems that way with many new or recent releases.

Perhaps now we should look at and more fully consider cost.

Many popular authors are able to dictate some more favorable terms with their publisher. They can get both a lump sum (paid in part or full, up front) as well as the usual royalties etc.

So what does a book cost to provide to the consumer?
Like I said earlier, there is the time and money and effort and skill.
Then there are the editing costs and related.
Then there are the storage and shipping costs, which are hugely more in the case of a physical book.
Then we have advertising and other promotions ... including artwork (cover etc).
Beyond that, it is mostly costs that only apply to physical books ... printing (ink, paper, machines, labor), additional storage and shipping/transport costs, plus display costs, plus any damages or errors or even returns due to lack of sales (many returns are simply trashed/cut up, so losses).
Then there are issues related to secondhand and lending.

Going by logic of course and discounting publishers trying to grab more profit for their sponsoring, ebooks should cost a lot less than their physical counterpart. Many of course don't want to see it that way, and some customers seem to have more money than sense or are so affluent they don't care, or simply don't buy many books and just want to reward the provider(s). Each to their own of course, except where it impacts the average cost for rest of us.

Now lets look at the pricing and how the customer factors, with a simple example.

An ebook goes on sale for $15.
Two thousand people buy it ... and let us assume that if it had been $10 instead, that would have been three thousand people ... though it could easily be more of course.
Now I guess, that the publisher could reason, that the other one thousand will eventually buy anyway, but it will just take a while, with many of course waiting until the price has dropped more to their liking. Time however is money, especially when it comes to investment.

When we look at cost, we certainly have to look at outlay. The usual publishing costs and any monetary advances to authors. Publishers should of course, be seeking to cover any outlay as soon as possible, because they usually have other authors to consider cost wise, and they are in the business to make a profit. So money in the bank earning interest should be an important consideration.

The total profit then in the short term at least, is often more sensible than maximum profit per item on limited sale numbers. Good feeling amongst customers is also important, especially if you care about your authors. And you cannot ignore the fact, that a disappointing read is more so if you paid more for it. Then there is competition, and when money walks it talks, and those with a vested interest should be listening. Angst over cost, can certainly change the views of some in a previously loyal fanbase, especially when so much else is on offer now.

Unlike the old physical book model, there are a lot more authors and books out there now, and publishers no longer have quite the power they once had.

If I had to look for new authors now, I am sure I would feel overwhelmed. Do some of you indeed feel that way?

So sometimes it seems to me, that price is often about control rather than profit ... certainly with some publishers. Control can involve a lot of things, including the possibility of lies to authors and customers, and agendas.

So with all that in mind, how secure can an author feel now?

And how viable is it for many of them, as a long term full-time job?

P.S. Some publishers of course, won't lower to an acceptable price for an ebook, until they have enough physical book sales, in a very real way covering potential losses etc, especially with hard covers. Many of us think that unethical.