|
Of course there is yet another approach:
Enter the eBook market early. Buy world-wide electronic rights as a standard part of your publishing contract; refuse any contracts that don't include world-wide electronic rights. Stick to that position even when good-selling popular authors leave for other publishers rather than sell said rights. Eventually switch to buying non-exclusive world-wide electronic rights; lose fewer authors (but still lose some). Have electronic sales and publicity from same help the company grow by more than 2x in sales over 8 years.
Of course, that only works if "you" are Jim Baen and own a controlling interest in your publishing company. He decided that this sales model was the right one, and stuck with it, even when it cost him some well-known authors. Most companies can't make that kind of decision because they aren't controlled outright by one person with a whim of iron.
Xenophon
|