Quote:
Originally Posted by Kali Yuga
Just to be clear, I am not saying that Baen screws its authors, nor do I claim to have any insider info about their contracts. I'm merely guessing that the compensation is less than at a big publishing house, and this is one factor in lower book costs. (Acting as their own retailer is another.)
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I didn't think you were making such claims.
But compensation, as mentioned, is based on sales. A James Patterson or John Grisham (or Dan Brown) can expect a far more lucrative contract than Baen offers, but their books regularly hit the New York Times best seller list. Baen does mid-level action/adventure SF/Fantasy. While David Weber, for example, now hits the best seller list, most Baen authors don't.
I think what makes Baen attractive to an author is knowledge of the market, and greater likelihood of getting published in hardcover and being kept in print.
Contracts are matters of negotiation between publisher and author/author's agent. We have to assume Baen is competitive, as they have a stable who aren't published elsewhere with enough of a proven track record that they
could jump ship. Most Baen authors seem happy to be there.
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Dennis