Quote:
Originally Posted by mdibella
Re: 'Even though I much prefer McDowell's books over King's he is not being published any more becasue of economics.'
Would you anticipate this situation changing with the increasing popularity of ebooks? Admittedly, there are certain publishing costs that will never decrease (editing, data input, etc etc) but when it no longer becomes necessary to actually print and ship a book, would the publishers be more inclined to take a chance on that less-than-blockbuster book? I certainly would hope so.
Which then begs the issue of, how much money should that writer be paid for his/her work? I can envision something like the residual payments an actor gets when his/her work is reused for additional profit. Every time someone buys an ebook, the author should get a cut of that money, I'd say. Then the problem becomes, what of those book contracts that were signed before anyone ever envisioned such a thing as an ebook. Who gets the money when one of those is sold in ebook format? If the author does not get any of it, I have a real problem with that!
My original concern was with the authors whose work seems to be quite popular, but they stop writing because they just can't afford to keep doing it. That strikes me as a system that is broken, somehow.
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There are many factors. First, why should the publisher *pay* more for something the author will - by emotional need - be forced to produce anyway? Writing is a compulsion.
Second, since the average publisher puts little or no effort into really *marketing* these works, instead relying upon consumer need to drive them to seek out new works, there's often the strong probability that the *average* novel will only sell 10,000-15,000 copies. Yes, yes, it makes sense to drive up demand by creating a desire in customers, but - well can you say 'publishers are hidebound reactionaries'??? I knew you could!
So, after going through all the effort of releasing one or two books from an author in a given series, the average publisher steps back from the table and waits. And waits. And waits. And when no one realizes there's a new title out there (and how would most customers with all the other demands on their attention and energy), the new release falls like a lead brick careening down into the depths of the Marianas Trench. Which proves to the publisher that the series is unloved and should be abandoned.
Think of the average major publisher as Janus. One facet is full of hope and dreams - that's the one which actually coughs up money to the author for that first novel. The other personality, now. That's the one which believes that nothing will succeed, that every novel is just another attempt by some conniving con artist to steal the company's hard-earned wealth - and which needs to be punished by cutting off all support so that *this* particular thieving vine will wither and die as soon as possible. Money doesn't grow on trees, you know!
Given the harsh realities of the publishing industry, it's a wonder authors get even a few pennies, much less anything approaching a "living wage".
Derek