question about dead tree book sales

[Gardenman]

When does an author get paid for his book? When the bookstore buys it or when I buy it?

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by Gardenman

When does an author get paid for his book? When the bookstore buys it or when I buy it?

It depends. A tiny number get big advances long before. The vast majority would be thrilled to be paid as early as either time you mention.

[Todd Young]

Most traditionally published authors are paid an advance in lieu of royalties. Many never earn out their advance, but when they do they are paid for the number of books that actually sell. They wouldn't be paid for the copy you have bought until many weeks or months after you paid for it.

[Gardenman]

another question

When does a publisher consider a book sold and they have to pay the author? When the book store buys it? Or when I buy it from the bookstore?

[elcreative]

Originally Posted by Gardenman

another question

When does a publisher consider a book sold and they have to pay the author? When the book store buys it? Or when I buy it from the bookstore?

In the usual fashion for most goods, it isn't sold until it is paid for... invoiced usually for anything from 30 days (small bookseller) to 90 or 120 days (chain purchases)...

[apbschmitz]

Then ultimately if the bookstore doesn't sell the book, they return it to the publisher for credit. If you're the writer, you get a statement every six months of so telling you how many books were sold and how many returned. The returns show up as negative sales against your advance. As if simply not selling books wasn't bad enough.

[carpetmojo]

Sorry to be boring, but I do get turned off by the "dead tree" phrase.

I am a bit of an environmentalist, admittedly, but I should think the construction, production, distribution, decommissioning and use of ereaders, does far more harm to the planet than making paper/phys books - especially if the timber comes from "sustainable"/replanted forests.

Sits back and waits for brickbats.........

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

Sorry to be boring, but I do get turned off by the "dead tree" phrase.

I am a bit of an environmentalist, admittedly, but I should think the construction, production, distribution, decommissioning and use of ereaders, does far more harm to the planet than making paper/phys books - especially if the timber comes from "sustainable"/replanted forests.

Sits back and waits for brickbats.........

The circuit boards of ereaders (which will be in use for a decade each, more if the batteries are replacable) will be recycled for the rare earth elements.

The planet recycles everything, not just organics.

It also is not alive, and it doesn't matter either way, unless you have made the planet your quasi-religion. I am pretty immune to the whole green religion maswuerading transparently as science, so I have no problem mocking them.

The Dead Tree thing was designed to out the enviroreligionists.

[Kali Yuga]

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

I am a bit of an environmentalist, admittedly, but I should think the construction, production, distribution, decommissioning and use of ereaders, does far more harm to the planet than making paper/phys books - especially if the timber comes from "sustainable"/replanted forests.

Not so much.

• One Kindle has the carbon footprint of approximately 20 books
• As of 2008, the book industry used 1.5 million tons of paper
• Most of that was from virgin forests
• In 2007, only 13% of book production was from recycled paper
• More than 1 billion books were unsold in 2006
• About 2/3 of the book industry's carbon footprint is from cutting down forests

Ebooks are not free rides, but on the balance it seems to me that it's a greener option than paper books.

[elemenoP]

related factoid: when mass-market paperbacks (the smaller-sized ones) are "returned" to the publisher, it doesn't make financial sense to send the whole book in the mail, so the bookstore rips off the cover, returns only the cover, and throws away the rest of the book. Horrifying (at least I found it horrifying, the first time I saw it happen when I worked at a bookstore) but true.

Returned hardcovers and "trade" paperbacks (the bigger size) end up on the bargain table at B&N and other places.

eP

[RainingLemur]

Originally Posted by elemenoP

related factoid: when mass-market paperbacks (the smaller-sized ones) are "returned" to the publisher, it doesn't make financial sense to send the whole book in the mail, so the bookstore rips off the cover, returns only the cover, and throws away the rest of the book.

That's... God, that's stupid. I'm sure they have their "good" reason for it, but I think that's pants-on-head stupid.

[luqmaninbmore]

Originally Posted by RainingLemur

That's... God, that's stupid. I'm sure they have their "good" reason for it, but I think that's pants-on-head stupid.

All in a day's work for the protectors of the author's 'intellectual property.'