What do readers owe authors?

[DiapDealer]

In the case of Rothfuss's series: he was even on record as saying the three-book series was "already written" and would be released in a timely manner (this all said at the time of the first book's publication). Clearly "written" has different meanings for different people. I may revisit the series when it's complete, but I may just forget all about it too.

[NickyWithNook]

I don't feel like I owe an author anything but the purchase price for the book. Sometimes I'm inspired to tell people how wonderful a book is, but that isn't out of a sense of obligation.

[crich70]

Technically we don't owe the author (at least not directly). We pay the bookstore, who pays the publisher, who pays the author. At least that's the traditional model. With ebooks it can be more direct. I agree that the author owes the person who bought the book something though. A well written and entertaining story in exchange for the $$ that the reader has spent to acquire a copy of their book. If the author expects payment for their labors it's only fair that the purchaser get at least that in return. If I buy an ice cream cone from a vendor I expect to enjoy the experience of eating it. Something like that should happen with books too. If I buy a book and don't enjoy the story, if it turns out to be very badly written, I won't buy the next effort that they put out for sale. Who wants to buy a piece of junk?

[Elfwreck]

The article might've gone over better if it were phrased as "What Readers Can Do To Help Their Favorite Authors" instead of "What Do Readers Owe?"

I want the authors I like to succeed. I don't think I owe them anything more than my time and occasionally money. (I get a lot of books from promos, and secondhand pbooks.) I'm willing to write reviews.... sometimes. But reviews are for other readers, not for the authors.

I don't feel guilty for the books I liked and didn't review, considering all the books I disliked and didn't warn other readers about. I'm certainly not obligated to review every book I read--and especially not in the author's choice of venue. Considering what various sales websites demand in their TOS, I'm picky about how much and what kind of my writing I'm willing to submit to them, even in the form of reviews. And since Amazon bought Goodreads, I expect them to be substantially not-impartial soon.

What I owe the author, if anything, is my honesty if someone asks me about the book. And that honesty might be "sorry; don't care to talk about it right now."

[Ravensknight]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

In the case of Rothfuss's series: he was even on record as saying the three-book series was "already written" and would be released in a timely manner (this all said at the time of the first book's publication). Clearly "written" has different meanings for different people. I may revisit the series when it's complete, but I may just forget all about it too.

This is the reason I no longer buy the start of series in HC. Forget Jordan, Rothfuss destroyed my naive trust in authors. They can be as full of "*" as anybody [sadly].

[Arithonne]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

I get your point, I really do. But I have a strong objection to authors who create series and then don't continue them or take forever to finish them. No, the author is *not* my b1tch, but I feel in some way that there's an additional agreement in place when an author writes a series.

The author is asking us to take the chance that on the series, knowing that the storyline may not be well resolved in one book. So I'm asking them to actually resolve that storyline - and in a reasonable amount of time - eventually!

I would say that "the author is not the reader's b1tch" is incomplete, and the whole statement should be the author is not the reader's b1tch, but neither is the reader is the author's b1tch.

An author can take as long as they want to write a particular book, or choose not to write that particular book. A reader can decide not to continue to buy any more books in a series or any more books from that author for whatever reason. As far as what a reader owes an author... Well, I'd say that the reader owes it to the author not to obtain the book illegally and to not harass or threaten the author because of their choices. So while a reader has the right to complain about the wait between books in a series or the actual contents of a book in public spaces, doing so in the author's space or to the author's face (unless invited to do so) is wrong.

[forsooth]

Originally Posted by ucfgrad93

I don't think you OWE authors anything other than paying them what they charge for their work if you want to read it.

only our coin

[Archimedes]

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

I've been seeing a number of articles lately talking about what readers owe authors. I've seen this graphic (more at the link too) in FB, about what I as a reader owe my favorite (particularly indy) authors.

I do like to support favorite authors, but I dont tend to write reviews or publicize what I'm reading (unless, like "Mr. Penumbra", I'm totally enthralled by a book, but that's rare.).

Do I as a reader owe my favorite indy authors reviews? or FB comments (I don't tweet)? I can see the point, but I really hate writing reviews.

I think what we owe authors is not a legal obligation, but a self-imposed moral obligation. Well, considering that in 2013 most books are selling for around $10, of which the author gets roughly a half (or a little less), something between $5 and $10 would be generous, and not too generous.

About reviews: I love to write them. Young people still see writing as a chore, but as you get older, you'll see the pleasure in writing, especially non-fiction, such as a review. I started reviewing for Amazon, purely voluntarily, and that's where I found that I loved writing a brief review.

Get started on Amazon (you don't have to review only what you buy there), books, movies, equipment. Take pride in the review: check your spelling, for instance; pretty soon you'll get some positive feedback, and boinggg!

[JeffAaronMiller]

As an author, I would say readers don't owe me anything except to pay for the book if they want to own and read it. Now, what I would like from a reader is that if they enjoy the book, they would let some other people know somehow, because it is a struggle being an indie author. However, I am not entitled to that, nor should any reader feel obligated to give it. When I put a book out there, I am basically shouting to the world, "Hey, this story I wrote is worth your time and money." It's a bold claim to begin with. Anyone who takes a chance on me has my gratitude, whether they review my book, like my book or hate my book.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Archimedes

I think what we owe authors is not a legal obligation, but a self-imposed moral obligation. Well, considering that in 2013 most books are selling for around $10, of which the author gets roughly a half (or a little less), something between $5 and $10 would be generous, and not too generous.

About reviews: I love to write them. Young people still see writing as a chore, but as you get older, you'll see the pleasure in writing, especially non-fiction, such as a review. I started reviewing for Amazon, purely voluntarily, and that's where I found that I loved writing a brief review.

Get started on Amazon (you don't have to review only what you buy there), books, movies, equipment. Take pride in the review: check your spelling, for instance; pretty soon you'll get some positive feedback, and boinggg!

For traditional publishers, the author does not get half (I think Stephen King is one of the few who gets nearly that. ) For hardcover (at about 25 list) the author gets approximately 3.50 last time I checked some of the writers who talk about contracts. For mass market paperback, the author gets roughly 35 cents for a 7.99 paperback. The larger paperback forms yield approximately 2 to 3 dollars for the author, but it depends on various retailers and bulk orders that might be done for a library system, etc.

More popular authors are able to get more, but the average writer is getting 7 to 15 percent of cover prices under many contracts.

Self-published (whether backlist or not) can get anywhere from 35 percent to 70 for ebooks. It ranges, depending on what the author charges and what retailer (not all retailers are matching Apple's and Amazon's 70 percent. Smashwords pays around 80 percent. B&N pays 60 or 65 for most pricing.) For print books, an indie author gets 35 cents to around 3.50 (depends on where the book is published. Secondary retailers take a cut so on any given platform the payout to author really varies.)

One of the reasons that indie publishing is so popular is because Amazon started giving authors 35 percent. When Apple came along and offered authors 70 percent, Amazon matched that (with certain prices).

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by Archimedes

About reviews: I love to write them. Young people still see writing as a chore, but as you get older, you'll see the pleasure in writing, especially non-fiction, such as a review. I started reviewing for Amazon, purely voluntarily, and that's where I found that I loved writing a brief review.

There are many reasons why people may not wish to write reviews. I, personally, do love to write, but not reviews. This is partly due to the diminishing boundaries between readers and authors. The "review dialogue" is not one I wish to take part in. I do occasionally write them, but it's very rare these days, and almost always for books whose authors are unlikely to intrude on the review space.

I know many disagree with me, and that's fine - it's simply a choice that I've made for myself due to my own boundaries.

I also rank review writing as one of my least favorite forms of writing, all other considerations aside. Interestingly, a current project I'm on is going to require that I write some reviews, but they will be written for a specific target audience, making it a bit less painful because I can focus on the usefulness to that particular group. Still not ideal, but I did bring it upon myself.

[Lemurion]

I owe the author the basic respect to pay for it if I want to read it, and to direct others to legal options to obtain the work rather than putting it out on the Darknet.

I do not owe them free publicity on social media.

[Ravensknight]

Originally Posted by Archimedes

Get started on Amazon (you don't have to review only what you buy there), books, movies, equipment.

And this is why nobody trusts the reviews at Amazon.

It is also why most people at Goodreads are worried about the Amazon buyover. I know I don't want complete ***heads ruining the review process.

[Harper Kingsley]

I don't think the reader owes the author anything more than the price of the book, though it would be a nice gesture to tell someone if you like what they've written. Just clicking the "Like" button on Amazon is enough and it gives them an idea that someone out there is enjoying their story. Authors are renowned for having fragile egos, which is why I totally dig the kudos system on AO3. Getting a kudos message in my inbox makes me just as happy as a comment without the obligation of figuring out a response.

I really do wish that people would think of other readers though. If a book is badly written, giving people a heads up is really nice. Or (I'm still going on about this book!) when I read "The King" by David Feintuch over ten years ago now, I was so squicked that I flung the book across the room and I've given his writings the side-eye ever since then. It would have been nice if someone had left a review or comment somewhere about the horror that happened to my favorite character. A trigger warning is always a plus.

"What do readers owe other readers?" :P

[jersysman]

It is strange/ If no one wrote another review on Goodreads, the site would still be useful to me. I don't feel as I owe an author anything except for the purchase of the book. I do feel that, mif I did enjoy the book, I would let others know about it. But, most of the time, that would be through word of mouth and not through reviews.