How many authors can the consumers sustain?

[Sil_liS]

Originally Posted by QuantumIguana

Author A may have lost sales, but author B didn't take anything from author A. The reader did. If I make a better mousetrap than someone else, I haven't taken anything away from anyone.

The reader doesn't take sales away. Authors are competing over the attention of the readers. When a new author gets the attention, an older one loses it.

[QuantumIguana]

Originally Posted by Sil_liS

The reader doesn't take sales away. Authors are competing over the attention of the readers. When a new author gets the attention, an older one loses it.

Whose money is it? The author A can't possibly take anything away from author B, the money doesn't belong to either of them. It belongs to the reader. It anyone took anything from anyone, it is the reader. All the authors can do is to put books on the market that people might or might not want to buy.

[Sil_liS]

Originally Posted by QuantumIguana

Whose money is it? The author A can't possibly take anything away from author B, the money doesn't belong to either of them. It belongs to the reader. It anyone took anything from anyone, it is the reader. All the authors can do is to put books on the market that people might or might not want to buy.

If the money belongs to the reader, then how can the reader take it?

[QuantumIguana]

Originally Posted by Sil_liS

If the money belongs to the reader, then how can the reader take it?

The point is that an author doesn't take anything from another author by putting a book on the market, because no author is entitled to sales.

[anamardoll]

I'm not sure I"m on board with the idea that book budgets are this strict.

I mean, yes, for many people, they do have strict entertainment budgets. But within that, there is often flexibility. So, no, I don't believe discovering Author B means I don't buy from Author A anymore. Maybe I buy fewer XYZ luxuries that month (in college it was bath bombs, now it's frappacinos) and buy both Author A & B.

This is especially true for anything prices under $5.

[Sil_liS]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

I'm not sure I"m on board with the idea that book budgets are this strict.

I mean, yes, for many people, they do have strict entertainment budgets. But within that, there is often flexibility. So, no, I don't believe discovering Author B means I don't buy from Author A anymore. Maybe I buy fewer XYZ luxuries that month (in college it was bath bombs, now it's frappacinos) and buy both Author A & B.

This is especially true for anything prices under $5.

I wasn't saying that you were only buying books from author A. But it's not like when you go to a store you buy all the new books from all the authors that you have previously read.

[DiapDealer]

But it's not like when you go to a store you buy all the new books from all the authors that you have previously read.

Of course not. I only buy the new books from all the authors I've previously read and liked.

[BearMountainBooks]

Since only about 5 percent (this is a way old stat from probably 15 years ago) make an actual living writing fiction, I'd guess the number is pretty dang small. Probably around 500. (I'm pulling the 500 out of my hat. The 5 percent came from an article I read a long time ago. They threw out women writers who had a husband providing the bulk of income and health insurance.)

There's not a lot of money in writing. You have to move a lot of books CONSTANTLY to provide a steady income.

[xg4bx]

i like a lot of indie authors, it does get overwhelming at times trying to keep up. it doesn't help much when i'm constantly trying new authors lol.

[sabredog]

There are some excellent indie authors currently. I am constantly buying sequels, new series etc. Far, far more than I ever did when I was limited to mainstream paperbacks.

[Skydog]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

Most dog owners welcome the 'need machine' as a parent welcomes a child as a need machine. The affection you put in is given back in spades.

+1

[xg4bx]

Originally Posted by sabredog

There are some excellent indie authors currently. I am constantly buying sequels, new series etc. Far, far more than I ever did when I was limited to mainstream paperbacks.

and they put them out quickly and with consistent quality. i don't know how they do it. by the time i'm done with one theres a new series installment out. it seems like every other day theres a new indie author i'm into. i've currently got all my book money tied up in the indie market.

[Sil_liS]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

Since only about 5 percent (this is a way old stat from probably 15 years ago) make an actual living writing fiction, I'd guess the number is pretty dang small. Probably around 500. (I'm pulling the 500 out of my hat. The 5 percent came from an article I read a long time ago. They threw out women writers who had a husband providing the bulk of income and health insurance.)

If you are saying that 5% = 500 authors, that means that there are only 10k authors.

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

There's not a lot of money in writing. You have to move a lot of books CONSTANTLY to provide a steady income.

From an article from August 2011:

BookStats, a comprehensive survey conducted by two major trade groups that was released early Tuesday, revealed that in 2010 publishers generated net revenue of $27.9 billion, a 5.6 percent increase over 2008. Publishers sold 2.57 billion books in all formats in 2010, a 4.1 percent increase since 2008.

There is a lot of money in writing, it just depends on how many people want a slice of this pie.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by Sil_liS

There is a lot of money in writing, it just depends on how many people want a slice of this pie.

As with music, I as a consumer intend to see that nobody who wants a slice of the pie be barred from it. For a long time the cost of entry kept many people out. That wall has fallen. In desperation the old publishers will likely try to come up with some scheme to limit who may apply for copyright. I intend to help block it when it comes.

[QuantumIguana]

Originally Posted by Phogg

As with music, I as a consumer intend to see that nobody who wants a slice of the pie be barred from it. For a long time the cost of entry kept many people out. That wall has fallen. In desperation the old publishers will likely try to come up with some scheme to limit who may apply for copyright. I intend to help block it when it comes.

I've heard people compare writing to brain surgery, and claim that reading the "wrong" author is like getting brain surgery from an unlicensed brain surgeon. Of course, there really are things that a brain surgeon needs to know in order to perform brain surgery, and the consequences of picking an unqualified brain surgeon could be fatal.

But with books, the reader determines what is a good book to read. If they like it, they have made the right choice. There are books that I don't think are very good, but ultimately, it is the reader who judges. If someone did attempt to limit who could write in order to divide the writing income among a smaller pool of writers, I'd fight that as hard as I could.

Even if we did that, it would most likely result in the money spend on books decreasing, it is not a fixed amount of money. If people couldn't get the books they wanted, they are as likely to spend their money on something else entirely as they are to spend it on some other author's books. Limiting choice tends to strangle a market. And those that want to limit who can write might well find them among the excluded authors.