Debut author turned down $120,000, 3 books New York publishing deal to self-publish

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Getting back to the author in question for a moment. What would make sense to me is taking the contract for the three books, getting the $120K and the cachet that comes with being a traditionally published author. If the books are successful, she can get more money for the next contract, or she can then self-pub subsequent books as a proven commodity.

That might be a good idea--except for that no-compete clause. She'd probably have to do something about that because the publisher could tie up her ability to move on for at least 3 years--possibly longer. It's not unheard of for a publisher to demand "right of first refusal" on ALL "next" books and then take over a year to even give an answer of yes or no. She would definitely need a lawyer or at least an agent to help with the contract. Being tied to a publisher for 3 or more years could be difficult especially if the author has already written 2 or 3 of the books in question. If she has, she is going to want to keep writing and get material into the hands of the buying public.

As someone has said, if you assume the author makes even 40k BEFORE taxes/agent per year, she may have to or want to supplement that income sooner or later and if the contract is too constricting, it might not be the right thing for her depending on what her current sales rate is. You can never depend on a good sales rate continuing, but a writer's main concern is not always "will people read it" -- Rather the concern is: Will enough people buy it and read it. So the traditional stamp is nice, as is the advance of 40k per year. However, that is not the same thing as "getting the word out and actual sales." It's an advance on potential sales that may or may not occur.

There's more to it than a simple advance and stamp of approval. There are a lot of people who will not touch an indie work, but the numbers show that there are ENOUGH people who will do so to make a success of several writers. The more popular a book becomes, regardless of who publishes it, the greater the chance that even those who Don't Read Indie works--will sample it or read it. And the fact is, no writer needs to be read by everyone. No one is read by everyone. We just need enough momentum to keep the ball rolling.

[Ken.Hagdal]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Getting back to the author in question for a moment. What would make sense to me is...

See, under your grumpy persona beats a big Catlady heart that does care.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by QuantumIguana

Whether a book is self-published or the author used a publisher makes no difference to me as a reader, I still have access to the same book.

It will most probably not be the same book since the editor is not the same. An editor works with an author and can have a big effect on the finished book.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

Maybe it's due to the ones I read, but I don't see any more errors in self published books than corporation published books. One big difference though, most self published books get fixed when the mistakes are pointed out. Corporation published books stay full of mistakes forever.

I really hope the fixed book is a new edition. And what more can be fixed? Problems in the plot? There is something good with having books that do not change so you can read the same book as your friends have read.

[Mivo]

Originally Posted by QuantumIguana

The closest analogy seems to be the current music world. It's so much easier to produce and distribute music than it was in the 70's. It's cheap and easy to make CDs; many bands will sell them at their shows. Plus, they can sell their music in MP3 format, without needing a record label.

It's a good analogy, also with regard to the quality. With music you can tell if it was mixed professionally, and with books you can (usually) tell if it was edited professionally. The option to get your art out there without depending on a publisher or label is ultimately a good thing, but for the consumer it can also be a bit of a curse.