Re: Re: consequences of shift to ebooks

On Jan 8, 2008, at 9:03 AM, Emily Veinglory wrote:

> It is my understanding that an advance *is* often "tunring over your
> manuscript for cash in a one-time payment" as the advance is an
> estimate of what the book will earn in royalties?  If it earns that
> amount or less then the author earns just the one time payment.

An advance is a prepayment of royalties that the publisher expects to  
pay you anyway. Before you get any royalties, you must "earn out" your  
advance. The math IS a bit confusing, just from reading my own royalty  
statements.

But it CAN be done if the book sells. For example, my co-author and I  
shared an $8000 advance on my first Google Analytics book. After they  
took a 20% reserve against returns, we came all but $400 from earning  
those $8K in royalties at the end of the first statement period (Oct  
31, iirc). So we got no royalty check for the first period. But six  
months later, they released the 20% reserve, and the new reserve was  
smaller (because sales were lower) and we got $400 apiece or there  
abouts ($800 total). The book is still selling and we should have  
another royalty statement in hand any day now. We expect to get  
another check, probably smaller than the last one.

Our Google Analytics 2.0 book sold significantly better than the  
original. We just got a $500 royalty payment, meaning that we earned  
out our advance even after the reserve against returns in the first  
royalty period (which because of when the book was released was only a  
month long).

So, basically, if the book sells well enough, you will get royalties.  
BUT, this is the first book that my co-author has ever gotten more  
than her advance on. It's the first book that has ever sold well  
enough. The key is, as usual, selling lots of books.

dej

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Learn to use Google Analytics to make your web site more effective.
Buy my book! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470053852/
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"I loathe writing. On the other hand I'm a great believer in money."  
-- S.J. Perelman
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In the midst of winter, I finally realized that deep within me there  
lay an invincible summer.
--Albert Camus
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I am Writer, hear me Pontificate!




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