Re: RWA's latest

  From: Chris Smith 


  On Wed, 19 Mar 2008, Marion Gropen wrote:

  > Unfortunately, the issues have been complex, and the coverage
  > unclear.

  Wow. And, Yes.

  When I don't think I understand something, I try and paraphrase 
  it, and then ask if my paraphrasing captures the idea. So, here 
  goes...

  == Subsidy => requiring the author to pay costs associated with 
  editing, production or publishing of the work.

  == Not subsidy => requiring the author to pay costs associated 
  with the creation (the actual writing) of the work.

  There appears to be agreement on the former and disagreement on 
  the latter. At least one party feels that requiring the author to 
  pay anything at all for any reasons qualifies as "subsidy".

  Would that capture the essence of this dispute?

  :: chris smith ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
  :: nihil tam munitum quod non expugnari pecuna possit - cicero :

  Chris,

  Not really!

  Vanity or subsidy publishing is essentially where the author pays all the costs for another to publish the works.   Generally vanity publishers do little or nothing to market or distribute the books.

  Historically all publishers have get out clauses to charge [either up front or from potential royalties] for certain items of pre-production (rather than production).   The bigger publishers are probably more strict than smaller ones in enforcing such clauses.

  Increasingly in the digital age larger publishers expect the author to deliver files that may be easily prepared for printing, thus passing a large part of the typesetting costs back to the author.   Traditionally authors have been expected to deliver drawings for many types of book and indexing.   This is simply keeping the charges off the publisher's books!

  And, except for best selling authors, marketing effort by the big publishers is limited to a few months.   Smaller publishers - as part of the business model - are mostly active in marketing for long periods.   which would question whether bigger publishers are closer to vanity presses than the smaller ones.

  In this particular case Tsaba House is one of the most innovative marketing publishers and takes a very active part in marketing its authors' books.   Bigger publishers mostly expect the author to do their own marketing with little assistance.

  The dispute is actually about whether big publishers are to be allowed to cosily hold the reins of awards, or whether the system is to be made fairer, more open and 21st century.   Something you have certainly argued for in matters relating to the production, marketing and distribution of ebooks.

  Joseph Harris

  :

  Chris,



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