Advice To Publishers

[The links are at the end. I have posted this because I know it is going
to be well read, and used, and I wanted to offer some thoughts on it.]

Where you stand determines your view.

If you are a POD publisher you know about POD *in your niche(s). If you
are an ebook only publisher you know about ebooks *in your niche(s). If
you are a conventional print only publisher you know about print *in
your niche(s)*. Most publishers mix and match according to their
successful endeavours.

If you are a writer you know how to write *in your niche(s)*. If you are
a writer who has achieved success you will have observed that your fame
can be turned to more cash than you might get through a conventional
publisher. If you want only to write a publisher is likely to be your
aim. If you have sufficient skill and confidence you might prefer to
self publish. If you are a new writer you are likely to seek the ebook
option.

It is an easier task to publish and market ebooks online than to publish
print books conventionally. And POD is somewhere between these in terms
of skills and marketing complexity.

Each of the situations I mention cover groups of different experiences.
And it is each of those experiences that determines the business pattern
or model that is followed. Konrath shows great absence of this knowledge.

One of the most dangerous things is to apply the lessons of one small
situation to a whole industry. But that is exactly what Konrath and
Konrath with  Eisler do. As men of intellect it is not good enough for
them to criticise the Hachette document relating almost exclusively to
print for its mismatch with their ebook self-publishing experience. The
logical fallacies are obvious, but few will notice them.

And be warned when people throw percentages at you; be warned when no
actual figures of gross or pricing are on offer.  For example:
'..., typically retaining 70% of the cover price instead of the 17.5%
offered by legacy publishers (for digital editions). ...'

First publishers like Hachette get a better deal with the big etailers
than small and self-publishers. Second where is 70% 'typical'? Third if
Amazon is the main ebook seller for a title and reduces the price to 99c
instead of $7.99 [and for those who haven't noticed there most certainly
are such cases] it pays only 69c per sale at 99c. The expectation of a
sale there is a publisher receipt of $4.89, and that 69c also compares
unfavourably with £1.40 at 17.5% of the full price.  And payment is not
that fast either.

If I am accused of extreme examples I say they are not exaggerations; I
just hope this will not become common. I will be told a lot will sell at
99c; but will it be eight times as many? I will be told all the people
who create and present a book should not be paid, that 'information
wants to be free'[the other half of the saying is that 'information
wants to be paid for' signifying the tension for creative material]; to
them I suggest they try working full time but living without an income.

When you read these Konrath pieces - and you should take the time to
read them - please bear my cautions in mind.

Joseph Harris

Advice To Publishers
----------------------------------------------------------------------
J.A. Konrath Responds to Hachette Document
http://www.booktrade.info/i.php/35953-37685
http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2011/j-a-konrath-responds-to-hachette-document-advice-to-publishers/
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/12/eisler-konrath-vs-hachette.html


-- 
Happy is the man who escapes the critics by leaving his literary masterpiece in the ink. - Elbert Hubbard,  Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Business Men: John Jacob Astor.




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