Re: Advice To Publishers

>
> 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.
>

AMEN! I've said this about the man many times. Between the fact that he
already HAD an audience and therefore cannot speak for new authors without
one and the fact that he doesn't see the inherent differences in different
methods...


>
> 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). ...'
>
> Second where is 70% 'typical'?
>

This is one that just annoys me, and it's so pervasive. Even Amazon Kindle
(that claims 70%) does not GIVE 70%. Anyone that has dealt with them knows
Amazon nickles and dimes that down to 60% or less, and that's not
"typical." I can name one other distribution channel that gives 70% (and
that one doesn't nickle and dime it down). Most of the others are paying
40-60%. Smashwords does more, but then...if you want exposure and/or
distribution, you lose almost all of your ground with them. I'd say the
average distribution channels are giving about 50%. Just my experience with
the ones I work with.



> 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.
>

There is a fine line. Price too cheaply, and the reader wonders if content
is worth paying for at all. Price too high, and you lose sales. We've found
(at one of my publishers) that books sell better at $1.49-1.99 than they do
at $.99. An oddity, but a fact.


Brenna
-- 
http://www.brennalyons.com    http://www.facebook.com/brenna.lyons
"Maybe they were counting on my feminine sensibilities to keep me from
killing my little charge. They were wildly mistaken. I could have gleefully
killed the little twerp. I could have smiled and whistled while I did it
and roasted marshmallows on his pyre." MONSTERS OF MYTH


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