tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post5802758232426068715..comments2024-03-18T06:16:18.802-05:00Comments on A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: Must. Stop. The Stupid.JA Konrathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-89323655626005118662014-07-30T06:46:39.111-05:002014-07-30T06:46:39.111-05:00The weight of Amazon versus the publishers' we...The weight of Amazon versus the publishers' weight. A very interesting link (scroll down to read in English): http://www.idboox.com/economie-du-livre/amazon-vs-hachette-une-infographie-pour-y-voir-plus-clair/Alan Spadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12265515535005420739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-51369943253688087352014-07-30T06:44:47.299-05:002014-07-30T06:44:47.299-05:00@Ron Edison: could you send me your link? When I g...@Ron Edison: could you send me your link? When I go on Amazon's page, I see the Kindle edition at $7.99, the hardback at $10.49 and the paperback at $18.99.<br /> Alan Spadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12265515535005420739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-14305085192036226342014-07-29T18:54:32.538-05:002014-07-29T18:54:32.538-05:00I jsut got on Amazon's side (and just signed H...I jsut got on Amazon's side (and just signed Hugh's letter).<br /><br />All it took was for Amazon to get on my side. See how easy that was?<br /><br />Here's Amazon getting on my side (by publicly proposing a distirbution deal with Hachette that would double what Hachette authors currently earn on ebooks).<br /><br />http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle/ref=cm_cd_tfp_ef_tft_tp?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx1D7SY3BVSESG&cdThread=Tx3J0JKSSUIRCMTLaura Resnickhttp://www.lauraresnick.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-29488559409741499632014-07-29T11:15:42.910-05:002014-07-29T11:15:42.910-05:00"Dragon city", I'm going to assume y..."Dragon city", I'm going to assume your query is not spam. Note that it does trigger several filters.<br /><br />Do post more than 6 posts in four years, if you want to keep an audience.<br /><br />Avoid paying as much as you can until you've earned some.<br /><br />I think that'd be about it, for now. Take care.shugyoshahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04437800091500543886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-72381426300266513112014-07-29T10:52:23.778-05:002014-07-29T10:52:23.778-05:00@Alan Spade: Thanks for the update on TRAITOR'...@Alan Spade: Thanks for the update on TRAITOR'S BLADE, but Amazon and B&N are still showing it at $18.99 for the Kindle version and $20 something for hardcover. That's an improvement, but hardly a deal for an e-book. After reading some of the reviews, I think I'm going to pass. I wonder how this pricing mix-up has impacted the author's sales.Ron Edisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05392160540477876501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-59425844914723650072014-07-27T22:40:58.592-05:002014-07-27T22:40:58.592-05:00Posts reversed in order sorry.Posts reversed in order sorry.w.adam mandelbaumnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-53520303646200515722014-07-27T22:39:53.853-05:002014-07-27T22:39:53.853-05:00This really is a tempest in a teapot. You want to ...This really is a tempest in a teapot. You want to publish your work quickly? Indie. You want a 70% royalty vs. A 25% royaly? Indie. You want control over content, cover price? Indie. QED.w.adam mandelbaumnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-64819980904023889862014-07-27T22:39:11.257-05:002014-07-27T22:39:11.257-05:00That should have been cover, price. Sorry.That should have been cover, price. Sorry.w.adam mandelbaumnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-8048818113491468952014-07-27T21:42:57.076-05:002014-07-27T21:42:57.076-05:00A bit of a ramble here:
After visiting some other...A bit of a ramble here:<br /><br />After visiting some other sites like Mike Shatzkin's, it seems that lately the discussion on this site has become pretty one sided relative to what I see over there. That may just be because the logic that Joe and Barry apply to other viewpoints is superior and so the other viewpoints have given up, again unlike on Mike's site where he sometimes makes little or no sense.<br /><br />Or it might be because Joe is more biting and caustic with his words and so some people just write him off. Their loss in my opinion. You need to develop a pretty thick skin to interact on the internet.<br /><br />However, after seeing some interesting information I had not heard before about the experience of people in the publishing industry on the other sites, I also thought of a third possibility. There is an old spiritual teaching story that talks about a group of blind men who encounter an elephant. The first one gets hold of the trunk and says, "An elephant is like a thick snake." The second blind man gets a hold of a leg and says, "No, the elephant is like a tree trunk." And the third blind man gets a hold of the tail and says, "You are both wrong, the elephant is like a rope." And of course they are all correct.<br /><br />Someone who works every day in the publishing industry experiences their part of the elephant, and to them there are self-evident truths that authors want to submit to them and are lucky to be accepted. And they see big advances go out the door and so on. It is incredibly hard for them to even see the rest of the elephant. And so they make totally unsupported statements about the totality of publishing.<br /><br />The really strange thing is when they willfully ignore information or discredit it too quickly and casually like much of the reponse to the authorearnings data.<br /><br />And the humbling thing is when I find myself doing the same thing, and starting to think that anyone who publishes traditionally is not thinking straight. There are still valid reasons to publish both ways.<br /><br />I will say that I am impressed more with the ability of Joe and Barry to step back and see the whole elephant than what I see elsewhere. That is why I think it is someone's loss if they can't tolerate the style of Joe's commentary. Besides, I find it mostly humorous and not that offensive, although it has not yet been directed at me....at least not yet :)<br /><br />Nirmala (free spiritual ebooks)http://endless-satsang.com/free-ebooks-free-spiritual-books61.htmnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-3942734530185708082014-07-27T18:31:02.780-05:002014-07-27T18:31:02.780-05:00Out of curiosity I read Laura Resnick's commen...Out of curiosity I read Laura Resnick's comments Joe linked to on the Author Guild's blog.<br /><br />I found it interesting that I found a number of posts from Hachette authors who were a bit miffed that the "big name" authors and Hachette took it upon themselves to turn down Amazon's offer to pay Hachette authors during the negotiation.<br /><br />These authors stated they were mid-list or just starting out and could not afford the financial losses they were incurring during the negotiation.<br /><br />I also found it interesting that these authors posted with obviously made-up names and several stated they did so out of fear of retaliation.<br /><br />Yes, Amazon is evil. The source of all evil in the publishing world. Big name authors, Hachetter, the Author's Guild and other large publishers would never do ANYTHING to hurt an author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-68899438659876977822014-07-27T16:36:55.229-05:002014-07-27T16:36:55.229-05:00Guys... a spam filter would be a good idea. Either...Guys... a spam filter would be a good idea. Either captcha for everyone or, at least, for anon posters.<br /><br />Take care.<br /><br />Ferranshugyoshahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04437800091500543886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-1472866803495666762014-07-27T13:10:56.018-05:002014-07-27T13:10:56.018-05:00I think they're doing both, actually. Just my ...I think they're doing both, actually. Just my opinion, but I suspect the 25% net royalty was part of the same collusive plan as Agency. They don't want to stop ebook sales but slow down adoption while locking in a much higher profit margin on ebooks to transition from print declines. If ebooks hit print too fast, the losses can't be dealt with effectively (see: music, newspapers). Eventually, I think they're playing for a tipping point where ebook volume and margins are such that it no longer makes sense to shield print, at which point, they shed what's left of the bulk of that expense and they've got digital locked in across the industry at much higher profits than they've possibly ever seen. The DOJ made two mistakes, I think. One, not making the prohibition on Agency deals at least a decade instead of 2 years. And two, they didn't dig deep enough into the actions of the publishers, staying too focused on their acts in concert with Apple rather than other actions they were similarly taking amongst themselves. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14026730564338917571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-71744460062845204022014-07-27T13:05:11.473-05:002014-07-27T13:05:11.473-05:00It seems all of these "Joe, you used to be ke...It seems all of these "Joe, you used to be kewl, but now you're lame" posts are cut & pastes. Like the anons cannot even come up with their own hate, they just copy-paste someone else's hate. <br /><br />Steve Z, are you going to tell us how that NYT ad worked out the last time and argue about how this time it will be a HUGE success since last time it was so... hahaha...<br /><br />I can't even finish the sentence. It's too rich to think you (or anyone else) still believes traditional media is where the majority get their news. <br /><br />ESPECIALLY traditional PRINT media. <br /><br />Didn't you get the memo when the IT guys ripped you off? Print is dead for everything but books, and it's dying at a steady pace. Angry_Gameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06858237359474121630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-40607396348414987392014-07-27T11:39:16.586-05:002014-07-27T11:39:16.586-05:00This blog is no longer a "Guide to Publishing...<i>This blog is no longer a "Guide to Publishing" for newbies or otherwise.</i><br /><br />Seems like a few people in the comments don't like me writing about the Amazon/Hachette dispute.<br /><br />Luckily, they can get their op-eds from the Authors Guild blog and don't need to bother reading me.JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-7092386737360967072014-07-27T10:08:36.794-05:002014-07-27T10:08:36.794-05:00Crap! Need an edit button!
That first sentence s...Crap! Need an edit button!<br /><br />That first sentence should have read, "I guess with all of us indies pushing for signatures on the petition, we have kept it going."T. M. Bilderbackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10543827916764604918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-87366752245557823882014-07-27T10:07:14.955-05:002014-07-27T10:07:14.955-05:00I guess with all of us indies pushing for signatur...I guess with all of us indies pushing for signatures on the petition have kept it going. I hope that it continues.<br /><br />I haven't read a Big 5 work in some time. The last four stories I've had time to read have all been indies: "Sati And The Rider" by Winslow Eliot, re-read "Whiskey Sour" by some guy named J. A. Konrath, "Dark Visions" by Jonas Saul, "Second Suicide" by Hugh Howey, and now I'm reading "Repo Chick Blues" by Tracy Sharp.<br /><br />I did buy Stephen King's "Mr. Mercedes" in hardcover back in June, but that was a gift for my Dad on Father's Day.<br /><br />I don't plan to buy any other Big 5 work at all until prices come down.T. M. Bilderbackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10543827916764604918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-86986678206724726162014-07-27T10:00:53.597-05:002014-07-27T10:00:53.597-05:00I'm boycotting the 'Big Five' until th...I'm boycotting the 'Big Five' until they become the 'Big Four.'Walter Knighthttp://www.waltknight.yolasite.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-28365048178963797902014-07-27T06:07:24.412-05:002014-07-27T06:07:24.412-05:00I keep coming back to this site hoping that, one d...I keep coming back to this site hoping that, one day, I'll see a real post that will help other indie author/publishers. Instead, all I see is more fisking and griping and whining. This blog is no longer a "Guide to Publishing" for newbies or otherwise. I'm outta here.Nickhttp://www.nickmarsdenauthor.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-22398838176366267442014-07-27T02:52:27.581-05:002014-07-27T02:52:27.581-05:00You know... we're getting into a perfect examp...You know... we're getting into a perfect example of publishing, with those signatures. Preston and his "bestseller" signature vs. the "longseller". Speed vs. mileage.<br /><br />Take care.<br /><br />Ferranshugyoshahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04437800091500543886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-24474756493117548172014-07-27T02:40:04.258-05:002014-07-27T02:40:04.258-05:00Thanks for the heads up, TM. I was hopiong the 750...Thanks for the heads up, TM. I was hopiong the 7500 would be met and exceeded. Here's to hitting 10K.Mir Writeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02156591500697731242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-36354840957735538642014-07-26T23:47:44.840-05:002014-07-26T23:47:44.840-05:00The Change.org petition is now at 7500! Take a lo...The Change.org petition is now at 7500! Take a look:<br /><br />http://www.change.org/petitions/hachette-stop-fighting-low-prices-and-fair-wagesT. M. Bilderbackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10543827916764604918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-15742279595307806612014-07-26T22:15:50.125-05:002014-07-26T22:15:50.125-05:00What's amazing to me is that in no other indus...What's amazing to me is that in no other industry does a manufacturer dictate to retailers the price at which they must sell a product (except in rare instances of exclusivity). Authors United should recognize that their books are like cereal brands being "manufactured" by Hachette. They shouldn't worry about the price at which Amazon sells their books, only that Amazon and other retailers sell a LOT of them. And, as with cereals, sometimes a 99-cent special on plain old corn flakes sells a ton of boxes of corn flakes. Michael W. Shererhttp://www.michaelwsherer.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-2858229367206725502014-07-26T20:57:09.047-05:002014-07-26T20:57:09.047-05:00Sorry Joe, but to be fair they did speak up back t...<i>Sorry Joe, but to be fair they did speak up back then with an entire blog post:<br />http://www.authorsguild.org/authorship/e-book-royalty-math-the-house-always-wins-2/ </i><br /><br />Wow an entire blog post, with zero comments, that achieved exactly nothing. Where did they condemn publishers for their stance? Nowhere. All they said was it would sort itself out in the future somehow. That's some great activism there... way to look out for authors.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-89774761100057382722014-07-26T11:45:28.841-05:002014-07-26T11:45:28.841-05:00Holy, moly. Jeff Bezos, just buy Hachette already....Holy, moly. Jeff Bezos, just buy Hachette already. Let's see what happens when Hachette authors suddenly start getting 70% royalties instead of 17.5%. I have never heard of David Preston or Richard Russo before this brouhaha, but I love C.J. Lyons - I've even done a workshop with her. She's wonderful.NickerNoteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01437366312771296874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-12096846764449629432014-07-26T11:44:26.838-05:002014-07-26T11:44:26.838-05:00The stylus and the screen blog post titled The Rea...The stylus and the screen blog post titled The Readers against Douglas Preston made me think about something: for a long time since this revolution beginned (as to say, four years), big authors like Stephen King have kept their mouth shut about Amazon's moves, even if they disapproved them. Why? Because they had too much to lose by speaking. <br /><br />And why do they begin to become vocal, with this Doug Preston's petition? Because their ebooks sales are decreasing. But I don't think it a clever move for them to speak, because that will only fasten the decreasing of their ebooks sales. <br /><br />People who happen to like ebooks also happen to like fairly priced ebooks, and that's too bad for them.Alan Spadehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12265515535005420739noreply@blogger.com