That you pay authors is not the issue. That you
only pay authors when you want to is the issue.
THIS is the issue:
If a title in a genre fiction area is going to sell mostly in ebooks, which is increasingly likely, the author is going to be a lot better off with no royalties on the first 1000 copies of the print edition but 50% on the ebook.
BULLSHIT.
Are you getting money for the sales of physical books? Yes?
THEN THE AUTHORS DESERVE TO BE PAID FOR THE PHYSICAL BOOKS TOO.
I still can't see the objection to that in principle.
Because you are making money and the author is not getting paid. BECAUSE THE AUTHOR IS NOT GETTING PAID.
But hey, you've said you're going to start paying your authors for every sale on *sigh* your new contracts.
Great. For your new authors.
So let's move on to the next big question, already echoed below: How many of your subsidy authors earn back their investment?
And how about the other one: What is the nature and quality of editing you provide?
Because the question really is
what advantage does your company offer over self-publishing?
I'd say "other companies" but we're not even in that ballpark anymore.
Your subsidy prices would make an author's investment for a 100K word book $1600 under one contract and $3200 for another.
I'm a self publisher. I'm just starting to plan for a print run of a 100k word book. My research says I can do it all--hire an editor of middling quality, professional proofreading, professional typesetting, cover artist and manufacture/distribution through Lightning Source--for $2400 bucks, plus periodic charges for returns (Research and google-fu so far say Lightning Source charges you manufacturing fee+shipping for returned books. You CAN have a returnable POD book as long as you're willing to eat the costs on returns). I'm really confident I can do it for less, but let's assume I can't.
We're not adding in the cost of an offset print run. With POD technology there is
no reason to do an offset print run of a book that you assume is not going to sell well. If you are irresponsible enough to risk your company's finances on a print run you
know you can't sell
that should not be the author's problem and they shouldn't have to pay for it.
You're charging a subsidy author with a book roughly the same size $1600 under a level 3 contract, and $3200 under a level four.
According to my research, and I'm really willing to admit that I'm wrong if someone has better numbers than mine, you're charging a level three author
over half what they'd pay on their own, and
almost a thousand dollars more for a level four.
And my sales numbers? As a self publisher? With
no professional editing,
no professional formatting,
no professional artist,
no book designer,
no advertising and marketing whatsoever? They are as good or better than
every single title of yours that I've looked at so far. Better in some cases, maybe a little worse than others, but it's all in the "I sold a book in the last 72 hours, maybe" range
. If
my books are on a similar standing with those of a publishing company?
There is something very, very wrong with that publishing company.
That's why I have a problem with what your contracts propose. They offer your subsidy authors
no financial advantage over self-publishing.
You have ignored and/or refused to answer this question:
How many of your authors earn back their subsidy investment? So I have to assume that your company offers authors no substantial
sales advantage over self-publishing.
You have ignored and/or refused to answer this question:
What level and quality of editing does your company offer authors? So I have to assume that your company offers authors no substantial
quality advantage over self-publishing.
Self publishing is baseline zero.
Right now your company looks like less than zero, in my humble yet vitriolic opinion
.
If you want to clear up this impression, stop giving circular answers
, stop trying to use emotional blackmail,
knock the passive-aggressive s*** off, and give two clear, concise answers to the following questions:
HOW MANY OF YOUR AUTHORS EARN BACK THEIR SUBSIDY? Give us the actual number.
WHAT LEVEL AND QUALITY OF EDITING DO YOU OFFER YOUR AUTHORS? give us the list of services.
If you CANNOT give a clear and simple answer to either question, or you continue to avoid these questions, it means that you
damn well know that there are issues with the answers, which in turn means there are issues with what your company has to offer authors. Which means that authors are better off publishing their own books on their own dime than they are giving their books to you. But if your company really is on the up-and-up, and you really are offering a viable opportunity to authors, answering these questions will make this clear.
Straight answers, sir. A number and a list of services given (NOT OFFERED) to both subsidy and non-subsidy authors.
HOW MANY SUBSIDY AUTHORS EARN BACK THEIR INVESTMENT?
WHAT LEVEL AND QUALITY OF EDITING DO YOU PROVIDE FOR YOUR AUTHORS?