Purgatory's Pit of Doom

I just did some rough calculations. If there were just hardcover sales, which there won't just be but I don't have time right now to do the ebook math, the publisher would need to sell about 510,000 at $25 before they'd start making any money. That's assuming my math is right.

kellion92 said:

Amarie, I know that the readerships for Kn0x and my books are different. Thus, for my own mental protection, I will tell myself comparing my own book advance to hers is no more accurate than comparing it to an IPO, energy futures, or the auction of a Van Gogh.

Of course, I don't see how the publisher can make money. I don't understand how the numbers could work, and if they don't work, who is signing off on these deals? *shrug*

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There's also secondary rights and sales, reprint rights, maybe movie rights. With a deal like that, I'd guess the publisher keeps control over most of that other stuff.

So I wrote back to the editor who rejected and asked if she thought it would be worth trying to revise. It doesn't hurt to ask, right? I can't be any worse off with that particular editor then I am right now.

ETA: Amarie, I was writing this when your post appeared.

Teriann said:

There's also secondary rights and sales, reprint rights, maybe movie rights. With a deal like that, I'd guess the publisher keeps control over most of that other stuff.

So I wrote back to the editor who rejected and asked if she thought it would be worth trying to revise. It doesn't hurt to ask, right? I can't be any worse off with that particular editor then I am right now.

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good for you for writing back-you're right, it can't hurt.

I think Knox will keep movie rights, her agent probably insisted on that.

I've heard that hardback sales are a real tough sell nowadays, but don't know how the Knox books would go since this is a huge publicity and media deal. I think it was Publishers Market (?) that stated a decline in hardbacks straight across the board for the big six, even for celeb titles. Although E-books would probably go through the stratosphere.

Tri

Good points, Kell, but I think we have to factor in foreign rights. This is a big time international story, so the pub will pay for the advance through foreign rights sales.

SteveCordero said:

Good points, Kell, but I think we have to factor in foreign rights. This is a big time international story, so the pub will pay for the advance through foreign rights sales.

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Depends on who held onto them, could have gone either way, because that's a big negotiating point with a hot book. The agent wants to keep as many foreign rights possibilities as possible. Evie's agent kept almost all of hers, as I seem to remember and sold them separately.

Okay, last math for the day. If the ebook sells for 12.99, the pub nets a bigger percentage, but because of the lower price it works out to 610,000 copies before seeing a profit.

now I'm going away

Everyone gets hugs today! Obviously, editors and agents were busy over the weekend.

If, in fact Knox is indeed innocent (wasn't it really a case of rough sex play gone wrong, which would make it involuntary manslaughter?), then I suppose she deserves the money for the hellish experience of prison.

But why 4 million? Like she wouldn't have taken 1 million? Come on!

Catwoman said:

Everyone gets hugs today! Obviously, editors and agents were busy over the weekend.

If, in fact Knox is indeed innocent (wasn't it really a case of rough sex play gone wrong, which would make it involuntary manslaughter?), then I suppose she deserves the money for the hellish experience of prison.

But why 4 million? Like she wouldn't have taken 1 million? Come on!

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Probably a bidding war.

I'm pretty certain that an Italian prison is one of the few things worse than being in The Pit. So, good for her. And yes, I bet there was a bidding war. It will be a big book. Surely there will be an official movie based on the journals too? Ah, whatever.

(((Teri))) sorry for the pass.

(((Cricket))) for your Rs.

(((Ink))) for your car.

*waves hello to Mrs.Brommers* Sorry to see you down here.

I got 2 very nice short story Rs over the holiday weekend. Nice comments on my pieces and the encouragement to send more. I wish I had more to send. I'm so busy obsessing over the death spiral of my novel submissions that I've run the writing well dry. *shrug*

@Cat, IIRC, rough sex had nothing to do with it either. The whole thing, supposedly, was an incompetent investigation and a frame by a prosecutor anxious to score a win.

I think it was probably a world rights deal -- for that kind of money, I doubt very much she held onto her foreign rights, and I wouldn't be surprised if film rights were included too. I mean, what do I know, but even with all that, a 4 million dollar advance seems...a tad optimistic.

And absurd. It's not totally a zero-sum game, I know there's some truth to big sellers bringing money into the house for other authors, but when it's this big an advance, you know this is going to suck promotional and marketing $ away from nearly everyone else.

Cat, I think group-sex-torture-murder was the theory that got her convicted. But the theory that got it overturned was that Kn0x wasn't there or involved at all. The only DNA evidence of her presence was the kind you'd expect in your own apartment.

ETA: Oops, cross with Lisa. The group sex idea was very prejudicial and powered the investigation.

That is a good point, OL. I didn't think about the pile of $ they would spend on promotion to make sure to justify the initial investment. Ugh.

My only question is: who hasn't read as much as they could stomach on the news? My curiosity level is nil.

RedScylla said:

My only question is: who hasn't read as much as they could stomach on the news? My curiosity level is nil.

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mine too

I can't say my curiosity was ever high to begin with.

(((Octavia)))

(((Octavia))) Sorry for the Rs and more for the dry well. Mine is empty too.

alias octavia said:

I got 2 very nice short story Rs over the holiday weekend. Nice comments on my pieces and the encouragement to send more. I wish I had more to send. I'm so busy obsessing over the death spiral of my novel submissions that I've run the writing well dry. *shrug*

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I think that's the worst part of nice rejections on shorts. It's always "send us more," and you're left thinking, "Um, you just rejected the best story I've ever written." Or at any rate, that's how I feel. Especially as the best story I've written has garnered about 10 really complimentary rejections, but no sale.

Heh, Red, that's exactly how I felt about several of my mss when I got "we'd like to see future work." I'd always think, this is the best I've got and you're passing, so no, I can't, sorry.

{{{AO}}}

{{{Ink}}}

{{{Terri}}}

I had no idea who AK was, so you know where my interest lies. (It did all ring a vague bell once I looked her up, though.)

Tomorrow my day starts at 6:00 am and ends at 10:00 pm. I've been looking forward to this all week.

Heh, Red, that's exactly how I felt about several of my mss when I got "we'd like to see future work." I'd always think, this is the best I've got and you're passing, so no, I can't, sorry.

Exactly. I have my best adult thriller and my best YA fantasy with my agent, and right now both those books are in a 2-spins-to-the-right spiral profile.

Downward.

2 1/2 spins equals an unavoidable flying condition from which you cannot pull out to save yourself. And that's a crash.

Cricket, that sucks.

I must really live under a rock, or should be happy I watch next to no TV, because I only peripherally heard about Am@nda Kn0x. It's a great story, though - falsely accused and finally vindicated? Who doesn't love that? (You know, when it's not happening to you. )

{{{Octavia}}}
{{{Red}}}
{{{Teriann}}}

I woke up with a sore throat and think I'm getting a chest cold. The baby--yes, the same one I cursed by saying he's better than he'd been--has a bad case of bronchitis. This is his third major respiratory infection, and he's only nine months. These are the perils of school-age siblings, I suppose.

Mornin', Pit

{{{Cricket}}}

{{{Octavia}}}

{{{Red}}}

MrsBrommers said:

{{{Octavia}}}
{{{Red}}}
{{{Teriann}}}

I woke up with a sore throat and think I'm getting a chest cold. The baby--yes, the same one I cursed by saying he's better than he'd been--has a bad case of bronchitis. This is his third major respiratory infection, and he's only nine months. These are the perils of school-age siblings, I suppose.

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Nothing is sadder than a sick baby. So sorry.

I hope there's at least something nice waiting at the end of the day, Cricket.

(((MrsB and BabyB)))

I really have to get my butt in gear for writing. I have been spinning my wheels at my temporary job because I had to figure out what to do about school, camp, and child care should I get the permanent job. But I just realized that I'm not going to get the permanent job -- my boss will want to hire me, but her boss won't. So now I have different problems -- some old ones vanished, and new ones are coming down the pike.

I hate being unsettled.

ETA: And it's dreary because I have to A) do my job B) interview for my job with coworkers even though I'm pretty well doomed C) watch viable candidates interview for my job. Full of losing.