The Royalty Statement - Veterans please?

Dreaming · Aug 14, 2009

Greetings fellow scribes,

Can anyone here tell me if the "net earnings" cited on my royalties statement is set in stone, or do I still have to wait for returns to get the final number? Also, if my ya novel sold 7000 units in eight months, is that concerned poor, okay, or good enough to justify a second deal? Any feedback would be much appreciated!

CheshireCat · Aug 14, 2009

Sorry, but since there is no "standardized" royalty statement, what "net earnings" means on your statement depends on what your publisher has it mean.

Ask your agent is my best advice; a good agent goes over every client's statements to make sure everything is on the up and up -- at least as far as she's able to tell.

And it's sort of the same deal with your sales. Whether the numbers are good and/or justify a second printing depends on what the publisher expected you to sell in the first months after publication. Also depends on how your book did in relation to other books in the same genre, whether the market has been flat or otherwise, and other variables.

Do you know what your print run was? Some publishers report that number on the royalty statements, but many don't.

Dreaming · Aug 14, 2009

Thanks for your response! 9000 print run. I just want to know if the statement reads 7000 units is that a definite number sold or could there still be returns?

Caramia · Aug 14, 2009

I was just reading over Nathan Bransford's book publishing glossary today. Still have the tab open. Not sure if this will help but there are mentions of net sales, and a few on royalties.

Link : http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2009/08/book-publishing-glossary.html

CheshireCat · Aug 15, 2009

Dreaming said:
Thanks for your response! 9000 print run. I just want to know if the statement reads 7000 units is that a definite number sold or could there still be returns?

If they're reporting net sales, that should mean the number of books actually sold. Which is not to say that some of those books might not come back months or even years later, but most pubs have a good idea of the percentage of books sold by the time they feel comfortable in reporting net sales.

All the variables I mentioned earlier still have to be taken into account, but selling 7,000 (Was it that round number? Because they usually aren't.) out of a 9,000 print run is probably going to make the publisher reasonably happy.

However, if, in the last eight months, they haven't gone back to press (You should ask, or go over the statements with a fine tooth comb, because the author isn't always told.) it sounds like they don't intend to. Unless you have another book or two out there or about to be published: Frontlist sales often stimulate backlist to the point that previous titles go back to press.

The thing is, many if not most pubs go by a previous book's sales to determine the print run for the next book, and many have the discouraging and depressing habit of lowering print runs rather than raising them. In other words, if you sell/sold a second book to that publisher, it would likely have a print run of closer to 7,000.

That tends to be true unless preorders come in strong, or there's excitement in-house about the second book, or the publisher otherwise has reason to believe they can do better with it.

Deleted member 42 · Aug 15, 2009

Call your agent; seriously. Royalty statements require black magic to interpret them.

Dreaming · Aug 15, 2009

Thank you so much for your wisdom!

I know you're going to say, "You should be able to talk to your agent about these matters," but I don't feel comfortable just yet for reasons I'd rather not disclose. However, I am with a legitimate top of the line agency, and my agent is indeed stellar, so I'm not too worried about being scammed or shammed. I'd just rather ask my wonderful writing fam on this board for now!

Lub ya!

IceCreamEmpress · Aug 15, 2009

7K sold in 8 months out of a 9K print run is perfectly respectable. Not "quit your day job" respectable, but not bad.

CheshireCat · Aug 15, 2009

Dreaming said:
I know you're going to say, "You should be able to talk to your agent about these matters," but I don't feel comfortable just yet for reasons I'd rather not disclose. However, I am with a legitimate top of the line agency, and my agent is indeed stellar, so I'm not too worried about being scammed or shammed. I'd just rather ask my wonderful writing fam on this board for now!

Seriously, if you don't feel comfortable asking your agent anything having to do with your career, you need to rethink the relationship.

I don't care how legitimate the agency or how "stellar" the agent, if you can't talk to him or her, there's a problem somewhere.

And it's likely to bite you on the ass when you least expect it.

Just sayin'.

Dreaming · Aug 16, 2009

You're absolutely right, Cheshire. But I've already been told that I ask a lot of questions by him/her, when I know I do not. I never call. Always email. But this agent fought tooth and nail to get my book published, took his/her time to EDIT (!!!) and is at the top of his/her form. Yes, I have to be vague because my world is so small and always bites me in the buttocks.

Icecream, funny you should say don't quit. I can't - I've been laid off! lol So like Tim Gunn of PR says, I've got to "make it work!"

The Royalty Statement - Veterans please?

Dreaming

CheshireCat

Mostly purring. Mostly.

Dreaming

Caramia

Alliteration Afflicted

CheshireCat

Mostly purring. Mostly.

Deleted member 42

Dreaming

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago

CheshireCat

Mostly purring. Mostly.

Dreaming