Another author turns down traditional Pub deal

Meh, it was the best thing for this author at this time. If I'm reading the article correctly:

1. She wasn't getting bookstore placement, which is one of the big reasons to go with a trade publisher. In fact, she'd lose her placement on bn.com

2. Complete control over the cover design was very important to her.

I don't know her sales, but if she already has a sizable audience on Amazon, then it makes sense to turn the offer down.

I thought it was especially interesting about the cover. She didn't want a skinny woman on the cover, because she doesn't write about skinny women.

I'm happy for her. I hope she writes a dozen more books and makes a killing and makes Amazon feel like idiots for not offering her more money and good options for her book covers. I think authors should have a say in this sort of thing especially to at least be able to say 'No, that cover model looks nothing like my MC.... or any human being that even appears in this book at all.'

I found what she had been offered to be very interesting. Especially if it was true as she says that it was "less than I had made in my first month of sales". If that is accurate, then I question the competence of whoever made that offer. And from what is said in the article, it doesn't look like Montlake Press offered her anything she hadn't already done herself.

Generally, I don't see why anyone would accept an offer that limits their books availability, and cuts their share of the revenue in half.

SophieB said:

Not 100% sure this post goes in this forum, but I found it interesting, and it is actually news...

From The Guardian article yesterday, a self-pubbed ebook author turned down a 5k advance from Amazon's Montlake Press, with 35% royalties. Article mentions Montlake's other contract terms and author lists reasons she declined. I found it interesting in light of what's been happening in the book publishing world, and thought others might as well.

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/aug/08/amazon-publishing-deal-turned-down-author

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I'd turn down a 5k advance from a publisher like that, too. I'd rather not publish at all, self or traditional, than to publish with Montlake Press.

Maybe she wouldn't have turned down a decent offer reflecting her sale with proper distribution. Ie. Something more than she has. I think it's misleading to make this about Trade(not traditional) verses self-publishing. She simply received a not so good offer. If there had been 6 figures on the table, maybe it would be a different article.

$5000 advance? WTF? That's a pretty common advance for a lot of debut novelists. Considering that she's already gaining a following (undeniably more now that she has this article up on the Guardian) and is doing pretty darn well for herself, this offer almost seems like an insult.

Gangster thug, anyone? "Hey, you have a business here. I got $5000 so you can buy yourself something pretty. Then, I'll take 65% of what you bring in and you can't work with anyone else but us."

How is this not smarmy?

Heck, I'd turn down that offer from Montlake too.

Does anyone else have the lurking thought that Amazon might do things to people who turn down offers from their publishing arm... like change their book categories, reduce their visibility, suddenly develop "reporting glitches" for sales...

...anyone? No, just me?...

...well, okay, I'll just go back to my little corner of paranoia, then...

Interesting statement from the article: "It was hard for me to say no. Ever since I was a little girl I'd dreamed about being a 'published author'"

Uh, isn't that what she is?

I learned about her from the thread on shitty Montlake covers.


The title of this thread is very misleading. Amazon is not a "traditional" publisher, they are a new trade publisher, and the deal they offered was not so great, considering how she's done already. This isn't about traditional publishing. It's about Amazon being lame in terms of their offer. Plus, limiting her distribution to Amazon? Hell no.


Jeffo20, she probably meant she dreamed of the validation of being traditionally published.

jeffo20 said:

Interesting statement from the article: "It was hard for me to say no. Ever since I was a little girl I'd dreamed about being a 'published author'"

Uh, isn't that what she is?

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Yes -- but loads of people define "published author" as "someone who has actual books in actual bookstores." That's the dream, usually.

ETA: What Liosse said.

I would have to say that I don't blame her I would have turned her down as well.
thanks
iron

Celia Cyanide said:

I thought it was especially interesting about the cover. She didn't want a skinny woman on the cover, because she doesn't write about skinny women.

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Thirded. Every author should have control over covers. I remember reading a rant from an author whose cover featured a kilted Scotsman...and her MC was Irish.

Little Anonymous Me said:

Thirded. Every author should have control over covers. I remember reading a rant from an author whose cover featured a kilted Scotsman...and her MC was Irish.

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How much control, though?

Liosse de Velishaf said:

How much control, though?

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Enough so that their PoC character doesn't mysteriously turn white, or their full figured heroine into Keira Knightley. Or have a kilted Scotsman with an Irish MC.


Clearly, most authors are not graphic designers. But they sure as hell deserve to tell the publisher to scrap it because they did a crap job and got everything wrong, or because they flat out hate the cover.

From the article:

"An editor for Amazon's Montlake Press, which specialises in romance, spotted Me, Cinderella? among the thousands of self-published books on the site, singling it out for its "very clean" writing."

I'm interested in what an editor considers "very clean" writing, so I'm going to buy this.

Little Anonymous Me said:

Enough so that their PoC character doesn't mysteriously turn white, or their full figured heroine into Keira Knightley. Or have a kilted Scotsman with an Irish MC.


Clearly, most authors are not graphic designers. But they sure as hell deserve to tell the publisher to scrap it because they did a crap job and got everything wrong, or because they flat out hate the cover.

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Agreed.

Meh.

Also don't blame her. 5K advance? I top that regularly in sales each month. Not impressed with AMZ Montlake so far...

I wish her the best, and totally agree with her on the cover issue.

Meh. It does sound rather insulting to SP authors, doesn't it?

When I imagine getting a commercial publication contract, I'm not thinking of Amazon.

No bookstore placement, and only available through Amazon?

False advertising. This was no traditional publishing deal.

Little Anonymous Me said:

Enough so that their PoC character doesn't mysteriously turn white, or their full figured heroine into Keira Knightley. Or have a kilted Scotsman with an Irish MC.


Clearly, most authors are not graphic designers. But they sure as hell deserve to tell the publisher to scrap it because they did a crap job and got everything wrong, or because they flat out hate the cover.

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Also agree.