That was a very clearly stated example. I knew in my gut that authors don't make much but it's great to see something in real numbers I can point others to.
Re: eBooks - I think we are still a long ways away from a stable pricing protocol. We don't have a stable eReader device yet - Kindle's close but it's too expensive for many. Once the devices and formats have settled out (anyone remember Betamax?), there'll still be pricing volatility as the publishers figure out What The Market Will Bear. This is going to be a bumpy ride for the next decade. ish. The current eReader-user is angry but they are a small minority compared to those buying the dead-tree editions - the publishers should remember that eventually the eReader-users will be in the majority and should avoid annoying them. I saw Macmillan as attempting to do that --- they never said the eBooks would STAY at 14.99. They said the eBooks should start there and go down in price as the paperback editions get released.
But this is my own opinion as a bookseller (who gets the maximum price of her books DICTATED to her by the publishers), Lauretta@ConstellationBooks
PS One of my successful thriller authors once quoted 0.25 royalty on each Mass Market paperback book (7.99) he sells. And that was with a big publishing house. That's not even a postage stamp anymore!
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mmmag
Thank you
Date: 2010-02-13 01:54 am (UTC)Re: eBooks - I think we are still a long ways away from a stable pricing protocol. We don't have a stable eReader device yet - Kindle's close but it's too expensive for many. Once the devices and formats have settled out (anyone remember Betamax?), there'll still be pricing volatility as the publishers figure out What The Market Will Bear. This is going to be a bumpy ride for the next decade. ish. The current eReader-user is angry but they are a small minority compared to those buying the dead-tree editions - the publishers should remember that eventually the eReader-users will be in the majority and should avoid annoying them. I saw Macmillan as attempting to do that --- they never said the eBooks
would STAY at 14.99. They said the eBooks should start there and go down in price as the paperback editions get released.
But this is my own opinion as a bookseller (who gets the maximum price of her books DICTATED to her by the publishers),
Lauretta@ConstellationBooks
PS One of my successful thriller authors once quoted 0.25 royalty on each Mass Market paperback book (7.99) he sells. And that was with a big publishing house. That's not even a postage stamp anymore!