tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27125272.post1383516128991643471..comments2024-03-29T02:35:40.218-05:00Comments on Candy's Blog: Dorchester’s Digital Gamblecs harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13708705800818667923noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27125272.post-76590161612277326102010-09-27T16:42:40.812-05:002010-09-27T16:42:40.812-05:00I welcome more ebooks... I love Candy's books ...I welcome more ebooks... I love Candy's books - but I find myself thinking 'do I love them enough to buy hardcopy?' Even three quarters of an inch of shelf-space is an issue, when the only room in the house with no books in it is the bathroom - and that's AFTER over a thousand paper books got replaced by electronic. eBooks are friendly on the eyes when read on a proper eInk reader, easier to read than paper while in bed, in the bath, and while eating, and I can carry my whole electronic library with me wherever I go. And maybe I'm getting old, but I find myself thinking 'It'll all go electronic eventually... I can wait.' So the authors, and publishing houses, who publish fiction in electronic format get my money, and the rest... don't.Jennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27125272.post-89341342363744689612010-08-27T23:33:31.590-05:002010-08-27T23:33:31.590-05:00Queen Liz, I'm with you; after staring at a co...Queen Liz, I'm with you; after staring at a computer screen all day, I want to curl up with a real book. I'm hoping to do a posting this coming week on ebooks and authors.<br /><br />Steve, I've heard that rumor, but in my experience any author with less than a 50% sell-though rate will find themselves in serious danger of not having their contract renewed. (Sell though for the hardcover of What Remains of Heaven was 91%, but that is virtually unheard of and says that NAL seriously underpublished the book.) And don't get me started on Random House and ebooks of backlist titles! I asked for the rights back for 4 of my out-of-print romances, and they turned around and slapped them up as ebooks themselves, without my approval or even negotiating a royalty rate. Grrrr.<br /><br />Pax Deux, it's coming!cs harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13708705800818667923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27125272.post-6575699293144026612010-08-27T17:52:34.920-05:002010-08-27T17:52:34.920-05:00Well, then Steve, do not keep to your self so much...Well, then Steve, do not keep to your self so much! Very informative post...<br /><br />And Candy, I would love to read a post on your take on eBooks. I am extremely ambivalent myself. I obviously have bought many -- and read them when I know I will travel distances on commuter trains, metros, etc. I also buy them when I find that I have gone through my new book pile too quickly, and start jonesing for novelty. But I make sure to buy print books of the authors I know I will want to re-read, or share...Pax Deuxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27125272.post-9415765731845586702010-08-27T17:07:57.075-05:002010-08-27T17:07:57.075-05:00Wow. It's been *forever* since I had that much...Wow. It's been *forever* since I had that much to say!Steve Malleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17561234111786788616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27125272.post-84652581649393451102010-08-27T17:07:30.614-05:002010-08-27T17:07:30.614-05:00Candy, the further unsubstantiated rumor is that s...Candy, the further unsubstantiated rumor is that sell-through on paperbacks may be as low as 20%. I'd imagine having to print five books to reach a single reader made reaching that 88% less attractive...<br /><br />Charles, I know one imprint, Hard Case Crime (my favorite!) is refusing to die quietly: they're out right now shopping for a new publisher!<br /><br />and Queen Liz, you just asked one heckuva question:<br /><br />the Big Houses are struggling to figure out how to deal with this 'crazy ebook thing', and for the most part their answer has been to charge printed-book prices and pay a standard 15% royalty to their authors.<br /><br />This despite not having to print, warehouse or distribute an ebook and not needing a reserve for returns. <br /><br />Self-published ebook authors get 70% royalties. <br /><br />There's a lot of pressure on the Big Houses right now to justify the extra money they take, and a lot of tug-of-war over ebook rights. Most recently, Mega Agent Andrew Wylie declared his intention to 'self-publish' his clients' backlist. We're talking about writers like Salman Rushdie and Philip Roth. <br /><br />His arm-twisting seems to have worked. Random House sued him, then caved. I can only assume they were forced to admit they had no reason *not* to share more of the ebook royalties... :)Steve Malleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17561234111786788616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27125272.post-53836083687793550652010-08-26T11:38:15.013-05:002010-08-26T11:38:15.013-05:00Pax Deux, crazy times, indeed. I'm thinking ab...Pax Deux, crazy times, indeed. I'm thinking about doing another post on e-readers. I don't have one myself, but my last royalty statement was a real eye opener. <br /><br />Orannia, I suspect it was do this or die. They may still die. I'm told the Anderson News debacle had a lot to do with their financial troubles.<br /><br />Lainey, I'm with you. I don't like reading on a screen. Your favorite authors may move houses. Many are.<br /><br />Liz, it's really been a shock to everyone in the industry I know.<br /><br />Charles, yes, it's their entire list.cs harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13708705800818667923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27125272.post-76686031131451154862010-08-26T09:37:18.398-05:002010-08-26T09:37:18.398-05:00Does this mean that all their imprints will go dig...Does this mean that all their imprints will go digital too? I'm wondering about Zebra in particular.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27125272.post-86509488777101539972010-08-26T06:28:58.766-05:002010-08-26T06:28:58.766-05:00Sobering news...
lxSobering news...<br />lxAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02744937536946299450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27125272.post-84710547498980935212010-08-25T22:14:45.351-05:002010-08-25T22:14:45.351-05:00I'm just not ready to let go of my dead tree b...I'm just not ready to let go of my dead tree books. When I first read about Dorchester's move a few days ago, I was disheartened. There are three authors there that I read, two of whom may not survive.Laineyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08646581153872151520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27125272.post-15570711957655469982010-08-25T18:14:34.444-05:002010-08-25T18:14:34.444-05:00I'm still not sure I'm clear on the reason...I'm still not sure I'm clear on the reasons behind Dorchester's move to all eBooks...one would think they have crunched the numbers, but...<br /><br />I am glad that the author will retain their backlist in the event of bankruptcy, although obviously fingers crossed that doesn't happen. (I seem to remember a nightmare scenario when I first came online about a publisher holding on to an author's backlist...and not publishing it.)oranniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14007355589161084262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27125272.post-34637750720214684322010-08-25T14:20:16.732-05:002010-08-25T14:20:16.732-05:00Crazy Times.
Both Borders and Barnes and Noble, ...Crazy Times. <br /><br />Both Borders and Barnes and Noble, those evil empires, destroyers of the local bookstore, are also now in financial shambles. And academia, abandoned by its presses, its trying to figure out how to re-imagine the publish or perish track.<br /><br />At least Amazon (UK) seems to have a healthy inventory... though books stopped being its primary product long ago.<br /><br />E-readers are not as of now a solution for authors (or readers): not only are the number of ebooks still limited, the platforms for reading are often not very compatible. I have both a kindle and an iPhone and I still encounter glitches.<br /><br />Perhaps we can take comfort in the fact that your books, very good books, are still holding strong, and finding the publishers we need to read them.Pax Deuxnoreply@blogger.com