Ebooks: Are authors being ripped off? – Chris Longmuir
I don’t usually study the business section in my local
newspaper, but a recent report on one of the big publishers, I won’t name any
names, caught my eye. What the report said was – the publisher “reported
increased operating profits during the final quarter. Despite a 2% year-on-year
fall in volume, the publisher said margins had been boosted by the lower
relative cost of publishing ebooks in the new digital environment. In turn, the
increased proportion of online sales led to a reduced rate of returns.” The
report went on to say “ebook sales continued to show increased market share in
the UK, growing 58% year-on-year during the four months to the end of
December.”
Hang on a minute though. I’ve been eyeball to eyeball with
various publishers and they all sing to the same tune when you confront them
with the lesser costs of digital publishing. Not so, they say. There is no
saving. There is still the editing, the proofing, the marketing, and the
publicity (what publicity? I think to myself, it’s nonexistent except for the
big boys). Anyway, the list is endless of the things they can think up to
justify the measly 15%, 20%, or if you’re extremely lucky 25% royalties, they
offer to give you for the honour of having them publish your novel as an ebook.
However it would seem, if the business report I read is to
be believed, that the publishers are bolstering their publishing houses with
the profits from the aforesaid non-profitmaking ebooks. Now, far be it for me
to accuse anyone of profiteering from an author’s work, but it did put the
question in my mind – are we being ripped off by these very honourable
publishing businesses. Well, what do you think?
Oh, and I’m afraid I always like to have the last word, so
I’m just going to say that it’s no wonder many authors are now turning to the
Indie route and publishing their own ebooks, and I wonder just how long it will
be before the publishers have noticed how many of their authors have fled the
nest!
Chris Longmuir
Comments
Which leads me to think that he, at least, wasn't trying to screw me, and was telling the truth.
This was a year ago or more, and I still haven't got round to doing it. Which leads me to think, further, that publishers may have other uses, too! He also said that if I ever changed my mind, he'd still publish the ebooks for me.
Mmmm
Each one they've treated badly, of course - and these authors, as they get their wings, fly off and don't return.
It must be scary to become an indie after being a traditionally published author: so many things you now have to do for yourself. But lots of authors have survived the process quite nicely, and are kind enough to write about it.
I remember the anger I felt when I discovered that, out of the $26 a publisher was charging for a book, the author made around $2. The author, without whom the whole thing wouldn't exist!
It is very easy for me to see that the modern system has led to real bargains for readers - WITHOUT affecting how much my favorite authors CAN get out of the deal. As a potential author (and a writer forever), I want to know that authors make real money if they produce real value.
I will not mourn the loss of the middlemen.
ABE
And with that in mind, Jan, I have a hefty library copy of Wicked Trade sitting here on my shelf. Get off yer arse and ebook the series before I've finished it please. I don't think it's even the first in the series... but it proves you have at least one customer out here!