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Comment from the book world in January 2012

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January 2012

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'Higher royalties on ebooks'

30 January 2012

'To the Society of Authors, the arguments in favour of higher royalties on e-books seem as unanswerable as they have ever been. We feel that the starting rate for an unenhanced book, including academic texts, should be at least 30% - and that where enhanced e-books are being published, the royalty rate should be negotiated to reflect the degree of additional costs and work involved. Where the deal is exclusively for an e-book, and no advance is being paid, the royalties should start at a minimum of 50% and be valid either for a period of some three years, or else permit the author to terminate the agreement. At a time when companies seem to be building their e-book lists with a view, in the long run, to selling them to the highest bidder, authors need to stand firm against what otherwise risks becoming a very blatant rights grab. Indeed, such is the speed with which things are changing that all authors - and a fortiori agents - need to insist on having finite licences. An author who was locked two years ago into a 15% royalty will surely be regretting it now; and if indeed, down the line, royalties do climb to a more reasonable rate, those who accept 25% now will doubtless want the opportunity to renegotiate.'

Tom Holland, retiring chair of the UK Society of Authors in the Bookseller

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The iron grip of large publishers

26 January 2012

'I believe that the iron grip that large publishers and their marketing partners have had on readers' attention since the 1990s has slipped quite a bit with the arrival of online retailers and opinion-makers. Obviously patrons of online booksellers can see the breadth of reading options - "Others who bought this item also bought...." Patrons of independent bookstores know of those options, too, and depend on the recommendations of their booksellers. The few "designated" titles from the big houses are still dominant, of course, even in independent stores. But if you are an author in one of those corporations whose book has not been "designated" your reality can become pretty stark. Independent presses can offer a real chance to a talented writer who might not fit the formulas of the big house. Yes, I know that each conglomerate has a few imprints and a good many editors dedicated to the best of books - to maintaining the course of American letters. Those are the prestigious imprints that aren't always required to pretend the sales of a prior book predict the performance of the next book. (I'm often astounded at how willing the industry is to act as though it believes that. We all know it isn't true.) But independent presses are all dedicated to finding and presenting the best of books, dedicated to the books in and of themselves and to the promise of the authors.

Fred Ramey of Unbridled Books in Psychology Today