Comments on Pub Rants: Agenting 101 (Payout--part five)

Oh Yeah! That reminds me when I was in Georgia thi...

2006-07-11T20:46:00.000-06:00

Oh Yeah! That reminds me when I was in Georgia this past week, there was a commercial on MTV for Jen's book, Plan B, and I meant to email her to tell her...

I saw the commercial, and was like, "HEY! I know that author! I met her and we email occasionally!"

Yes, I felt famous by association.

Great info...thanks Kristin. I'm referring a lot ...

2006-07-07T09:06:00.000-06:00

Great info...thanks Kristin. I'm referring a lot of other writers to your blog.

I like to add: This process, from what I've exper...

2006-07-07T08:15:00.000-06:00

I like to add: This process, from what I've experienced, is the longest, slowest in the history of business. From the time you make the sale to the time you actually see the money in your hand, you could start a small family. Publishing is not a business for the impatient.

And in multi-book deals, it might be even more div...

2006-07-07T06:15:00.000-06:00

And in multi-book deals, it might be even more divided than that. For instance:

1) 1/4 on signing
2) 1/8 d&a 1st book
3) 1/8 pub first book
4) 1/8 proposal 2nd book
5) 1/8 d&a 2nd book
6) 1/8 pub 2nd book
7) 1/8 d&a 3rd book

etc.

Thanks so much for the posts about this. Very enli...

2006-07-07T02:02:00.000-06:00

Thanks so much for the posts about this. Very enlightening for a new author.

This happened to me. I was so annoyed I'd missed ...

2006-07-07T00:35:00.000-06:00

This happened to me. I was so annoyed I'd missed it. Because I was already published with the publisher I didn't look for it. It's annoying and undesireable because it means if they don't publish it for three years until they have a space then you sit and wait for the third you should have already had...
At least it's paying royalties in the end though, because the other half of me - the illustrator - in educational publishing for children doesn't even keep the copyright - oh boy do I hate this - and consequently refuse to do educational illustration.
Penny

The "third on publication" is a HUGE pet peeve of ...

2006-07-06T20:44:00.000-06:00

The "third on publication" is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. It's like that old saying: you don't pay the butcher when you cook the chicken, you pay him when you BUY it. One of my publishing houses switched horses in mid-stream on this policy: when I first started writing for them, it was half on signing, half on delivering the complete manuscript. Then they changed the policy a year or so ago: a third, a third, a third. I could understand going into it and finding out a third, a third, a third up front, but switching a couple of years later? Argh. I see it as simple money-grubbing on their part. But then, I'm grumpy this week. ;-)

Not to argue against money on any day, but the fin...

2006-07-06T20:24:00.000-06:00

Not to argue against money on any day, but the final third on publication is still in advance of earnings, unless I misunderstand publication... eh, a quibble. I'd certainly rather had it sooner, but I think I'll be quite excited if I ever have the opportunity to complain about such a thing. :)

I should add to the above: hardcover was usually 4...

2006-07-06T18:24:00.000-06:00

I should add to the above: hardcover was usually 40%, sometimes 38%. MM or trade, a little higher in the 45% discount range.

As a former independent bookstore manager, the dis...

2006-07-06T18:12:00.000-06:00

As a former independent bookstore manager, the discount we most often received was between 40 and 46%, depending on the quantity we ordered. That was ten years ago. Not sure if that has changed. Just wanted to mention it.