I am becoming less and less a fan of bookshops. Yep, I know that sounds heretical, but from a writer's point of view bookshops are the reason we are bottom of the financial food chain, even though WE are the reason they exist in the first place. It is unfair and I am miffed about it.
Bookshops do not have the writer's best interest at heart. To get books into any bookshop, a publisher has to offer at least a 48% discount. This means that for them to stay in business, publishers in turn offer writers such measly returns on books (10% - if you are lucky, and that's on the discounted figure) that it just isn't worth bothering. The growth of ebooks is as much the greed of bookshops as it is the development of technology.
I was recently in a blog discussion about small publishers and royalties, and one of the participants (Dr Teika Bellamy: @MothersMilkBks) helpfully provided the following breakdown of costs:
On a £10 RRP (please note, these are approximate figures)
50% retailer (£5)
10% distributor (£1)
10% author (£1)
20% printer (£2)
10% publisher (£1) ← That 10% needs to cover things like ISBN costs, advertising, free books that are sent off to reviewers (and postage and packaging), illustrator’s costs, editing, proofreading, typesetting and all the various running costs of the business (including salaries if employers are paid).
Based upon this, the writer at the bottom of the pile ends up with so little for all their years of hard graft that they might as well go and work in Asda (also selling discounted books).
Large publishers can print books cheaply and in bulk, and take a hit on a couple of titles. Small publishers cannot. And most bookshops still operate their snobby policy that if it's NOT published by one of the big names it is, ergo, of inferior quality. As one who has given up on so many novels by 'famous/hyped authors' because I can't get beyond page 9, I find that, frankly, deeply insulting.
My local Waterstones had a local writer shelf. I was on it. Then it didn't have one. Now it has reinstated it, but they won't take my Victorian Detective books as I am self-published. More evidence of discrimination. Even though the quality of Createspace books rivals many other publishers' stock (and they frequently resort to POD companies anyway). Same policy with WH Smith. Same with most independent bookshops. Same with their suppliers.
I am lucky in that a local gift shop takes my books (at a slight discount) and sells them like hot cakes as I am not in competition with shelves and shelves of other titles. Now I am, let's face it, at the latter end of my career. And most of my sales now come from Ebooks.
But for a writer just starting out, full of expectation and hope, I'd have to say: Be realistic. Love what you do, be proud of your end product, but don't give up the day job. As a fellow writer remarked: 'unless you sell gazillions of copies, writing books is mostly for pleasure, or a little income to subsidise what else you have.'
But for a writer just starting out, full of expectation and hope, I'd have to say: Be realistic. Love what you do, be proud of your end product, but don't give up the day job. As a fellow writer remarked: 'unless you sell gazillions of copies, writing books is mostly for pleasure, or a little income to subsidise what else you have.'
Yep, yep and yep! I can't get local bookshops here interested at all. One in the Hague had my books for a while after I did a talk there, but not any more and they only sell the big name authors and publishers. I've more or less given up. Ebooks are my jam on the teaching that's my daily bread. I'm glad to hear one shop sells your books!
ReplyDeleteI am sure you're right about almost all bookshops. And it's probable that my local independent bookshop works with similar margins. But they are unfailingly supportive of local writers, and have even revamped the shop so there is now an exhibition space that can be used for launches etc. I'll name and praise them - the White a Horse Bookshop. (And I do know how lucky I am.)
ReplyDeleteYou are! When Diamonds came out I approached a North London Bookseller and asked if they'd stock it ..given it featured areas in Hampstead and St John's Wood....ONLY if I gave them 48% discount.So mean spirited and small minded. So they didn't stock it.
DeleteWhen I read posts like this by someone who knows what they're talking about, I'm so glad I went into this thing only ever intending (with a few fleeting glances sideways) to be self-published and ebook only, and also seeing it as a way of finding more readers to read the stuff I wrote, rather than a way to make money. This post should be read by everyone who thinks they've made it because they've been taken on by an independent publisher. A pity that bookshops don't realise that self-publishing is, in many cases, a choice based on the requirement for independence, both artistic and otherwise - not a last resort. Novels by you, Mark Barry, Robert Leigh, John Privilege, Gemma Lawrence and William Savage, for instance, knock spots off a good number of mainstream published books, and most I've read from indie publishing companies. BTW, I read an average of 10 books a month, of all types.
ReplyDeleteThanks Terry. I know you and many many others have 'worked it out'.I am annoyed, though that so many good writers are not reaching their full readership, as people only see the 'hyped' books piled high in bookshops. And what poor quality many of them are! BH, now he's started proof reading, is constantly picking out appalling grammar and bad editing in the mainstream fiction he reads. I've suffered from bad/shoddy editing in ALL the publishers I've worked with, without exception. And yet, WE are considered 'inferior' writers?
DeleteCarol, if I think about it too much I get so angry too, so I try not to think about it and just carry on with what I'm doing! Now that you're self-pub again you're remembering it so well, I see - new writers signed with some small publisher thinking they're superior to you because you're 'only' self-pub, not realising that the majority of self-pub writers could get taken on by an indie publisher (because, lets' face it, in many cases all you have to do is submit the manuscript, and Bob's your uncle), but choose not to go down that path (ref articles by you and Jan Ruth!).
DeleteAs for some of the work that's mainstream published ~ words fail me. Mainstream publishing is about making money, and money is often made from that which appeals to a broad spectrum, not necessarily quality. Re the independent publishers - a book blogger was saying to me the other day that everything she has been sent by one of them has been mediocre at the very best. Last week I reviewed a book that came via such a publisher, and it had at least one punctuation error ON EVERY PAGE.
I feel ambivalent about bookshops - sure, they are a rip-off but I love browsing in them, and a good independent bookshop is an asset to any area. By the way, I can never access your posts via Blogging for Blogging Sake - it always comes up as post unavailable.
ReplyDeleteHi Carol. I found this through Terry Tyler's retweet and I am so glad I did. I am trying to find an agent for my first book and for the past year have been discovering the realities of writing. This is a great post full of really good information and advice. Thanks
ReplyDeleteHi 'Unknown' thanks for commenting...my I kindly refer you to this http://carolhedges.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/do-writers-need-agents.html
DeleteI found this through Terry Tyler's retweet and I am glad I did. I am schlepping my first novel round to agents at the moment and have spent the last year learning the realities of the writing business and adjusting my expectations accordingly. There is lots of great advice and info here so thanks Carol
ReplyDeleteInteresting to see where that post took you, Carol. I believe I went into publishing with a small press with my eyes open, but the percentage required by bookshops, and the difficulty of getting access, has been the main surprise. It’s great that you’ve found a niche in a local gift shop but overall I’m not sure what the answer is. While we have them, libraries might provide a platform. They buy books at the same bookseller discount and 6p for each time they are borrowed isn’t much, I know, but it’s a way of getting our books read.
ReplyDeleteWe have several (um, three) fantastic bookstores in the region that work to push local authors' books and work with their publishers. It's collaborative between the local writers, booksellers and regional presses. Our libraries not only buy and shelve local books, but they also put on author events where the author can bring books to sell at no charge from the library for hosting and advertising the event. No one is making tons of money, but each interest is trying to help the other at least.
ReplyDeleteYou are exceptionally lucky! My local library was happy to host an event, after a bit of persuading, but have suggested I 'donate' my books as it's too complicated to buy them. New Waterstones opening here...guess whose books won't be on the shelves?
DeleteI'm not a writer, but all I can say is that my experience of good writers is that they write because they feel a compulsion to create and get their words onto the page. Anyone who becomes a writer with the goal of making enough money to live on is batting off a sticky wicket indeed, surely.
ReplyDelete