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 ~ they signed up to the scrapping of the Net Book Agreement, allowing them to discount titles and then discovered Amazon/supermarkets beat them to it.
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 don't take my Victorian Detective books as I am self-published on Amazon and Bertrams & Gardiners (the 2 big suppliers) won't look twice at me.
More evidence of discrimination. Even though the quality of Createspace books rivals many other publishers' stock (and they frequently resort to using POD companies anyway). Same policy with WH Smith. Same with most independent bookshops. Same with their suppliers ~ same suppliers.
More evidence of discrimination. Even though the quality of Createspace books rivals many other publishers' stock (and they frequently resort to using POD companies anyway). Same policy with WH Smith. Same with most independent bookshops. Same with their suppliers ~ same 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.'
Is it worth it then? Yes ~ a hundred times yes, as long as your definition of 'worth' is not measured in pounds and pence
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.'
Is it worth it then? Yes ~ a hundred times yes, as long as your definition of 'worth' is not measured in pounds and pence
An interesting post, Carol, and a thought-provoking one. Thank you.
ReplyDeletewelcome..it was written on the back of another of those 'I made a million from my first book' articles
DeleteI really enjoy your writing Carol, you have a great gift - good luck with your books x
ReplyDeleteaww,,,,thank you!
DeleteYou still have at least 40 years of career before you. (See last weeks comment!)
ReplyDeleteNot sure I'll be writing much after reaching 90...
DeleteAlready planning to get lazy? You might need something to "survive" G and G.
DeleteA salutary reminder that writing is not an occupation that will make you money (unless you're lucky). You've got to do it because you want to do it more than anything else.
ReplyDeleteAgreed - there's no point in writing unless you love it. My local independent bookshop has been very good to me, but I do know that they are in a small minority.
ReplyDeleteHo, yus.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely agree with all of this. I write now with no expectation of even selling any books let alone making much money from them. But I love it and I'll keep doing it. The people who have read my books and like them mean everything to me.
ReplyDeleteAs I said at the top of the comments ~ a lot of the 'I'm making a lot of money' stories are just that: stories!
DeleteI totally agree with you. It is a shame that self-published books are viewed so negatively, but at least we CAN self-publish these days, eh?
ReplyDeleteSo so true. As an author in a market that is not my language, it's even more difficult. I have a great relationship with an English language bookshop in the Hague, but they only give me space to hold talks and events for free; they won't stock my books!
ReplyDeleteWhat Joanne Larner said. Thank goodness for Amazon Kindle and Createspace!
ReplyDeleteI can understand how frustrating this must be for you, especially when your books were deemed worthy only because they had a publisher's label on!! But maybe it's more frustrating for you than many, because you used to be accepted (I can only imagine how maddening that must be) and because you don't read ebooks yourself so it's all about the paperbacks, but (I can see myself shouted at with disgust by so many when I say this!) - don't a huge proportion of people buy their books off Amazon these days (I don't just mean Kindle books - paperbacks too) anyway? I have to admit, I buy almost all mine from there. Yes, all formats.
I know, I know, it's very sad that bookshops and libraries are failing in its mighty wake, but life changes and moves on all the time, alas. I think the best thing is to not feel angry at the loss of what once was, but to find the best way of working with what IS. Though it's not much good me saying that to a fearless activist like you, I know!!!!
If any new writers are reading this - I reiterate Carol's last sentence. Writing because you really want to is the only valid reason to do it. And don't be TOO disheartened - there are some 99.9% Kindle, self-pub authors who DO make a living. I know. I read some of them. Just don't take that in the same was as people grab onto stories about Stephen King and JK Rowling being rejected 627 times. It's about YOU, not them.
Hah...'fearless activist' I LIKE that! My frustration is also with the way writers are 'short-changed' by those publishing portals. Having recently flirted with getting some of the teen fic back out again, I was faced with royalty rates so dismally low that it made me appreciate what I earn now.
DeleteMost bricks and mortar retail operates on a 40 to 60% margin out of which they have to pay for buildings staff etc.
ReplyDeleteI don't think owning a bookshop is a guarantee of getting rich. Just shows you how inefficient it is to deliver physical books.