tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25267270.post4763521274061861861..comments2024-03-04T00:51:30.050-08:00Comments on What is a Sundial in the Shade?: Pay Day!Josihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10615874450489497826noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25267270.post-46234123824211063202007-05-28T11:57:00.000-07:002007-05-28T11:57:00.000-07:00Well, okay. In the example Jeff gave us, his math ...Well, okay. In the example Jeff gave us, his math is correct. I was thinking more along the lines of selling less than 1,000 books. <BR/><BR/>LDSPAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25267270.post-14621405902658901002007-05-25T09:39:00.000-07:002007-05-25T09:39:00.000-07:00Josi,Great blog! There's not enough information on...Josi,<BR/><BR/>Great blog! There's not enough information on this kind of kind of thing for LDS authors.<BR/><BR/>A couple of comments.<BR/><BR/>First, LDS pub is absolutely right. You never have to return an advance--unless the advance is based on a ms. you don't deliver. Then you would have to return the portion of the advance you received.<BR/><BR/>Second, not selling out an advance is not as big a deal as many think it is. It will not automatically result in no more deals with the publisher, and it definitely does not mean the publisher lost money on the book.<BR/><BR/>Let's take a trade paperback mystery as an example with a typical PB royalty of 6.5% and a retail price of $14.95. Now let's say that you got a $5,000 advance.<BR/><BR/>Based on these numbers, you would need to sell just over 9400 books to earn out your royalty. Let's say you only sold out the first print run of 7500. That's not a bad number of sales for a first book by a regional publisher.<BR/><BR/>Your $5,000 advance is only part of the total cost of publishing the book. The publisher could make a profit on 7500 hundred books, and actually be okay with your sales as a first book. Based on a margin of 30% you publisher would bring in over $30k.<BR/><BR/>The bigger issue is do your sales continue to go up with future books. If your initial sales are very small or if you can't build an audiance, you are far more likely to be cut than if you don't earn out your first advance.Jeff Savagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09308834117176284991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25267270.post-6214533944432831592007-05-22T20:46:00.000-07:002007-05-22T20:46:00.000-07:00My bad--I went back to my notes and realized that ...My bad--I went back to my notes and realized that I took that portion of the advance info from a case where the writer was accused of plagiarism. The publisher was threatening to have her pay back the advance--totally different from a regular situation. Thanks LDSP for pointing it out. Aren't blogs niiiiiiiiice.Josihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10615874450489497826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25267270.post-16431749219880020172007-05-22T19:35:00.000-07:002007-05-22T19:35:00.000-07:00You should NEVER, EVER have to pay back an advance...You should NEVER, EVER have to pay back an advance under any circumstances! An advance is a calculated risk on the part of a publisher. You get to keep it whether or not your book sells. That is part of the definition of "advance." <BR/><BR/>Any publisher that requires you to pay back an advance is ___ Well, I can't think of a strong enough word to express what a lousy deal I think that is. As an author, a payback clause would be a deal breaker for me. <BR/><BR/>However, it is most likely true that if you don't earn out your advance, you probably won't be published by that publisher again because they will have lost money on your book--unless your next book is significantly different or better or for some reason the publisher really likes you (like you're their mother, or they want you to marry their daughter or something).LDS_Publisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15053645600240124892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25267270.post-49452959657676029192007-05-22T14:34:00.000-07:002007-05-22T14:34:00.000-07:00This is why I suggest that authors be careful in t...This is why I suggest that authors be careful in the LDS market and get an agent for the national market.Janette Rallisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00883483145480893640noreply@blogger.com