Money talk
I get a lot of questions, comments and suggestions about my money survey(s) so it finally occurred to me (duh) that it might be nice to have a place right here where I can answer them and where we can all have a candid discussion of money issues in publishing. I hope everyone will feel free to post questions, comments, critiques and suggestions, as well as share their own experiences and observations. If you hear about something in the industry that could have an impact on author earnings (positively or negatively), please share! And while you’re free to post anonymously here, it’s not the best place to share your own private earnings info (unless you want to), as this page will be available to anyone who wants to read and participate. To contribute to either of my surveys, e-mail is still best since I keep that info absolutely private.
Nov 14, 2011 @ 10:21:47
What would be my next step after writing my book? Can I edit my own book?
Nov 14, 2011 @ 10:38:23
Renee, it’s very, very hard for a writer to edit his/her own work. You’re too close to it. If you’re planning to self-publish it, I’d STRONGLY recommend having someone qualified edit it for you first. But this isn’t really the place to talk about how to self-publish. There are some great websites and blogs out there to help you navigate that process, though. One I’d recommend is http://www.juliesjournalonline.com/ and there’s another great resource page for writers at Laura Resnick’s website. ( http://www.lauraresnick.com ) Good luck!!
Dec 02, 2011 @ 10:07:21
This is a fascinating blog. Thank you. I just completed my first draft of my first Regency (Inspy) and have read hundreds of mainstream Regencies. There are a few Inspirational Regencies around, and I hope mine gets “around” too. Do you have an agent? Do you ever share that name;)?
Dec 02, 2011 @ 11:09:00
I’m not agented now, Susan, though I have been in the past. At the moment, I’m focusing more on self-pubbing my backlist and sending my new work to a smaller press. (And if they decide against publishing it, I’ll do it myself–I just love having that choice now!) Good luck with your inspirational Regency, whatever path you take!
Dec 05, 2011 @ 23:44:24
Hi Brenda,
Thanks for all the work you’ve been doing on this.
I’m curious about the stats for Harlequin Mills and Boon where Medical is included – that category would include Presents, wouldn’t it? I’m curious because over the years I’ve “heard” Medical is one of the least selling lines where as Presents is the top selling line because they are so popular internationally.
Have you got any idea what the earn outs are on the Presents books? Very intrigued.
Kind regards
Jane
Dec 06, 2011 @ 11:21:45
Actually, Jane, Presents is one line I’ve never received ANY data for, so I’m afraid I can’t give you any info there…not even any guesses, except that I’ve heard (anecdotally) that Presents earnings have gone down in recent years, just like all the other lines. But yes, I’d heard it was Harlequin’s top selling line at one time, too. No idea whether that’s still true or not. (If any Presents authors see this and want to send me their figures, I’d love to include them in the update I’ll be doing soon–anonymously, of course!)
Dec 08, 2011 @ 04:00:26
Thanks, Brenda. I’d guess Presents would still be the top selling category internationally because the European, British, American and downunder readers love them so there’s a massive audience but Desire could be competition. Interesting. Yep, I hope you get some stats on sales for them.
Dec 08, 2011 @ 19:58:38
I’ve enjoyed your insightful information but I am very new to writing. I am writing about women doing time & their pain & struggles w/their attys.& what events led them to where they are. I’ve titled it First Names Only & believe it is a story tht needs to be told. Do you think there is a market for this type of material. My background is 20 yrs in the legal field so I believe my info is accurate & my stories are based on real people. Do I need an agent to get to a publishing co. & are self pub. all scams? Thank you for your time & consideration.
Dec 08, 2011 @ 23:25:30
Victoria, one of the best resources I know for aspiring writers is Laura Resnick’s writer resource page ( http://www.lauraresnick.com ) My experience is in romance publishing, so I really can’t speak to the commercial marketability of your book(s) but I’d recommend steering clear of any “self publisher” who asks for money. You can always e-publish for free on Amazon and other sites (though it’s wise to have your material professionally edited and to have a professional-looking cover designed). I wish you the best of luck in your writing pursuits!
Jan 03, 2012 @ 16:56:18
Brenda, how can I get in touch with you about providing more stats for a publisher? It’s Whispers Publishing–a house known for steamy IR/MC romance. Thanks!
Jan 03, 2012 @ 17:00:05
Email me at brendahb@aol.com (the info I need is at the end of the money survey at the main Show Me The Money link). Thanks!
Jan 19, 2012 @ 10:41:02
Hi Brenda I’m a writing a novel about lesbian romance can you tell me if there would be a specific publishing house that I should send my manuscript too…..Thanks Deanna
Jan 19, 2012 @ 11:01:25
Deanna, there definitely are publishers that specialize in lesbian (and other GLBT) romance, but I’m afraid I’m not really up on which ones they are. I’m sure a bit of online searching will turn them up, though. Once you find a few, DO make sure you do your research to make sure they’re legit, since lots and lots of “less than legit” publishers are out there–with more popping up all the time–in all genres. Thanks for stopping by!
Jan 30, 2012 @ 17:32:48
This is fascinating information. What I wonder is how much does it cost to get a book digitized and up for sale on Amazon or some other site? I have in mind a professional company that published authors use. The company does the digitizing of the manuscript, provides cover, etc. If you could give some ball park idea how much that costs, then we could figure out a profit based on sales figures. I guess my question is whether we are talking $200? or more like $3000? Or what? Thanks for the info you provide.
Jan 30, 2012 @ 22:48:44
There are actual several services already doing this, though it’s not particularly hard to format a book for the e-book market if one already has a computer file. If not, there are people who will do scanning of the physical book for $50 or so. Personally, I’ve done my own formatting for Amazon, bn.com and Smashwords, and have hired professionals to do new covers (in the $100-150 range) since I have no talents in that area, though I know authors who have also done their own covers. From what I’ve seen, services that do all of the above, for authors who don’t want to learn or don’t have time to do any of it themselves, range from a couple of hundred to several hundred dollars, depending on the services needed. I’m sure as this market matures, more such services will be springing up.
Feb 02, 2012 @ 15:57:15
Brenda, you said compiling all the info for Indie authors’ earnings was a huge task, and I agree. Just trying to do it for my 10 books is more than I have time to do. Can I make a suggestion? Have the authors send in their info each month rather than ask them to try to come up with sales figures for several months. I can take my monthly reports (though Smashwords doesn’t make theirs easy to read) and come up with figures for each book, but to go back through 21 reports and try to get that info for 10 books for 7 months just makes me want to give up before I get started.
Feb 02, 2012 @ 18:42:32
Tori, that’s a good suggestion…except I can’t imagine how I’d keep up, doing it that way! I’d have to remember to send out reminders all over the place (e-mail lists, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) every month, then do monthly updates on everyone’s figures. I know myself too well to believe I’d actually do that every single month, though I’m sure it would be easier in the long run than doing it in batches. I do know what you mean, though. I’m having a hard time keeping track of my OWN figures, much less everyone else’s. I may give up on trying to break the figures down by retail site–haven’t decided yet. While most have the bulk of their sales through Amazon, it’s not true for everyone. In fact, the results so far have been so varied, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to present the data in a chart or graph. For example, it’s hard to control authors sending me earnings when a book’s only been up a month or two, vs those whose books have been up for a year or more. I knew this wouldn’t be as easy to quantify as advances and royalties, but it’s even more complicated than I anticipated. Still, I plan to keep collecting data and sharing the results in as coherent a fashion as I can. I think we all need this info!
Feb 03, 2012 @ 15:37:41
Brenda, have you investigated putting up a Google docs form on your web site that lets users submit information which gets recorded into spreadsheet? That might be easier for you and authors as this project grows (I really hope to see you continue, but having taken on projects like this before I know how they can quickly consume too much time).
Feb 03, 2012 @ 18:49:29
You’re not the first to suggest this, and I’m working on it. Thanks!
Mar 03, 2012 @ 07:33:12
Hello Brenda,
I’m new to your site. Thank you for posting all of the lovely and useful info you have. I’ve always been curious about publishing a romance and assume that Harlequin would be the way to go if they’d take you. What do you think? I’m especially interested in the historical genre. Do you happen to know how bad their rejection rate is and what sort of rates they pay?
Mar 03, 2012 @ 10:54:18
Hi, Bell! Things may be changing, what with so many writers now going the self-e-pub route, but last I heard, Harlequin’s rejection rate was well over 99%. That’s not to say you shouldn’t try, of course! As for earnings, I have Harlequin Historicals listed in my main survey, if you click on the “Show Me the Money” tab, above. Thanks for stopping by!
May 02, 2012 @ 15:36:35
HI Brend,
A query on the report for Mills and Boon including Medical – no earn outs are mentioned – why is this? Really curious about the line as I’ve heard that of all the M&B lines, Medical was the lowest paying since they’ve never really taken off in America the way they have other places so I’d love to know what an average earn out on a Medical romance is. Many thanks in advance.
May 02, 2012 @ 18:13:35
I can only report what authors send me, Joanne. I’m hoping some M&B/Medical authors will send me earnout numbers so I can update that listing. (Far and away the majority of the reports I get are from authors who have just sold. It’s much harder to get people to follow up later with earnout info, alas!)
May 08, 2012 @ 07:46:35
Hi Brenda:
You are so awesome! I’m just checking to see if you’re getting any new income results from Indie Authors, and if things have changed in results since so many authors are going self-pubbing and it might be harder to make a splash (and money).
May 08, 2012 @ 10:42:59
Debbie, a few more authors have reported in with indie figures. I need to put out another big call for info before this summer’s RWA conference, for sure. Of course, one problem with totally self-reported figures is that I have NO way to know how representative they are of all authors out there. I can definitely say that SOME authors are making impressively good money self-publishing both new works and backlist books they’ve gotten the rights to. Others, not so much, though even the lower earners say things are improving, slowly but surely. It’s probably important to remember that when it comes to e-books this is a longterm proposition rather than the one or two months most paper books have to earn the majority of what they’ll earn. I expect the numbers will keep changing for quite some time (hopefully, mostly for the better–but it’s really too soon to know).
May 10, 2012 @ 15:13:13
Hey Brenda – I caught your workshop many years ago at RWA and just wanted to say thanks for keeping up with the data. It’s so great to have when making decisions about whether to stick with a traditional press or go with an e-press. I appreciate all your hard work!!