Raw Deal For Authors?

[Mr Stu]

Thanks Bob - I hope you find something useful there. It'll be a few weeks away that I attempt to use it to publish my "opus" but I'll report back on how it is to get up and running.

[Bob Hinton]

E Books

Dear Mr Stu,

Thank you very much for your helpful post. I shall peruse the links today.

[Mr Stu]

Hi Bob,
This is my first post on the forum - introducing myself gently... Anyway I too am looking at publishing something on kindle for a little fundraising project of mine. My friend who has published using it gave me the following advice and links. I've only had a quick look but it seems fairly straight forward.....well it might start you off anyway. By the way - regarding the payment options his advice was to go for the 70% everytime but I guess you'll have to see if that suits you. I hope the info below helps a little.....

Hi Stu,

Of course. It's really quite easy.

The place to begin is by creating an account at:

https://dtp.amazon.com/mn/dashboard

It has a guide to how to create an ebook but bascially you just create it in Word. If you're going to do graphics (colour or black or white, though eink eReaders will only show b&w) you stick them one to a page.
Once you upload your file, you're given a chance to view it in your web browser. You get to see how it looks as an ebook.

Really, it's as simple as that. I think the image files have to be about 900pixels high, 600 wide. I forget the exact figures. It will be on the Amazon site somewhere.

The money side of it is a bit more complicated. I could try to explain it myself but I found this helpful.

http://kindlewriters.com/2010/11/25/kindle-ebook-royalties-35-70-percent/

[Bob Hinton]

E Publishing

After my recent parting of the ways with The History Press, I was contacted by another publisher. He mentioned to me the possibility of publishing any future books for the E Books market as well.

Has anyone any experience with this type of publishing? The one I'm looking at is Amazon's Kindle.

[dmf]

RealTyche,

I don't have an agent and

Garry Wroe,

I have no intention of sleeping with a footballer etc etc

What I was trying to say was that is the book is for sale at £10, then with my old publisher, I would receive £1 in royalty. With my new deal, the publisher's income is smaller. He sells the book to Waterstone's or such like for around £4.50. All he has to do is pay me 10% of his income i.e. 45 pence in royalty.

The author's share is rapidly falling.

Finally, to answer Adam West - I couldn't tell you as I've only ever had non fiction published. Sorry!


dmf

[Adam Went]

I haven't published a book, but I have a question for those of you who have....and please bear with me because it's probably going to sound incredibly stupid, but out of curiousity:

Is there a difference between the royalties, etc for non-fiction work as opposed to fiction work?

Bob: I'd be telling them "You want me to write a book for you, I'll have my old rates, thanks muchly."

Cheers,
Adam.

[RealTyche]

Dmf, can you refer me to your agent?

[Garry Wroe]

I don’t know where you’re living, dmf, but UK publishers will beat down your door if you’ve slept with a footballer, conceived of a novel way in which to poach an egg, or knocked one out on Big Brother. Tick all three boxes and you’re guaranteed a TV series.

Garry Wroe.

[dmf]

With my previous publisher, I got 10% royalty of the book price but no advance. They also paid for illustrations/photographs etc. Also 6 copies of my book free gratis.

With my current publisher, I get no advance and no help with photographs etc. I get 10 copies of my book and 10% of publishers income from book sales.

I think this is probably the standard in the industry just now, with so many small publishers going to the wall, or being even more selective in what they publish. Most is now print on demand (POD), so they do not hold boxes and boxes of books in stock.


dmf

[Miss Mae]

Oh, hee hee...sorry! Yes, it was "what a website!" GOOD!!! You do excellent site work!

[Bob Hinton]

Yes but..........

What a website!

Is that a "what a website" good, or "what a website" crap? If its the former I did it all myself, if the latter someone else did it!

[Miss Mae]

What a website!

[Bob Hinton]

Those groups, if they are legitimate, can be very useful. Quite often they can reccomend agents or look over contracts for you.

My website is www.darkdeedswales.com

[Miss Mae]

Hi Bob,

I'm with Crime Space, a Ning social site. I usually avoid those groups that require an annual fee.

Do you have a website?

On another note, how does one include a signature to show with their posts? I just checked my CP, and didn't find anything about a signature, nor can one put up an avatar?

Just wondered how it's done here. I'm still new! lol

[Bob Hinton]

Good luck

Good luck to Miss Mae with her book. You have now ceased being a writer and are now officially an author. Are you a member of any groups like the Crime Writers Association?