Sep 05 2008
BookPub News & Rumors, v.3: Another publisher closes, “Hockey Mom” near 100k in circulation
It’s always sad to hear about another publisher closing, yet in this case it’s easier to handle since it’s narrowing the market for sports books (… meaning I directly benefit). I’m mean, right? Well, so is the sports world… I mean, publishing world.
Publisher’s Weekly reports today that Sports Publishing LLC of Champaign, Illinois, is near close and will soon be sold. Here comes the angry authors and their burning torches as they crest the hill:
One of the authors “caught in the middle” is Peter Sterman, and in an e-mail to PW stated that he has yet to be paid $1,200 for a book about the UCLA Bruins. The manuscript was accepted and approved by SP editors. Other SP authors have also been outspoken about not being paid. David Shoats, on SportsJournalists.com, warns other authors away from SP: “My last two payments on my advance are overdue from April and November, 2007, respectively. I was asked to settle for one-tenth of what is owed to me for a book [Tales from the Toronto Maple Leafs] that was published in November, 2007. I was also asked to sign a waiver releasing the current and future owners from paying the balance.”
I certainly don’t want to demean the frustrations of these authors–they are truly being screwed over on the money they were promised–but if they do get their full payments, it probably won’t be for a long time. Welcome to Bush’s economy.
I worked as an intern at a publishing management company a few years ago updating royalty statements and files for a publishing company that had gone bankrupt. I read a lot of angry letters and after a while it was hard to muster much sympathy. I sometimes get the feeling that authors don’t quite understand that there are actual humans doing the work to put their books together and make them marketable. When a company finds itself in trouble, authors tend to be the lucky ones. The company may be sold to another company who can afford to continue paying royalties so that the only hassle for authors is they get their payments later than they planned. Those that win lawsuits get quite a bit of money (and if they’re suing, they know better than to expect swift compensation). But what about all the editors, salespeople, designers, and staff in marketing, manufacturing, publicity, and customer service? Yeah, they’re all without jobs. I’d rather be the author in that scenario, that’s for sure.
Sorry… Concluding that rant.
To follow up on Wednesday’s post, Sarah Palin’s biography, Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska’s Political Establishment Upside Down, by Kaylene Johnson, is doing quite well. Print run has increased to 76,000 and orders are reaching 100,000. There may be an update soon. Epicenter Press plans to see sell-through before going back to print again. (Sell-through, if it’s not clear by context, means how many books sold to bookstores are actually purchased by consumers. Unlike goods in nearly all other industries, books are returnable–whatever the bookstore does not sell to the consumer can be sent back to the publisher for a full refund. We hate that. But it’s a long-standing tradition that will be hard to break.)
Well, that was a feisty post now wasn’t it?
Strictly a guess but I surmise the authors in question have a “those who can, do; those who can’t, teach” mentality.
Meaning the people who work at a publishing house are frustrated authors who would quit their jobs tomorrow for a best-seller. Additionally, a lot of ego is required to write a book. By submitting a manuscript for publication, a writer is saying either,
A. I am an expert in this subject and the rest of you will benefit greatly from my knowledge, or
B. I am a master storyteller and the rest of you will be mesmerized by my ability.
Show me a writer who doesn’t believe one or the other when he queries and I’ll show you a book doomed to the slush pile.
That said, the ego required to produce and display something so personal doesn’t always leave a lot of room for humility or empathy. I didn’t mind you being mean but I write about politics and sports. I’m used to it.
I will be back to your blog often….I like your style (and I don’t just mean your writing style). I think I could learn a lot from you.
I am new to blogging. Have had to do a lot research to learn how to do it right. And now I found your site and am glad I did. I am looking at a site that is put together by a woman who knows what she is doing. Impressive.
My lame blog is http://www.middleoftheroad.today.com
I am learning the ropes from people like you.
Thanks ladycook! You appear to be off to a good start on your own blog. It will come naturally after a while–don’t hesitate to try new things with it. It is, after all, YOUR blog.
Best of luck!
Jess
But there’s a difference here that I think you’re missing. When a publisher goes belly up staffers lose their jobs. That’s horrible, but in theory those folks can find new jobs to pay them for their work.
Authors are getting screwed out of money they’ve already earned. Worse, the book they wrote often gets tied up in the bankrupcy, and that means it’s not being sold. Existing contracts may also impact the author’s ability to place books with other publishers. There may be cases where the defunct company gets bought up by someone else, but in most cases that I’ve seen, this doesn’t happen.
I’ve been on both sides of this — worked at a publishing company that went bankrupt and as an author for another publisher that folded. Neither way is fun, but being a laid off editor is less painful.
Thanks anson. You make some great points and I appreciate your perspective from both sides of the issue!
Jess