I'm guessing it's fair to assume most everybody here self-publishes. I'm wondering, though...what would it take to lure you to a traditional publisher? If a publisher approached you and said "I want your next book," what would convince you to sign your soul away?
A "Big 5" offer only?
A big, fat advance check?
A company with a history of solid marketing plans?
A certain percentage of royalties?
I'm guessing it's fair to assume most everybody here self-publishes. I'm wondering, though...what would it take to lure you to a traditional publisher? If a publisher approached you and said "I want your next book," what would convince you to sign your soul away?
A "Big 5" offer only?
A big, fat advance check?
A company with a history of solid marketing plans?
A certain percentage of royalties?
A big fat advance check with a publisher that likes to buy a book and before it's even published gets it set up at movie studios. So, multiple big fat checks for me, with the better-than-average possibility of getting it made into a movie, which is really where the real money is.
I'm guessing it's fair to assume most everybody here self-publishes. I'm wondering, though...what would it take to lure you to a traditional publisher? If a publisher approached you and said "I want your next book," what would convince you to sign your soul away?
A "Big 5" offer only?
A big, fat advance check?
A company with a history of solid marketing plans?
A certain percentage of royalties?
I'd need a fat advance. I'd assume that I'm not making anything more than the advance. That way, I can only be pleasantly surprised.
I've never tried to tradpub, though I do have one series with an audio publisher. They did a great job with the audio, but the amount of money I make has no inspired me to pursue any other traditional publishing, and there was a long stretch of time where the ebooks of those sold like crazy. I do make my on my indie audio, though audio is always something of a mystery to me.
I'd actually like a trad contract for a standalone YA novel I have brewing in my head. I'd want an advance, but I think I might view it overall as a loss leader. I would like to get onto Walmart / Target bookshelves and that seems like the only way.
It would take a very large advance, one book only, guaranteed marketing, and no non-compete clause. All movie and other rights stay with me. So, not much to entice a trad publisher. I doubt I'd even take the best offer ever, I like doing my own thing.
I'd need a fat advance. I'd assume that I'm not making anything more than the advance. That way, I can only be pleasantly surprised.
I've never tried to tradpub, though I do have one series with an audio publisher. They did a great job with the audio, but the amount of money I make has no inspired me to pursue any other traditional publishing, and there was a long stretch of time where the ebooks of those sold like crazy. I do make my on my indie audio, though audio is always something of a mystery to me.
I agree! If I could get an advance fat enough (I'm thinking 6 figs) I would be willing to give up even a trilogy (I have so much stuff in my head anyways it needs some de-cluttering ). I would take it as a one-payment deal and call it even, since you basically have no guarantee you will make the same amount when you publish indie. Any money after that even at a lower royalty would be a bonus.
I'd actually like a trad contract for a standalone YA novel I have brewing in my head. I'd want an advance, but I think I might view it overall as a loss leader. I would like to get onto Walmart / Target bookshelves and that seems like the only way.
What I always thought would be awesome would be to go into bookstores while on book tour and sign the copies they already have on the shelves like Brandon Sanderson does. That would be worth traditional publishing alone.
Edit: At signings obviously, but like just passing through the airports. I don't know if he still does, but several years ago he'd post something like "Copies of -insert book- signed at the -insert airport- airport" on his socials.
A mid-six-figure advance. No non-compete clause. A liberal reversion clause for when they stop marketing the book. That's just to look at the offer. Otherwise, they can't help me.
Nothing. I self publish because I'm a control freak and rather anti authority. I don't want deadlines, I don't want expectations, I don't want to work for someone else ever again.
I write in series, and I treat those as long-term investment. Since the books within those series are all connected, selling a book to a publisher would never be as simple as that. They'd be buying the whole "franchise" or at least limit me in what else I can do with it.
Say, if someone came to me and wanted to buy the Ambassador books, would I sell them for a million dollars? NOPE. Ten million? NOPE. They can have some of my other series for that, but not that one.
But none of that is going to happen, and I'm happy to say that I can happily live without that money.
Nope, not interested. You have to pay the advance back, or rather you don't get paid until they finish taking the advance back. I'd rather see the monthly income.
Nothing. I self publish because I'm a control freak and rather anti authority. I don't want deadlines, I don't want expectations, I don't want to work for someone else ever again.
I'd actually like a trad contract for a standalone YA novel I have brewing in my head. I'd want an advance, but I think I might view it overall as a loss leader. I would like to get onto Walmart / Target bookshelves and that seems like the only way.
Ah, see, there's a problem with this thought. If you give the book/series to them to cheaply, they will have little incentive to pile money into promotions or get you into those stores. Make them pay a big price for it and they'll push it to make their money back.
Nothing. I self publish because I'm a control freak and rather anti authority. I don't want deadlines, I don't want expectations, I don't want to work for someone else ever again.
+1. My main concern would be control. Having the rights to my own creations is also of utmost importance. I would rather "own" my worlds, characters, and ideas than give up any control, no matter the benefits trad pub may offer. I don't care if I'm losing out on money or options this way. Writing is my life. The money is nice, but making art comes first for me.
A big fat advance check with a publisher that likes to buy a book and before it's even published gets it set up at movie studios. So, multiple big fat checks for me, with the better-than-average possibility of getting it made into a movie, which is really where the real money is.
For a possibility for it to made into a movie, would that mean your novel has to sell a lot first? Anyway, does your demand sound reasonable for authors?
I'd still like to have the freedom to be hybrid. That is, I'd publish one series with the trade publisher and publish others independently. The whole "one book a year" thing that's common in trade publishing would drive me nuts. I have too many books I want to write to stick to one a year.
Big Six publishers, which has since been reduced to the "Big Five" by the merger on 1 July 2013 of Penguin and Random House:
Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group/Macmillan.
Hachette (publisher)
HarperCollins.
Penguin Books.
Random House.
Simon & Schuster.
They'd leave the marketing up to you; in fact, they'd insist you do it all.
Their editing is the real value, which is the reason to seriously consider an offer only from a publisher that has a very good reputation regarding editorial consistency. A lot of small presses are in actuality someone's personal fiefdom, and they are run that way, which is why one should run away from them.
As for craft level, I've personally known editors who needed books in a hot trend and practically rewrote them themselves because (1) they knew the author wasn't capable of doing better at that point, and (2) the publisher wanted product out quickly. So never assume your writing isn't good enough. Look instead to how marketable your story is, if trad pub is the way you want to go. Stuff the titles or one-line descriptions of the top five bestsellers into one title/description and you'll have an idea of what trad pubs are looking for. It ain't pretty.
What? They'd let you do the marketing? These major publishing companies don't do their marketing for you? Then why would they want your book then if they don't do the heavy lifting? Sorry if I sound like a noob.
Sorry? If your writing is nowhere near good enough for a trad publisher, it's nowhere near good enough to publish at all.
Do you seriously think they are interested in how well you write? All they care about is if it's going to make them money. But independent authors should be just as good, if not better.
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