[Jude Hardin]

My third Thomas and Mercer title comes out this June, and my fourth (and final for this contract) is currently on submission with them. So, for the first time in a while, I'm writing a novel on spec. It's my longest work to date (80K+), and it's the beginning of a new series.

Should I:

a) Try for another T&M contract

b) Self-publish

c) Submit to Big 6 houses through my agent

d) Buy some equipment and start a landscaping business

Anyone?

 

[Martin Perry]

Has T&M been good to you? Seems like it'd be a good thing to keep going.

 

[H.M. Ward]

I had no idea how much money I would make with my 1st book when I self pubbed. I would have sold it for so much less than I earned over the past two years b/c I didn't know what was possible. Have you self pubbed anything to have a benchmark? If not, I would give it a go and see what you can do, especially if they aren't giving out big advances anymore. 

 

[Ruth Harris]

E). Finish The book. By then the results will be in on the t&m books and you'll also know much more about your own publishing preferences and comfort level. You'll also know how you feel about this book and the series to follow.

 

[Eric C]

What does your agent think?

 

[Ben Mathew]

Clueless question: What does T&M do for you? Do they send out e-mails featuring their authors? Do Zon algorithms favor their own authors somehow? How does it work?

 

[Jude Hardin]

What does your agent think?

I haven't talked to her about it yet. Of course I will, when I finish the book and send it in for her to read.

 

[Jude Hardin]

Clueless question: What does T&M do for you? Do they send out e-mails featuring their authors?

Yes, and other online promotions. And of course they provide covers, editing, proofreading, and formatting. They pay advances, and e-book royalties above industry standard.

 

[Joe_Nobody]

I would take my average number of sales per book and calculate how much I would make given each of the options before me.

Subtract out 2K for cover, editing and a little of your time to market.

I bet you'll find self-publishing is well worth it, but I'm just guessing.

 

[Mark Feggeler]

If you have never attempted self-publishing, then you should probably try it with this one book, since it seems by your question to be something that has grabbed your interest. The worst that can happen is you try and fail, which is much more interesting and potentially more rewarding than sticking with what you know and never finding out if self-publishing could be a better way for you to go.

 

[AndreSanThomas]

Should I:

a) Try for another T&M contract

b) Self-publish

c) Submit to Big 6 houses through my agent

d) Buy some equipment and start a landscaping business

Yes.

 

[JohnHindmarsh]

Hey Jude,

Surely 'Try for another T&M contract' as the first step? Then step through each of the options you mentioned...

John

 

[Nathalie Hamidi]

Send your manuscript to your publisher with a peremption date when you'll self-publish it, that way you don't have to wait around for them to decide. If they want it, if you're a good-enough earner for them, they'll make sure to read it before it's too late.

 

[Ben Mathew]

Yes, and other online promotions. And of course they provide covers, editing, proofreading, and formatting. They pay advances, and e-book royalties above industry standard.

The biggest question, and it's probably not easy to answer, is how useful are the Amazon promotions? That's the one thing you can't buy self-publishing. You can hire freelancers to do your covers, editing and formatting. If you spend enough time and money and energy, you can replicate what you get from T&M, and so that part is easy to compare. But you can't buy Amazon's e-mail list.

 

[Cherise]

My third Thomas and Mercer title comes out this June, and my fourth (and final for this contract) is currently on submission with them. So, for the first time in a while, I'm writing a novel on spec. It's my longest work to date (80K+), and it's the beginning of a new series.

Should I:

a) Try for another T&M contract

b) Self-publish

c) Submit to Big 6 houses through my agent

d) Buy some equipment and start a landscaping business

Anyone?

The plum situation we all dream of is if a big 6 publisher gives you a print-only deal. This is where they get your book into bookstores, but you keep the eBook rights and self publish in eBook formats at 70% royalty. Go for that if you can! A handful of KB authors have already achieved it.

 

[Jude Hardin]

The plum situation we all dream of is if a big 6 publisher gives you a print-only deal. This is where they get your book into bookstores, but you keep the eBook rights and self publish in eBook formats at 70% royalty. Go for that if you can! A handful of KB authors have already achieved it.

That would definitely be the optimal situation! John Locke was one of the first to do this, and we have the same agent, so it's definitely something to think about.

 

[chrisstevenson]

The plum situation we all dream of is if a big 6 publisher gives you a print-only deal. This is where they get your book into bookstores, but you keep the eBook rights and self publish in eBook formats at 70% royalty. Go for that if you can! A handful of KB authors have already achieved it.

Totally the best of all the worlds on this kind of deal.

My agent would jump in and help me decide on this one and I would listen to what she had to say. Personally, my traditional deals have done way better than my first self-pubbed e-book. But I'm brand new to the game too.

chris