V is for Value (lack thereof for writers)

Author Stephen Coonts talks about writing.

Publishing is changing drastically and those of us caught in the middle are struggling.

Why?

There is a big boom in self-publishing, we all know that.  Hundreds of thousands are uploading their manuscripts to Smashwords or Amazon and offering it for free.  On some stories, FREE means nothing (they're junk and poorly edited if edited at all), but there are diamonds in the rough.   For writers like me with a professional backing, our books are priced so high readers pass (and honestly, they aren't perfectly edited), and we still make barely a $1 per book sold. 

What does this tell me?

Writers are not valued and the world believes we should work for free.   If we're someone who says I won't pay more than $5-$10 for a book, then we are just as guilty.  The number of hours a writer spends on one manuscript including multiple edits and rewrites can be years.   I wrote TWISTED ROOTS in the Spring of 2008 and by the time I landed a contract in 2010 I had ten drafts, four conceptual edits, and two technical edits.

I've heard people say "Well, if you make a $1 per book and sell a million copies..."

First of all, an unknown first time author will not typically sell a million copies.  They'll be lucky to sell a few thousand on a first book and that's depends on the marketing plan (most publishing houses spend no more than $2000 on emerging authors--which isn't much). 

How many copies do authors sell?

I found this listing on The Steve Laube Agency

Author 1: novelist – 3 books – avg. sale = 8,300

Author 2: novelist – 12 books – avg. sale = 19,756

Author 3: novelist – 3 books – avg. sale = 7,000

Author 4: novelist – 7 books – avg. sale = 5,300 (Two different publishers)

Author 5: non-fiction devotional – 5 books – avg. sale10,900

Author 6: non-fiction – 2 books – avg. sale = 5,300

Author 7: novelist – 4 books – avg. sale = 29,400

Author 8: non-fiction – 3 books – avg. sale = 18,900

Author 9: fiction – 7 books – avg. sale = 12,900

Author 10: non-fiction – 5 books – avg. sale = 6,800(three different publishers)

The amounts are all over the place, but the one thing I'm noticing is the number of books published per author.  We also don't know who these authors are, however, none of these numbers are in the millions, not even close.  Looking at the highest number, if I broke out how many hours it would take me to get four books out there, I'd be making less than a dollar an hour!

It's a good thing I write for the love of it.  :-)

So here is my point:

*If we value authors, support them!  Pay the extra $5!

*Seek out emerging authors, first time authors and give them a shot.

*If we leave reviews, remember first editions aren't perfect and judge based on the story.

*If we write blogs, consider seeking out a new author we can support and help them get exposure (and don't hesitate to ask for a free PDF copy if this is your purpose).

*Suggest a new author's book for the local library or book club.

*Invite a local author to speak at your writing group, kid's school, or other event (I spoke at a ladies tea last year, elementary school, and are treat).  Most will do this for FREE if not, look for someone else.  :-)

*Sign up for author blogs, facebook pages, etc. 

*If we're an aspiring writer, we should be supporting those we want to be like. 

There is some value in self-publishing in regards to marketing.  My suggestion is to keep it to giving away free short stories or sneak peeks at sequel novels--just make sure to seek out professional editing. 

How can you help an emerging author?  Are you an aspiring author with ideas on how readers can help you?