Category Archives: royalties

On the NaNoWrimo Forums it was asked: Anyone know what publishers pay?

The average pay rate across all genres is 4% of the wholesale price (usually the wholesale price is 40% of the cover price). This translates to ,05 – .25 cents per book.

Advances are rare for a first time author. The average advance across all genres being $2,000.

Those numbers are the overall averages, meaning that it is roughly the halfway point. This means that you are looking at royalty pay rates from 2% – 8% of the wholesale price. And an advance of $1,000 – $4,000 up front.

Note: you should never spend your advance when you get it, because it is not unusual for the book to NOT sell, and the publisher than asks for the advance-over back. The advance over, is the amount they gave you extra. In other words, if you needed to sell 2,000 books to reach your advance payout, but you book only sold 500 copies, than you never sold enough to reach your royalty payouts, and when they paid you the advance against those royaliyes, they paid you too much, thus you owe them the money back.

The good thing about the about figures, is that they are just avarages, the mid point on the bell curve. That means that, while there are also figures even lower, on the other hand, there are also figures even higher. What you have to do, is go out there and study the publisher guidelines and find the ones that pay the most and try them first.

Also, those averages are combining all genres and both large and small presses. Every publisher pays differantly. The niche markets often pay more than the big presses. Niche markets are more likely to pay royalty on cover price.

On the high end: There are a few that pay as much as 20% of retail (cover) price. I know of one nich market that pays a whopping 50% of cover price. However, these niche markets deal with one topic and one topic only and publish 2 to 10 titles per year.

On the low end: I have come across some publishers that pay .005% of wholesale price. Which translates to about $100 – $300 for the author. I would recomend you stear away from any publisher that pays you with a point double zero, because it well be rare that you get more than $500 for you book from them.

Genres that sell better pay more. And pay from a single publisher could be differant from one year to the next depending on their finacial stability.

A note of warning here: It is highly unusual for an author who recieved an advance to also recieve royalties. Usualy the sales are high enough to reach the advance royalty payout, but not enough to recieve any extra.

Another note:

The average book sells just 500 copies. (at 4% of wholesale price that averages out to : $1,000 – $1,500 total pay for you the author)

Rarely does a first book make over $2,000 for it’s author.

The average life of a book is 3 months. (meaning they pull it off the shelves and stop selling it just 3 months after it went to print)

In order to keep you book in print past those 3 months it must become a “bestseller”.

In order to become a bestseller, you must sell an astronomical total of 10,000 copies in that 3 months time.

Most publishers DO NOT promote your book. The ones that become bestsellers, had an author that put a lot of their time and money into marketing the book themselves.

Most writers, once hit in the face with the harsh reality of these facts, never attempt to write a second book.

The extreme low payouts for writers, is exactly why there is a writer’s strike going on right now. The writer’s that have gone on strike are trying to prove their point, that they can live just fine without their writer’s pay, seeing how their writer’s pay is next to nothing anyways. Some people are starting to feel the pain of not having any writers to turn too, right now, so the strike is going to bring about 2 big changes:

1.) Right now there are plenty of openings for first time writers to jump into

2.) If the strike goes on much longer, publishers are going to be forced to raise royalty and advace payouts or go out of business.

————-

Publishing Your Novel? Read This First!
Do You and I Read the Same Books?
Want to Give Me a Reward for Reaching 50k?

What’s your take on this? I’d love to hear what you have to say about this post. Leave a comment and share your views!

————-
Copper Cockeral
Publishing Your NaNo Novel?
Do You and I Read the Same Books?
Want to Give Me a Reward for Reaching 50k?
*I Love Phookas!*
Got Writer’s BlocK? Kill It Today!
Need A Quiet Place To Write? Find Help Here!
Need Help Creating Characters? Check This Out!
Want to Do a Good Deed? Save the Goldeneagle.

On the NaNoWrimo Forums it was asked: Anyone know what publishers pay?

The average pay rate across all genres is 4% of the wholesale price (usually the wholesale price is 40% of the cover price). This translates to ,05 – .25 cents per book.

Advances are rare for a first time author. The average advance across all genres being $2,000.

Those numbers are the overall averages, meaning that it is roughly the halfway point. This means that you are looking at royalty pay rates from 2% – 8% of the wholesale price. And an advance of $1,000 – $4,000 up front.

Note: you should never spend your advance when you get it, because it is not unusual for the book to NOT sell, and the publisher than asks for the advance-over back. The advance over, is the amount they gave you extra. In other words, if you needed to sell 2,000 books to reach your advance payout, but you book only sold 500 copies, than you never sold enough to reach your royalty payouts, and when they paid you the advance against those royaliyes, they paid you too much, thus you owe them the money back.

The good thing about the about figures, is that they are just avarages, the mid point on the bell curve. That means that, while there are also figures even lower, on the other hand, there are also figures even higher. What you have to do, is go out there and study the publisher guidelines and find the ones that pay the most and try them first.

Also, those averages are combining all genres and both large and small presses. Every publisher pays differantly. The niche markets often pay more than the big presses. Niche markets are more likely to pay royalty on cover price.

On the high end: There are a few that pay as much as 20% of retail (cover) price. I know of one nich market that pays a whopping 50% of cover price. However, these niche markets deal with one topic and one topic only and publish 2 to 10 titles per year.

On the low end: I have come across some publishers that pay .005% of wholesale price. Which translates to about $100 – $300 for the author. I would recomend you stear away from any publisher that pays you with a point double zero, because it well be rare that you get more than $500 for you book from them.

Genres that sell better pay more. And pay from a single publisher could be differant from one year to the next depending on their finacial stability.

A note of warning here: It is highly unusual for an author who recieved an advance to also recieve royalties. Usualy the sales are high enough to reach the advance royalty payout, but not enough to recieve any extra.

Another note:

The average book sells just 500 copies. (at 4% of wholesale price that averages out to : $1,000 – $1,500 total pay for you the author)

Rarely does a first book make over $2,000 for it’s author.

The average life of a book is 3 months. (meaning they pull it off the shelves and stop selling it just 3 months after it went to print)

In order to keep you book in print past those 3 months it must become a “bestseller”.

In order to become a bestseller, you must sell an astronomical total of 10,000 copies in that 3 months time.

Most publishers DO NOT promote your book. The ones that become bestsellers, had an author that put a lot of their time and money into marketing the book themselves.

Most writers, once hit in the face with the harsh reality of these facts, never attempt to write a second book.

The extreme low payouts for writers, is exactly why there is a writer’s strike going on right now. The writer’s that have gone on strike are trying to prove their point, that they can live just fine without their writer’s pay, seeing how their writer’s pay is next to nothing anyways. Some people are starting to feel the pain of not having any writers to turn too, right now, so the strike is going to bring about 2 big changes:

1.) Right now there are plenty of openings for first time writers to jump into

2.) If the strike goes on much longer, publishers are going to be forced to raise royalty and advace payouts or go out of business.

————-

Publishing Your Novel? Read This First!
Do You and I Read the Same Books?
Want to Give Me a Reward for Reaching 50k?

What’s your take on this? I’d love to hear what you have to say about this post. Leave a comment and share your views!

————-
Copper Cockeral
Publishing Your NaNo Novel?
Do You and I Read the Same Books?
Want to Give Me a Reward for Reaching 50k?
*I Love Phookas!*
Got Writer’s BlocK? Kill It Today!
Need A Quiet Place To Write? Find Help Here!
Need Help Creating Characters? Check This Out!
Want to Do a Good Deed? Save the Goldeneagle.

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On the NaNoWrimo Forums it was asked: Anyone know what publishers pay?

The average pay rate across all genres is 4% of the wholesale price (usually the wholesale price is 40% of the cover price). This translates to ,05 – .25 cents per book.

Advances are rare for a first time author. The average advance across all genres being $2,000.

Those numbers are the overall averages, meaning that it is roughly the halfway point. This means that you are looking at royalty pay rates from 2% – 8% of the wholesale price. And an advance of $1,000 – $4,000 up front.

Note: you should never spend your advance when you get it, because it is not unusual for the book to NOT sell, and the publisher than asks for the advance-over back. The advance over, is the amount they gave you extra. In other words, if you needed to sell 2,000 books to reach your advance payout, but you book only sold 500 copies, than you never sold enough to reach your royalty payouts, and when they paid you the advance against those royaliyes, they paid you too much, thus you owe them the money back.

The good thing about the about figures, is that they are just avarages, the mid point on the bell curve. That means that, while there are also figures even lower, on the other hand, there are also figures even higher. What you have to do, is go out there and study the publisher guidelines and find the ones that pay the most and try them first.

Also, those averages are combining all genres and both large and small presses. Every publisher pays differantly. The niche markets often pay more than the big presses. Niche markets are more likely to pay royalty on cover price.

On the high end: There are a few that pay as much as 20% of retail (cover) price. I know of one nich market that pays a whopping 50% of cover price. However, these niche markets deal with one topic and one topic only and publish 2 to 10 titles per year.

On the low end: I have come across some publishers that pay .005% of wholesale price. Which translates to about $100 – $300 for the author. I would recomend you stear away from any publisher that pays you with a point double zero, because it well be rare that you get more than $500 for you book from them.

Genres that sell better pay more. And pay from a single publisher could be differant from one year to the next depending on their finacial stability.

A note of warning here: It is highly unusual for an author who recieved an advance to also recieve royalties. Usualy the sales are high enough to reach the advance royalty payout, but not enough to recieve any extra.

Another note:

The average book sells just 500 copies. (at 4% of wholesale price that averages out to : $1,000 – $1,500 total pay for you the author)

Rarely does a first book make over $2,000 for it’s author.

The average life of a book is 3 months. (meaning they pull it off the shelves and stop selling it just 3 months after it went to print)

In order to keep you book in print past those 3 months it must become a “bestseller”.

In order to become a bestseller, you must sell an astronomical total of 10,000 copies in that 3 months time.

Most publishers DO NOT promote your book. The ones that become bestsellers, had an author that put a lot of their time and money into marketing the book themselves.

Most writers, once hit in the face with the harsh reality of these facts, never attempt to write a second book.

The extreme low payouts for writers, is exactly why there is a writer’s strike going on right now. The writer’s that have gone on strike are trying to prove their point, that they can live just fine without their writer’s pay, seeing how their writer’s pay is next to nothing anyways. Some people are starting to feel the pain of not having any writers to turn too, right now, so the strike is going to bring about 2 big changes:

1.) Right now there are plenty of openings for first time writers to jump into

2.) If the strike goes on much longer, publishers are going to be forced to raise royalty and advace payouts or go out of business.

————-

Publishing Your Novel? Read This First!
Do You and I Read the Same Books?
Want to Give Me a Reward for Reaching 50k?

What’s your take on this? I’d love to hear what you have to say about this post. Leave a comment and share your views!

————-
Copper Cockeral
Publishing Your NaNo Novel?
Do You and I Read the Same Books?
Want to Give Me a Reward for Reaching 50k?
*I Love Phookas!*
Got Writer’s BlocK? Kill It Today!
Need A Quiet Place To Write? Find Help Here!
Need Help Creating Characters? Check This Out!
Want to Do a Good Deed? Save the Goldeneagle.