Everything that's wrong with the publishing industry in one link - CrimeSpace2024-03-28T15:42:06Zhttp://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topics/everything-that-s-wrong-with-the-publishing-industry-in-one-link?commentId=537324%3AComment%3A331582&feed=yes&xn_auth=noActually, what I recall from…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-02-19:537324:Comment:3318472012-02-19T23:51:29.214ZCammy May Hunnicutthttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/CammyMayHunnicutt
<p>Actually, what I recall from my schooling indicates it's probably more based on bell curve and standard deviations (and don't blame it on me...I prefer non-standard deviation, myself)</p>
<p>So you start getting a "sigma four" book going down in flames, it's going to nail the whole rest of the tail, even the sigma fours and threes at the remainders end of the stick. But yes, they'll need to squeeze it out of the nipple end of the curve. </p>
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<p>What I wonder, if the 1 percenters…</p>
<p>Actually, what I recall from my schooling indicates it's probably more based on bell curve and standard deviations (and don't blame it on me...I prefer non-standard deviation, myself)</p>
<p>So you start getting a "sigma four" book going down in flames, it's going to nail the whole rest of the tail, even the sigma fours and threes at the remainders end of the stick. But yes, they'll need to squeeze it out of the nipple end of the curve. </p>
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<p>What I wonder, if the 1 percenters get 99 percent of the lagniappe supposedly, is there some inverse proportion thing working here for real. Obviously the sigma four of basketball playing population are doing to grab the bell bulge of income. </p>
<p>What bummed me out when I got dragged into the book-writing thing was how it looks just like Hollywood, everything pushed out to the pin dance at the end of the lever by diseased egos. And I get the strong impression they are bringing on some of the same scumbags..from Melrose to Fifth Avenue without even changing their hairpieces.</p> Uh, oh. tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-02-19:537324:Comment:3318402012-02-19T23:44:13.957ZCammy May Hunnicutthttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/CammyMayHunnicutt
<p>Uh, oh. </p>
<p>Uh, oh. </p> Almost everywhere, it turns o…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-02-19:537324:Comment:3318342012-02-19T21:55:03.774ZJon Loomishttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JonLoomis
<p>Almost everywhere, it turns out.</p>
<p>Almost everywhere, it turns out.</p> Beautiful and apt comparison,…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-02-19:537324:Comment:3316212012-02-19T18:23:38.222ZJ W Nelsonhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JWNelson
<p>Beautiful and apt comparison, sir. </p>
<p>Beautiful and apt comparison, sir. </p> Ingrid, I agree on this point…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-02-18:537324:Comment:3317992012-02-18T23:05:56.715ZEDWARD C MORGANhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ECMorgan
<p>Ingrid, I agree on this point.</p>
<p>I'm a pretty heavy reader, and by and large, I still save money by buying my books (paperbacks) from used bookstores, or going to the library, even when compared to buying "new books" from authors I know and like in an electronic format.</p>
<p>Now, the Amanda Knox books. Smart move, I don't care what anyone says. Amanda and the publisher will make an absolute scad of money.</p>
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<p>Ingrid, I agree on this point.</p>
<p>I'm a pretty heavy reader, and by and large, I still save money by buying my books (paperbacks) from used bookstores, or going to the library, even when compared to buying "new books" from authors I know and like in an electronic format.</p>
<p>Now, the Amanda Knox books. Smart move, I don't care what anyone says. Amanda and the publisher will make an absolute scad of money.</p>
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<p></p> Yup.tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-02-18:537324:Comment:3315022012-02-18T15:17:52.866ZI. J. Parkerhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
<p>Yup.</p>
<p>Yup.</p> "If the Knox book doesn't ear…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-02-18:537324:Comment:3314972012-02-18T02:23:22.491ZDana Kinghttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/DanaKing
<p>"<span>If the Knox book doesn't earn out, and sometimes these big name tell-alls flop miserably, then it'll be the small profit-making midlist that end up subsidizing that failure, and paying the salaries of the execs who made the decision to buy the damn thing in the first place."</span></p>
<p><span>That 1% and 99% concept holds true in a lot of places, doesn't it?</span></p>
<p>"<span>If the Knox book doesn't earn out, and sometimes these big name tell-alls flop miserably, then it'll be the small profit-making midlist that end up subsidizing that failure, and paying the salaries of the execs who made the decision to buy the damn thing in the first place."</span></p>
<p><span>That 1% and 99% concept holds true in a lot of places, doesn't it?</span></p> All good points. The times,…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-02-17:537324:Comment:3317732012-02-17T22:25:29.297ZJon Loomishttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JonLoomis
<p>All good points. The times, they are a-changin....</p>
<p>All good points. The times, they are a-changin....</p> But they've cut back drastica…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-02-17:537324:Comment:3317722012-02-17T22:16:30.934ZI. J. Parkerhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
<p>But they've cut back drastically on their midlist. They earn out too slowly. And I'm still with blaming the book-buying public to some extent. The heavy readers are very knowledgeable, but they go to the libraries and used book stores because their habit is too expensive otherwise. The buyers are people who act on impulse and who like a quick fix. Housewives in big box stores, and travellers in airports. They go for the thrillers and the well-known names, or they pick up on the hype of…</p>
<p>But they've cut back drastically on their midlist. They earn out too slowly. And I'm still with blaming the book-buying public to some extent. The heavy readers are very knowledgeable, but they go to the libraries and used book stores because their habit is too expensive otherwise. The buyers are people who act on impulse and who like a quick fix. Housewives in big box stores, and travellers in airports. They go for the thrillers and the well-known names, or they pick up on the hype of heavy publicity. Perhaps for a while, the big six had big inventories of midlist authors who work for small advances and can be counted on to keep producing a steady income, but I think that has changed. Too many well-known midlist authors are without publishers now. And others are leaving of their own free will because they are getting screwed. </p> Well, same old discussion but…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-02-17:537324:Comment:3317712012-02-17T22:07:01.898ZJon Loomishttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JonLoomis
<p>Well, same old discussion but--maybe people stick with what they know because that's what's being sold to them. Publishers promote the sure thing that doesn't need promoting (partly because they can't afford to not earn back the big advance) and ignore the new, risky thing that does need promotion because they don't have anything at stake if it fails. If it succeeds on its own, great! If it disappears without a trace, no big deal--there's 1,000 more out there just like it, more or less.…</p>
<p>Well, same old discussion but--maybe people stick with what they know because that's what's being sold to them. Publishers promote the sure thing that doesn't need promoting (partly because they can't afford to not earn back the big advance) and ignore the new, risky thing that does need promotion because they don't have anything at stake if it fails. If it succeeds on its own, great! If it disappears without a trace, no big deal--there's 1,000 more out there just like it, more or less. If the Knox book doesn't earn out, and sometimes these big name tell-alls flop miserably, then it'll be the small profit-making midlist that end up subsidizing that failure, and paying the salaries of the execs who made the decision to buy the damn thing in the first place.</p>