Ebooks
First, I think I forgot to blog yesterday, so to those of you who actually look at this every day, my apologies.
I had a friend ask me about ebooks yesterday.
I am used to the price of ebooks. Yes, they may be shorter, and the ones I downloaded yesterday morning were $6.49. So they aren't really inexpensive.
But, if you're writing for a publishing company that specializes in ebooks like Cerridwen Press, an off-shoot of Ellora's Cave, you get very little (if any) advance but quite a bit (30%, I think) of royalties.
If you're writing for an established New York publisher it does, of course, depend on your contract, but it is nowhere near that amount, definitely under 10% (usually much lower than 10%).
I have an old Casio ppc that I love, that I bought because of its big screen to read ebooks on. Problem is, I like the .lit format, but my old Casio doesn't handle the NEW .lit, which limits me to what I can buy.
So in the area of the publishers releasing books in the new .lit, I don't know the work.
I will admit that sometimes I read ebooks and cringe at the writing. More often than I read NY published books and cringe at the writing (though that happens too). I have a couple of favorite ebook authors and that's it. And, if I try an ebook author and cringe at the writing, I don't buy him/her again.
OTOH, there are ebook authors who have made the jump into NY Times bestsellers, and deservedly so, Mary Janice Davidson and Angela Knight to be specific. I read them on ebook and I read them in print (though I still think Mary Janice handled a plot point much better in the ebook Undead and Unwed than in the print, and that was because our publisher limited that particular scene).
That's my take on ebooks.
May whatever format you read or write in please you today.
Robim
I had a friend ask me about ebooks yesterday.
I am used to the price of ebooks. Yes, they may be shorter, and the ones I downloaded yesterday morning were $6.49. So they aren't really inexpensive.
But, if you're writing for a publishing company that specializes in ebooks like Cerridwen Press, an off-shoot of Ellora's Cave, you get very little (if any) advance but quite a bit (30%, I think) of royalties.
If you're writing for an established New York publisher it does, of course, depend on your contract, but it is nowhere near that amount, definitely under 10% (usually much lower than 10%).
I have an old Casio ppc that I love, that I bought because of its big screen to read ebooks on. Problem is, I like the .lit format, but my old Casio doesn't handle the NEW .lit, which limits me to what I can buy.
So in the area of the publishers releasing books in the new .lit, I don't know the work.
I will admit that sometimes I read ebooks and cringe at the writing. More often than I read NY published books and cringe at the writing (though that happens too). I have a couple of favorite ebook authors and that's it. And, if I try an ebook author and cringe at the writing, I don't buy him/her again.
OTOH, there are ebook authors who have made the jump into NY Times bestsellers, and deservedly so, Mary Janice Davidson and Angela Knight to be specific. I read them on ebook and I read them in print (though I still think Mary Janice handled a plot point much better in the ebook Undead and Unwed than in the print, and that was because our publisher limited that particular scene).
That's my take on ebooks.
May whatever format you read or write in please you today.
Robim
posted by FantasyAuthor RobinDOwens | 6:52 AM
4 Comments:
Robin, Thank-you for your response Re: the "becoming" Turquois Residense. Will Nuada's Sword gift it with a "library" and connection to help? I read ebooks on the baen.com site. I especially like to get the eARC's of favorite authors. I pay $15. cheerfully then they give me the final version and I buy the hardback. The regular e books are about $5. Catheryne
Re: ebooks... So far, my ebook purchases have been limited to those published as an alternative format by print publishers. I travel a fair amount and like carting around much of my 'keeper' shelf in my purse, meaning, A) I always have something with me to read that I know I'll enjoy, and B) some books (by my very favorite authors) I buy twice in both print and ebook. Sad, I know, but true. (At least for my budget!)
I also occasionally browse the ebook sites looking for new authors to try out.
I encountered your work in such a way, by purchasing Protector of the Flight from the eharlequin site. I was disappointed not to see any of the rest of them in ebook format! (That hasn't stopped me from reading the rest, and I've now plowed through all the Celta books in about two weeks (I stayed up half the night reading Heart Dance last night -- not good when the alarm goes off at 5AM) and will then turn to the first two books of the Guardians series.
But I wish they were all available in ebook format!
Catheryne,
I hadn't thought of Nuada's Sword regarding a library, but that's a good idea. However Tinne will be residing in it, and you can probably figure out how well he likes Nuada's Sword.
Anonymous,
Thanks for your lovely words! I can't recall whether Fictionwise might have some of my ebooks or not, or even if I have the ebook rights for the Heart books. You might want to check there...
And I'm up a little too late myself!
May you get as much rest as you need.
Robin
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