Do you know that it’s only been five years and change since Harlequin announced that it was going to start offering self-publishing services? By comparison, digital-first publishing seems downright ancient. I don’t know if you remember how that Harlequin announcement blew up the internet, or how contentious the discussion ... more >
Last week’s post on digital book prices for commercial fiction engendered a lot of great responses, reflecting some really passionate opinions on how books are priced and how readers make their purchasing decisions. Judging from that completely anecdotal, self-selecting, limited sample, it seems like $12.99 is out of reach for ... more >
So now that Hachette and Amazon have settled their epic feud, and we’re seeing the results of publisher negotiations with the retailer, we seem to be witnessing the revenge of traditional publishers when it comes to digital book pricing. Last week I enthusiastically searched at Amazon for two books I ... more >
As more self-publishers enter the market, they are competing with traditional publishers for blogger and social media coverage. Which means they are looking for bigger, better ways to get reviews and positive buzz. And apparently that is translating into pressure on some bloggers and readers who accept review copies, and who ... more >
Long time readers of Dear Author know exactly what I mean when I say “geographical limitations.” In traditional “trade” publishing which is dominated by U.S. publishers (or U.S. arms of international companies), there are two primary types of contracts as it pertains to geographical rights. Usually an author will sell ... more >
In 1970 George Akerlof (Nobel Prize winner in Economics 2001) wrote a scholarly article called “The Market for Lemons: Quality Uncertainty and the Market Mechanism.” In true academic fashion, the article was deemed trivial by the top journals and he finally landed it in a highly-ranked but not flagship publication. ... more >