Expectations
By Jerry D. Simmons | December 19th, 2006 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

A few years ago I was sitting at my desk in New York when the phone rang. I answered and began getting an earful from someone that was extremely upset and talking fast. As I furiously scribbled notes to the one sided conversation, I began to realize that I was listening to an agent whose identity was still unknown. When I managed to collect my thoughts and ask a couple of questions, I was able to put a name with the voice of my caller and finally recognized his author client.

Turned out the author had written a book that received a very small distribution and was currently on sale around the country. Like most authors published for the first time by a New York publisher, he was of the opinion that he deserved “special” attention. He had been traveling to cities around the Midwest with hopes of drawing attention to himself and his book.

While flying into one of the country’s largest airports he was dismayed to find multiple copies of the nation’s current #1 bestselling title on display in airport bookstores while at the same time he was unable to find a single copy of his own book in the same stores. He immediately phoned his agent who somehow managed to find my name and number and called to “rattle my cage” a bit. Unfortunately I had received numerous such phone calls over the years and the best you can do is tell the caller you will look into the situation.

One of the biggest problems that authors have, regardless of who published their book, is their own personal expectations of how many copies they should sell and what kind of attention a book deserves. I’m of the opinion that you should under-promise and over-deliver. You need to start with realistic expectations of how your book will perform in the market. Authors need to take the same attitude and become involved with the publicaiton of their book. If they would do this publishing would become a much more congenial place.

This blog is unedited, please disregard mistakes in spelling and grammar.

 

A Follow-up
By Jerry D. Simmons | November 22nd, 2006 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

I’m thrilled that Harper Collins and Regan Books decided to pull from their publishing list the shameful book that I wrote about last week–the title of which I refuse to mention, it is so offensive. It thrilled me even more to learn from some former colleagues who still work in the New York industry, that Judith Regan might lose her job over the fiasco. Not that I want anyone to lose their job but in this case I think she deserves it.

However, rumor on the streets of New York is that other publishers are considering the book for publication and one of the reasons is the amount of presales that some major booksellers received. Let me explain, the major retail bookstores that were anticipating huge demand for the book, in fact sold advanced copies before the actual pub or release date. Estimates are upwards of 60,000 copies although no one can confirm that number and the booksellers are not talking.

With those kinds of numbers, if they are true, it’s no wonder other publishers are considering the book for their list. Fact is, any future arrangements will most likely be a co-published venture with Harper Collins, without their name attached to the cover. That is the only way they can hope to recoup any of the advances. What this means is that Harper Collins owns the rights but at this time has decided not to publish under their own imprint. They in turn, with the agent, will approach other publishers who might have interest in earning some easy money. The new publisher would publish under its own imprint, but behind the scenes Harper Collins would share in the profits. That way they earn some blood money on this so-called book.

Sad but in the end it all boils down to dollars, and the retail bookstore chains are as much to blame as anyone. They don’t want to refund money to their customers. Welcome to the world of big time publishing.

 

Is There No Shame?
By Jerry D. Simmons | November 16th, 2006 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

Publishing has hit an all time low in my opinion. I thought it was bad enough with the James Frey A Million Little Pieces debacle on Oprah earlier this year, but this is much worse. An imprint of Harper Collins, Regan Books, is publishing If I Did It by O.J. Simpson. For a reported $3.5 million dollars this fiend is going to tell readers how the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, “could have happened.” Are you kidding me?

How desperate is the world of commercial trade publishing in New York? This is a perfect example of a publisher pulling out all the stops to make money. What could have prompted any respectful editor from even considering such a book? The answer is a shortfall in revenue, the company needed to generate publicity for the upcoming holiday season and increase billing. My hope is that all major booksellers at the retail level such as B&N, Borders, Costco, and Target would refuse to buy this crap. If you see copies in their stores, you need to realize it is all about product and sales. It just happens that books are one of their products to sell.

I certainly hope that readers will turn their backs on this so-called book, because if this title hits any major bestseller lists, you can expect more of the same. What’s next? True stories of Saddam Hussein’s torture chambers? Do you really think Harper Collins cares about great writing? The sad thing is, if I were sitting in my old New York office I can almost guarantee my bosses would be kicking themselves for not thinking of the idea to publish O.J.’s story. This is a very sad commentary on the state of publishing in this country.

 

Book Sales
By Jerry D. Simmons | November 8th, 2006 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)

A good friend of mine who happens to be a wonderful writer, is a person who also keeps me updated on publishing news around the world, forwarded the following numbers about book sales in the United States in 2004.

These figures came from Nielsen BookScan, which is the most recognizable sales reporting company for New York publishers. BookScan tracked book sales for 1.2 million titles, for all of 2004 and here is what they found:

Keep in mind that these numbers do not represent the vast majority of independent author sales. Those self-published or author originated titles that are estimated to run close to 200,000 separate titles per calendar year and are not accounted for in these statistics. Nor does every major retail bookseller report sales to BookScan, so some of the data will have been estimated. Regardless, I have no reason to suspect these results.

What does this say to an author? That it is easy to get published but difficult to sell books. There has to be a new way of looking at and thinking about–how to market and sell books.

These numbers were taken from the blog at http://girlondemand.blogspot.com posted Friday November 3, 2006.

 

The Single Most Important Number in Publishing
By Jerry D. Simmons | June 14th, 2006 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

At any level of publishing, the number by which virtually all decisions are made is the percent of sale. Also known as sell-through, sometimes referred to as percent of return. The calculation is made by dividing the number of net copies sold by the number shipped, or net divided by gross. The true percent of sale is calculated not by gross copies but total copies printed which includes unused inventory but let’s keep it simple. For example: if your publisher shipped 12,000 books and after six months of being on sale at retail, sold 6,500; your percent of sale would be 54%. Your percent of return would be 46%. As an author you want either a high percent of sale, which is the same as a high sell-through OR a low percent of return.

Some publishers set benchmarks for books, for instance they want to see hardcovers percent of sale at a minimum 65%, trade paperbacks 50%, and mass-market paperbacks at 50%. However this is not hard and fast, it depends on many factors. Bottom line, above all else, the number that carries the most weight is the percent of sale. You would be better off as an author if your book sold 2,000 net copies with a 65% sell-through than 40,000 net copies with a 45% sell-through.

For authors it’s all about building sales and maintaining a high percent of sale. Do not get confused by the total number of copies that are shipped or your titles position on a list or anything else. In order to continue a career as an author you must have a high percent of sale. The total number of net copies is secondary to the percent of sale. This is the most important number in publishing.

 

What Is The Acceptable Return Percentage Before The Publisher Decides To Pull The Plug?
By Jerry D. Simmons | April 24th, 2006 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

This is the seventh and final blog of the What You Should Reasonably Expect From Publishers series of answers to individual questions. The basis for these blogs is an article entitled “Opportunities For New Writers.” For background read the article first, then the earlier blogs. If you are not certain of the order go to the headline on my home page.

Don’t allow an agent, editor, or publisher tell you as a new author that they do not have a return percentage in mind before launching a new imprint or series. Your publisher does and you need to convince them to share that number with you. Don’t be naive about the whole situation; the launch is designed to increase sales and market share, i.e. shelf space. If the expenditure of a minimum $100,000 in advertising, promotion, and publicity does not generate enough net copy sales over the course of a few months, the launch will be considered a failure and money will be lost.

Each publisher who makes the in-house decision to launch a new imprint or series; does so with the understanding that you must sell X number of copies to pay for the marketing campaign and you have to ship X number of books to cover the anticipated sell-through. With those facts in sight, an acceptable return percentage is calculated and everyone involved with the new launch knows what it is. The only reason why they would not be willing to share that number with the authors is if the expectations and percentage is too high.

For example, on a hardcover launch they would likely expect at least a 50% sell through (net copies sold divided by the total number printed, not shipped). For a trade paperback that percentage could be 50-60% and on a mass-market launch they could get away with as low as 40%. The publisher can only tolerate lower than anticipated sales for a short period of time before they decide the launch was a failure and yank the entire program off the market. Where does this leave the authors? With a poor sales history and struggle to overcome the problem.

 

How Long Will These Incentives Last?
By Jerry D. Simmons | April 18th, 2006 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

This is the sixth blog of the What You Should Reasonably Expect From Publishers series of answers to individual questions. The basis for these blogs is an article entitled “Opportunities For New Writers.” For background read the article first, then the earlier blogs. If you are not certain of the order go to the headline on my home page.

If the publisher launching the new imprint or series has a track record for being the first to market with new imprints or series, do some homework. Go to your independent bookstore, introduce yourself to the buyer, and ask for input on the reputation of the publisher and their track record for new imprints or series? Also ask if the publisher typically backs up their launch with incentives and do they stand behind their product? If you explain why you are asking these questions, chances are you will get honest answers. Reassure the buyer your conversation will remain confidential.

Any publisher with a history of constantly turning over new imprints or series is not the kind of company you should attach yourself to as an author. As least this is not the way you want to launch your own writing career. Most reputable publishers introduce imprints or series sparingly and only under certain circumstances. They should be more than willing to share with their authors all of this information as a way of attracting better writers.

You want to see in writing that the initial phase of the marketing campaign will last no less than one year after the publication of the first set of titles. Anything less hardly gives the books a chance to survive on store shelves. I’m aware of one publisher whose launch lasted for over 4 years. Accordingly, the incentives offered to booksellers should be in place for no less than one year.

The final question in this series: What is the acceptable return percentage before the publisher decides to pull the plug?

 

Is The Publisher Offering Incentives To Their Customers To Purchase Large Quantities of Books?
By Jerry D. Simmons | April 17th, 2006 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

This is the fifth blog of the What You Should Reasonably Expect From Publishers series of answers to individual questions. The basis for these blogs is an article entitled “Opportunities For New Writers.” For background read the article first, then the earlier blogs. If you are uncertain of the order, go to the headline on my home page.

At this point in our discussion it has been established that your publisher is spending a minimum of $100,000 for a complete marketing campaign. Part of that money should be budgeted for promotion, which means they are willing to pay incentives to their customers (the booksellers) for taking a preset quantity of copies for distribution.

The incentives can range from advertising allowances in bookstore newsletters, to placement fees for special in-store displays such as a floor or a variety of options available within each store. This will especially hold true for your major chain bookstores and most of the larger independent bookstores.

If your publisher is offering special discounts or cents per copy for large quantities of books to be shipped to the re-supply jobbers or independent distributors, be careful. Such large quantities may never see the light of day and can cause considerable returns over the course of the first three to six months after the launch.

Any special incentives offered to booksellers should be aimed at the retail bookstore market, with a smaller percentage going to the re-supply side. If the launch is a mass-market paperback then a larger percentage of the combined incentives will be going to the independent distributors.

As an author you want to know what percentage of incentives are being focused on the retail side compared to the distributor side. The largest piece of the promotional budget should be going to the retail side and not the distributor side of the marketplace.

Next I will answer: How long will the incentives last?

 

What Is The Expected Distribution Of The Books For This New Imprint?
By Jerry D. Simmons | April 12th, 2006 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

This is the fourth blog of the What You Should Reasonably Expect From Publishers series of answers to individual questions. The basis for these blogs is an article entitled “Opportunities For New Writers.” For background read the article first, then the earlier blogs.

The key to distribution for an individual title is not how many copies are shipped but where they are being shipped. When a publisher launches a new imprint or series that important point will fly right out the window. When a company is spending big money to promote a launch, the key is total gross shipments. As many copies as they can ship to as many customers as possible. To reduce costs and maximize the marketing budget you need exposure and this translates into shipping large quantities of books.

For example, if a publisher were spending $100,000 on a marketing campaign, it would be foolish to try and keep your distribution low to improve sell-through. So with the big advertising budget come big shipments. This goes hand in hand and one supports the other. Obviously you want to sell as many net copies as possible but this is a risk you take when launching a new imprint or series.

To answer the questions specifically, you want to know the budget numbers for the individual titles that make up the new launch. Typcially several titles are shipped together and often times the position of each title within the launch will vary. So you want to ask what are the specific budget numbers for the new launch? In particular, your own book and where it is positioned within the group? Don’t be alarmed if your title is not among the top titles, in the long run this may be a benefit.

With a marketing budget of $100,000 a publisher would need to ship around 50,000 copies of a hardcover, perhaps 100,000 of a trade paper, and between 150-200,000 of a mass-market. These are of course rules of thumb and not hard and fast numbers. At least it gives you a range when you ask for an answer and they start throwing numbers about.

Next I will answer: Is the publisher offering incentives to their customers to purchase large quantities of books?

 

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