Great piece, Brooke. I've published in "all the ways." I've received many advances. In recent years, as you know, I've also turned to hybrid publishing for my fiction at SWP, and I've been having a great experience. There's a lot of mythology about what is legitimate and what makes you "a real author" and what will make any author happy. I've found fulfillment as an author in different ways, and frustration too. I would add one note to your piece for authors working with academic or university presses. In those instances, you can negotiate for both an advance (recoupable-- set against future royalties) and an outright grant (non-recoupable signing bonus). I have done so for many books and that grant money, is money in the bank for an author. Some folks don't know this is available.
Thanks for this, Patricia. Do you have to publish with a university or academic press to qualify for such grants, or can it be any nonprofit publisher?
The grants are paid directly from the publishers. My experience is limited to academic and university publishers, so I'm not sure. I've always been able to get these grants for books with course adoption potential such as text books and edited handbooks.
I’d like to sell my books outright to a publisher with zero royalties! Just pay me for my work and my product. Not the other way around. And if you turn it into a bestseller and rake in profits? Fine by me. It would be fun to see that happen, and I could charge more for the next book. (Maybe I should try to get a job as a ghostwriter.)
Also, I loved this post. So thank you! It really stimulated my thinking about the industry today. We don’t always publish for the money. For me it’s more about connecting with readers who are looking for the kind of books I write. I love when people say they enjoyed my books. Warms the ol’ heartstrings.
Here’s how I’m looking at it: The key here is pay me a lump sum for my book, package it up beautifully, and make money off of me. You turn it into a best-seller? You don’t have to share the profit with me! It gets picked up for film production? You don’t have to share that with me, either. I’m always happy to help promote and foster engagement, but I don’t want my earnings to be dependent on my sales. This is pretty much like an advance only you could save a ton of headaches figuring out royalty statements every month or three or six. It would be like a film. You buy the rights, produce the book, profit. Is this totally unreasonable?
Ghostwriting may be a good path! FYI, there are instances of authorship when you can sell the work for a lump sum. I've done this with some foreign publishers in licensing deals.
I did ghostwrite a book for an academic press…the author paid me to write it, and the press pubbed it. I’m actually very proud of that book. I’d love to do more ghostwriting, for sure.
I've already decided for a variety of reasons that independent publishing is the way to go for me. (And as an editor I usually advise my clients to at least seriously consider it too.) This piece provides solid reasons to support my basically intuitive approach to the matter. :-) And is interesting, informative and thought-provoking to boot. Thank you, Brooke!
This is so useful as I think about the path ahead for the book I'm writing now, my 14th book of creative nonfiction(!). Most of my books were traditionally published, some with "nice" advances (including the two from Chronicle Books), and in most cases, I earned back my advances. But not with much to spare, and I always felt bad reading those negative numbers on the royalty statements. Publishing with my last memoir with SWP has been an eye-opening experience for me, as I've realized how cushy I had it before. I am not the author who loves to do her own publicity and marketing, and I don't have a big budget for either. I've learned a lot about my limitations and my expectations, and continue to be pleasantly surprised that my books, all backlist now, half of them still in print, continue to find readers. I understand publishing and myself better now, and your gentle education has helped immensely with that, Brooke. I am grateful to you and SWP for your belief in my work!
I'm glad it's helpful, Susan—and thinking about small presses, university presses, zero advances, and the rest is a good place to land for midlist authors. Good luck with book #14. Super impressive! Glad we got to publish one of these!
This is so helpful Brooke, as always. I’ve invested my own money in the publication of my books. I look at that as an “advance” that I have to earn out. I’m the one advancing the money, not a publisher. It’s unlikely that I will go to a traditional publisher for this and many other reasons.
Another great post. I totally agree that big advances are not worth fighting for - when I sold my last book I asked my agent not to push it higher because I want the book to earn out. On the other hand, the last book of mine to earn out was taken OOP less than a year later, which to me felt like a cheat as the book was still selling.
As a relatively new small press and self-published author, I find these articles insightful. Thanks for putting this together. I’ve added The Untold Story of Books to my reading list!
The advance is an indication from the publisher about how excited they are about the book's prospects. The larger the advance, the more excited. The more excited they are, the more money they've already invested in the book via the advance, the more likely the sales team will push it.
I think that's only part of the puzzle, Dan. Sometimes advances get pushed up due to competition. It's not that a publisher is not excited about a book when this happens, but things can get inflated, sometimes problematically so. Publishing is a very confusing industry, too. It's based a lot on whims. It's not too dissimilar from gambling. Also, it can be very subjective. So you can have an in-house champion, and they might leave, and when that happens, books/authors get abandoned, and the new team might not be as enthusiastic about the project. Also, authors can get in their own way. Problem authors can prove themselves to be undesirable to work with, and even if they've gotten a big advance, they can lose momentum in-house. So you're right, but it's just not as simple as that. And there are plenty of books that houses spend a lot of money for, but then the house doesn't put the marketing effort behind the book that they should. The reasons for this are myriad and complex as the next thing.
This is my understanding, too, but obviously Brooke knows much more about the inner workings of the industry than I do. I’m in “gathering info” mode on all this.
You mostly focus on the Big 5 and authors with literary agents. What about authors who work with the small presses that don't require a literary agent and offer scant or zero advances? Like many new authors, I'm writing books later in life so I'm not trying to support myself. My biggest priority for working with a small traditional publisher is for education and support through the publishing process. I'd rather get paid on the copies I sell and keep a great relationship with the publisher. While I'm not trying to make a living from my book, I realize the folks I deal with at the publishing company need to earn their living. As much as most new authors dream of having an agent and publishing with the big 5, It's just not reality for most of us. Do you have any advice for writers like me working with smaller publishers in terms of handling the money side of things?
Yes, in this case—no liability. If you publish on a small press with a very small advance that you're likely to earn out, or no advance, then you start making money much faster/right away. For many authors this is preferable these days, though of course the allure of the big advances is always there. That said, the big advances are pretty much limited to the Big Five these days.
As far as the money side of things with a small press, you just need to know what you're signing. If you're getting zero advance, for instance, oftentimes you can negotiate a better royalty rate.
I love your posts Brooke (you know I do 😍) and I always learn so much. I am a relatively new writer (even though I'm 57), but I think I have the resources to market myself successfully. I just finished the first draft of my memoir about some of the crazy sh*t I did the year after my husband died in 2021. I haven't decided if I want to try hybrid or self publishing. I'm not really interested in traditional, and I don't care about an advance. I always do best when I bet on myself, even though I don't always feel as confident about it as I do in this moment. Thanks again for another great read! ❤️
This is so helpful. The allure of an advance dies hard, at least for those of us who grew up knowing the "best" authors earned them. But it's news to me that advances are now spread out over several years (I get why). What still baffles me is how my ceramic making friend can earn (or charge) $50 for a mug that took her fifteen minutes to make (and she's made many before) but a book is priced at $25 (let's say), is a one of a kind item, and might have taken one, two, three or twenty years to complete. I know this has little to do with advances, except perhaps in the ideal world where that advance meant someone could live on it while writing the next book! Thanks for your great reporting from the trenches.
Yes, I'll echo what Maggie says below because books are mass produced. If you compare your book to an IKEA mug, for instance (and sorry, but that's more comparable in terms of industrial printing and industrial manufacturing), then we see those priced more like $3-$5/unit. I think books should be priced higher (personally—like $20 for a paperback, and some are, but the problem is not with the unit cost per book, but rather finding enough readers for all of these books.
in the case of your ceramic friend, she is selling one mug to one person which makes it an exclusive. The writer is selling a book which is NOT exclusive to hundreds, even thousands of people.
Great piece, Brooke. I've published in "all the ways." I've received many advances. In recent years, as you know, I've also turned to hybrid publishing for my fiction at SWP, and I've been having a great experience. There's a lot of mythology about what is legitimate and what makes you "a real author" and what will make any author happy. I've found fulfillment as an author in different ways, and frustration too. I would add one note to your piece for authors working with academic or university presses. In those instances, you can negotiate for both an advance (recoupable-- set against future royalties) and an outright grant (non-recoupable signing bonus). I have done so for many books and that grant money, is money in the bank for an author. Some folks don't know this is available.
Thanks for this, Patricia. Do you have to publish with a university or academic press to qualify for such grants, or can it be any nonprofit publisher?
The grants are paid directly from the publishers. My experience is limited to academic and university publishers, so I'm not sure. I've always been able to get these grants for books with course adoption potential such as text books and edited handbooks.
Thanks, Patricia. Super interesting and a space I know nothing about.
I’d like to sell my books outright to a publisher with zero royalties! Just pay me for my work and my product. Not the other way around. And if you turn it into a bestseller and rake in profits? Fine by me. It would be fun to see that happen, and I could charge more for the next book. (Maybe I should try to get a job as a ghostwriter.)
Lol. Yes, sounds like working on spec to me. You're in the minority of authors with this mindset, though. :)
Also, I loved this post. So thank you! It really stimulated my thinking about the industry today. We don’t always publish for the money. For me it’s more about connecting with readers who are looking for the kind of books I write. I love when people say they enjoyed my books. Warms the ol’ heartstrings.
Here’s how I’m looking at it: The key here is pay me a lump sum for my book, package it up beautifully, and make money off of me. You turn it into a best-seller? You don’t have to share the profit with me! It gets picked up for film production? You don’t have to share that with me, either. I’m always happy to help promote and foster engagement, but I don’t want my earnings to be dependent on my sales. This is pretty much like an advance only you could save a ton of headaches figuring out royalty statements every month or three or six. It would be like a film. You buy the rights, produce the book, profit. Is this totally unreasonable?
Ghostwriting may be a good path! FYI, there are instances of authorship when you can sell the work for a lump sum. I've done this with some foreign publishers in licensing deals.
That’s cool about the lump sum with licensing deals.
I did ghostwrite a book for an academic press…the author paid me to write it, and the press pubbed it. I’m actually very proud of that book. I’d love to do more ghostwriting, for sure.
I remember! Chris Myers raves about you. You should totally do more ghostwriting if it suits you.
I’m definitely open to it if I can find a good fit. My author’s story was amazing and we really clicked.
Your posts always dispel some of the mysteries that surround this business, Brooke. Much appreciated!
Great piece, and really important for new authors like me to hear.
I've already decided for a variety of reasons that independent publishing is the way to go for me. (And as an editor I usually advise my clients to at least seriously consider it too.) This piece provides solid reasons to support my basically intuitive approach to the matter. :-) And is interesting, informative and thought-provoking to boot. Thank you, Brooke!
Thanks for reading, Janet.
Always educational and eye opening. Appreciate your candid views.
This is so useful as I think about the path ahead for the book I'm writing now, my 14th book of creative nonfiction(!). Most of my books were traditionally published, some with "nice" advances (including the two from Chronicle Books), and in most cases, I earned back my advances. But not with much to spare, and I always felt bad reading those negative numbers on the royalty statements. Publishing with my last memoir with SWP has been an eye-opening experience for me, as I've realized how cushy I had it before. I am not the author who loves to do her own publicity and marketing, and I don't have a big budget for either. I've learned a lot about my limitations and my expectations, and continue to be pleasantly surprised that my books, all backlist now, half of them still in print, continue to find readers. I understand publishing and myself better now, and your gentle education has helped immensely with that, Brooke. I am grateful to you and SWP for your belief in my work!
I'm glad it's helpful, Susan—and thinking about small presses, university presses, zero advances, and the rest is a good place to land for midlist authors. Good luck with book #14. Super impressive! Glad we got to publish one of these!
This is so helpful Brooke, as always. I’ve invested my own money in the publication of my books. I look at that as an “advance” that I have to earn out. I’m the one advancing the money, not a publisher. It’s unlikely that I will go to a traditional publisher for this and many other reasons.
Yes, this is the right way to look at it, Alicia! :)
I read every word and agree with your assessment of it all. Thanks for always laying out an argument so clearly!
Excellent insight into the myths of the jewel “advance”. Had no idea😳
Another great post. I totally agree that big advances are not worth fighting for - when I sold my last book I asked my agent not to push it higher because I want the book to earn out. On the other hand, the last book of mine to earn out was taken OOP less than a year later, which to me felt like a cheat as the book was still selling.
Even though I self publish, it’s always good to know what’s going on in the trad world. Great insight.
As a relatively new small press and self-published author, I find these articles insightful. Thanks for putting this together. I’ve added The Untold Story of Books to my reading list!
Yes, it's a great read!!
Here's how I've thought about this:
The advance is an indication from the publisher about how excited they are about the book's prospects. The larger the advance, the more excited. The more excited they are, the more money they've already invested in the book via the advance, the more likely the sales team will push it.
Am I thinking about this correctly?
I think that's only part of the puzzle, Dan. Sometimes advances get pushed up due to competition. It's not that a publisher is not excited about a book when this happens, but things can get inflated, sometimes problematically so. Publishing is a very confusing industry, too. It's based a lot on whims. It's not too dissimilar from gambling. Also, it can be very subjective. So you can have an in-house champion, and they might leave, and when that happens, books/authors get abandoned, and the new team might not be as enthusiastic about the project. Also, authors can get in their own way. Problem authors can prove themselves to be undesirable to work with, and even if they've gotten a big advance, they can lose momentum in-house. So you're right, but it's just not as simple as that. And there are plenty of books that houses spend a lot of money for, but then the house doesn't put the marketing effort behind the book that they should. The reasons for this are myriad and complex as the next thing.
That’s a very helpful response. Thanks! Glad to benefit from your knowledge and experience.
This is my understanding, too, but obviously Brooke knows much more about the inner workings of the industry than I do. I’m in “gathering info” mode on all this.
You mostly focus on the Big 5 and authors with literary agents. What about authors who work with the small presses that don't require a literary agent and offer scant or zero advances? Like many new authors, I'm writing books later in life so I'm not trying to support myself. My biggest priority for working with a small traditional publisher is for education and support through the publishing process. I'd rather get paid on the copies I sell and keep a great relationship with the publisher. While I'm not trying to make a living from my book, I realize the folks I deal with at the publishing company need to earn their living. As much as most new authors dream of having an agent and publishing with the big 5, It's just not reality for most of us. Do you have any advice for writers like me working with smaller publishers in terms of handling the money side of things?
Yes, in this case—no liability. If you publish on a small press with a very small advance that you're likely to earn out, or no advance, then you start making money much faster/right away. For many authors this is preferable these days, though of course the allure of the big advances is always there. That said, the big advances are pretty much limited to the Big Five these days.
As far as the money side of things with a small press, you just need to know what you're signing. If you're getting zero advance, for instance, oftentimes you can negotiate a better royalty rate.
Good luck!
I love your posts Brooke (you know I do 😍) and I always learn so much. I am a relatively new writer (even though I'm 57), but I think I have the resources to market myself successfully. I just finished the first draft of my memoir about some of the crazy sh*t I did the year after my husband died in 2021. I haven't decided if I want to try hybrid or self publishing. I'm not really interested in traditional, and I don't care about an advance. I always do best when I bet on myself, even though I don't always feel as confident about it as I do in this moment. Thanks again for another great read! ❤️
This is so helpful. The allure of an advance dies hard, at least for those of us who grew up knowing the "best" authors earned them. But it's news to me that advances are now spread out over several years (I get why). What still baffles me is how my ceramic making friend can earn (or charge) $50 for a mug that took her fifteen minutes to make (and she's made many before) but a book is priced at $25 (let's say), is a one of a kind item, and might have taken one, two, three or twenty years to complete. I know this has little to do with advances, except perhaps in the ideal world where that advance meant someone could live on it while writing the next book! Thanks for your great reporting from the trenches.
Yes, I'll echo what Maggie says below because books are mass produced. If you compare your book to an IKEA mug, for instance (and sorry, but that's more comparable in terms of industrial printing and industrial manufacturing), then we see those priced more like $3-$5/unit. I think books should be priced higher (personally—like $20 for a paperback, and some are, but the problem is not with the unit cost per book, but rather finding enough readers for all of these books.
in the case of your ceramic friend, she is selling one mug to one person which makes it an exclusive. The writer is selling a book which is NOT exclusive to hundreds, even thousands of people.