I was recently browsing and found my 10 year old book, American Family, prominently displayed. My next book comes out next year. It was deeply gratifying to see my book had value to a retailer so close to my next pub date. One publicist touched on your point, the best way to generate sales for an old book is to write another one. I take encouragement from your post. Thank you.
Incredibly helpful and informative! I have a novel that was a best seller 30 years ago. I was able to get the rights to it back from Simon & Schuster. People are asking about it now because of my newly published memoir, and I'm thinking of selling it again. Why not? thank you so much!
Love everything about this piece-- thanks for sharing. My husband and I just redid our wills, and I made all kinds of provisions for my books, including the many written but not yet published. I feel so deeply my books are my legacy and I want them out in the world. Thanks for all you do to support us authors!
This is so helpful, Brooke, and encouraging. My book, Wild Women, Wild Voices went O/P just about when my memoir was released and I've been unsure what to do with the content, which I still love. This year is the book's 10th anniversary. Based on your information (and encouragement), I'm going to look into creating a POD version. Thank you!
Brooke, as always, your words educate and inform us in your honest and clear voice. I don't say it enough, but I appreciate your wisdom and care. I love that my book is still selling after 3 years. Each time I hear from another reader, it encourages me to continue writing my second book. Such an honor to be a SW sister!
This was an interesting post for me to think about future publishing, particularly about POD. I know what that is, but I'm not totally familiar with how it works. The information gave me some new insights. But then I was gobsmacked by the last italicized paragraph! This is exactly what I have been pondering. I'm published in newspapers and regional magazines, but I hope to publish a book (s). Even if that never happens, I wonder what to do with my writings. I don't have any natural heirs, and my siblings would probably trash my work as unimportant. My work is my legacy, and even if I don't live long enough to get it published, I would like for it to have the opportunity. Thankfully I'm in good health right now, but that changes. I've been working on a will, but I also wanted to create what I called a literary will. Many people leave their work to a spouse or children, neither of which I have. It got me to thinking that this could be a business opportunity for someone to create literary legacies for people who don't have natural heirs. Have you written about this subject (not the business!) but how to handle literary stewardship before? And if not, would you consider writing about it in the future? The story of A Confederacy of Dunces is a great example of what can happen post-death with a literary manuscript. A sad tale though.
This was really helpful, Brooke. Thank you!! And thank you for taking Pinch Me so far already!! I have an interview with THE local paper here on Wednesday, and was on TV last week. All in Italy!!! : ))
Brooke--Another informative column. One topic you don't discuss is the different issue some authors have with their traditional publishers: The authors want rights to revert them (often so they can republish elsewhere), but the publishers drag their feet about letting that happen, even though the book may scarcely be selling. Sometimes the cause is sheer bureaucratic inertia. Sometimes it is the publisher's ingrained wariness about letting go of a property that might someday, somehow, get a new life. And some publishers are using POD as an excuse to refuse rights reversion, saying, in effect, that books never go O/P because they are "available" forever through digital printing. The result can be a frustrating standoff for the author. You might want to write about all this in some future column. Thanks as always for your good insights! Karl Weber, Rivertowns Books
This is a good point, Karl, and you're right. Some publishers just don't want to revert rights, to the point of being punitive, which is another problem altogether!! Thanks for chiming in. Wish I was seeing you in Denver!
Thank you Brooke. As always, your post elucidates the complex, ever changing world of book publishing. There’s so much to learn and you make it palatable.
Thanks Brooke. POD and ebooks will (have) certainly changed the landscape. For books published today, unless the author so wishes, the term out of print may be obsolete.
Brooke, I was JUST thinking the other day: what happens if I die before the royalties end? Such a great possibility (sort of). Good to know. As always, so appreciate these "continuing education" Sunday posts of yours. So much to learn in this industry. I do wish I had some hours-long brain-picking time (beyond office hours) where I could ask all the questions that really require a lot of "and if this, then that" sort of back and forth. I haven't figured out how to get that yet. Maybe you should launch a contest: Enter to win a half-day with Brooke! I'd enter. :)
I was recently browsing and found my 10 year old book, American Family, prominently displayed. My next book comes out next year. It was deeply gratifying to see my book had value to a retailer so close to my next pub date. One publicist touched on your point, the best way to generate sales for an old book is to write another one. I take encouragement from your post. Thank you.
Incredibly helpful and informative! I have a novel that was a best seller 30 years ago. I was able to get the rights to it back from Simon & Schuster. People are asking about it now because of my newly published memoir, and I'm thinking of selling it again. Why not? thank you so much!
You should do it!
Thank you!! ❤️
This just makes me happy!
Love everything about this piece-- thanks for sharing. My husband and I just redid our wills, and I made all kinds of provisions for my books, including the many written but not yet published. I feel so deeply my books are my legacy and I want them out in the world. Thanks for all you do to support us authors!
This is so helpful, Brooke, and encouraging. My book, Wild Women, Wild Voices went O/P just about when my memoir was released and I've been unsure what to do with the content, which I still love. This year is the book's 10th anniversary. Based on your information (and encouragement), I'm going to look into creating a POD version. Thank you!
Love to hear this. That's exactly what you should do!
Brooke, as always, your words educate and inform us in your honest and clear voice. I don't say it enough, but I appreciate your wisdom and care. I love that my book is still selling after 3 years. Each time I hear from another reader, it encourages me to continue writing my second book. Such an honor to be a SW sister!
Brooke,
This was an interesting post for me to think about future publishing, particularly about POD. I know what that is, but I'm not totally familiar with how it works. The information gave me some new insights. But then I was gobsmacked by the last italicized paragraph! This is exactly what I have been pondering. I'm published in newspapers and regional magazines, but I hope to publish a book (s). Even if that never happens, I wonder what to do with my writings. I don't have any natural heirs, and my siblings would probably trash my work as unimportant. My work is my legacy, and even if I don't live long enough to get it published, I would like for it to have the opportunity. Thankfully I'm in good health right now, but that changes. I've been working on a will, but I also wanted to create what I called a literary will. Many people leave their work to a spouse or children, neither of which I have. It got me to thinking that this could be a business opportunity for someone to create literary legacies for people who don't have natural heirs. Have you written about this subject (not the business!) but how to handle literary stewardship before? And if not, would you consider writing about it in the future? The story of A Confederacy of Dunces is a great example of what can happen post-death with a literary manuscript. A sad tale though.
This was really helpful, Brooke. Thank you!! And thank you for taking Pinch Me so far already!! I have an interview with THE local paper here on Wednesday, and was on TV last week. All in Italy!!! : ))
Love that, Barbara! Pinch Me has done incredibly well. Fun to see!
Brooke--Another informative column. One topic you don't discuss is the different issue some authors have with their traditional publishers: The authors want rights to revert them (often so they can republish elsewhere), but the publishers drag their feet about letting that happen, even though the book may scarcely be selling. Sometimes the cause is sheer bureaucratic inertia. Sometimes it is the publisher's ingrained wariness about letting go of a property that might someday, somehow, get a new life. And some publishers are using POD as an excuse to refuse rights reversion, saying, in effect, that books never go O/P because they are "available" forever through digital printing. The result can be a frustrating standoff for the author. You might want to write about all this in some future column. Thanks as always for your good insights! Karl Weber, Rivertowns Books
This is a good point, Karl, and you're right. Some publishers just don't want to revert rights, to the point of being punitive, which is another problem altogether!! Thanks for chiming in. Wish I was seeing you in Denver!
I wish it too--soon I hope!
Another excellent post. Thank you, Brooke. 💕
Thank you Brooke. As always, your post elucidates the complex, ever changing world of book publishing. There’s so much to learn and you make it palatable.
Thanks Brooke. POD and ebooks will (have) certainly changed the landscape. For books published today, unless the author so wishes, the term out of print may be obsolete.
Right, O/P can be imposed upon authors but we have recourse to republish, which is wonderful.
Brooke, I was JUST thinking the other day: what happens if I die before the royalties end? Such a great possibility (sort of). Good to know. As always, so appreciate these "continuing education" Sunday posts of yours. So much to learn in this industry. I do wish I had some hours-long brain-picking time (beyond office hours) where I could ask all the questions that really require a lot of "and if this, then that" sort of back and forth. I haven't figured out how to get that yet. Maybe you should launch a contest: Enter to win a half-day with Brooke! I'd enter. :)
Aw! Thank you, Kathy. Come to a retreat or writing weekend I'm going to one of these days and we'll find that time. ❤️
That's a perfect solution. I'll keep my eyes peeled.
Very thoughtful and helpful!
Thanks, Brooke. Such good advice. I am happy each week when I check paperback sales and see a few copies sold after two years. POD is the way to go !
Thank you for this! My book is out of print and I appreciate the topics you wrote about. You’ve given me some good things to contemplate.