Practical E-Book Justice

Norman Spinrad has a compelling article over at SFWA that addresses a number of pertinent subjects, including the obligatory dire warning over the demise of brick and mortar book stores and the perennial "pusblishers used to care about art" rebuke. However, what intrigued me most about Spinrad's post was the scenario he presented about how the ongoing e-book revolution could radically shift relations between publishers, best-selling authors, and mid-list authors.

It breaks down like this: most traditional literary contracts offer writers 25% royalties on e-book sales. By contrast, Amazon and Barnes & Noble offer 70% (albeit without advances). The only thing keeping major best-selling authors loyal to traditional print publishers is the fact that print books still outsell digital copies. However, it's not too hard to imagine a very near future in which book sales are split 50/50 between print and electronic markets. When that happens, Spinrad argues, major best-selling authors will have it in their best interests to self-publish the digital versions of their books at 70% royalties because they simply don't need advances to finance their work. They can also turn around and sell the print rights separately to a traditional publishing house for a lessened but still substantial advance. This new dynamic could cause a mass exodus of top talent from traditional publishers, who will be made reliant upon their remaining mid-list authors to survive.

Spinrad defines a mid-list author as a writer who can consistently sell ten to twenty thousand copies a year--not enough to make the best-seller lists, but sufficient to keep a beleaguered publishing company on life support. That is, unless, the mid-listers also decide to go into the online publishing business for themselves.

What can save the traditional publishers at this point? Spinrad suggests a reassessment of the industry standard 25% e-book royalty rate. Most publishers can't afford to match Amazon's 70% figure, but compromising on 50% should be enough to keep the midl-listers around while still eking out a profit.

And if traditional publishers reject the path of enlightened self-interest? Well, nothing's keeping companies like Google and Apple from throwing their hats into the epublishing ring, and if they do, they'll be poised to offer what Amazon and B&N currently don't: advances matching or exceeding those of print publishers.

Beta Geminorum Is Online

My first published short story "Beta Geminorum" has been posted to the Jersey Devil Press website.

http://www.jerseydevilpress.com/?page_id=1962

Things I Hope My Nephew Learns from Me

Christmas seemed like an appropriate time for an update. I've mostly constrained myself to comments about writing and the literary industry in general. However, the only two news items in those areas pertaining to me are 1: I persist in writing every day and 2: I am waiting for already sold works to be published.

So, I beg your kind indulgence while I list (in no particular order) various tidbits of life experience I hope to impart to my nephew.

1. Value intangible goods over material goods. Humans are spiritual beings and discounting or denying that fact neglects a whole dimension of one's life. The exclusive pursuit of wealth and its temporal fruits tends to leave a person dissatisfied, jaded, and restless.

2. Don't be afraid to play with knives and fire. The best way to learn something is to do it--even moreso for something useful. I don't advocate the reckless pairing of children and sharp objects, but fostering ingenuity under proper supervision is far better than instilling irrational fear under the guise of protection.

3. You can't be "anything you want to be" when you grow up. This old chestnut is a popular platitude on daytime kids' TV and in elementary schools, even though it's demonstrably false. I for one would gladly have traded the stress and confusion engendered by this "liberating" bit of misinformation for more structure and guidance. Alex Cross had it right. It's, "you do what you are," not "you are what you do".

4. You are not the most important person in existence, which correlates nicely with:

5. Everyone is not equal. But that doesn't give you the right to belittle or use others. In fact, it's really humbling if you think about it. No matter how good you are at something, there's always someone better. But that's OK, because...

6. Your value as a human being doesn't depend on your worldly success. Not everyone is equal, but every person is equally valuble. Striving to be #1 is fine, but considering point 5 above, being #18 is perfectly acceptable if you've given it your best shot.

7. When you try your best, you can still fail anyway. Avoid the trauma of having real life violently burst your sense of entitlement by not developing one in the first place. Despite what literally every sports movie would have you believe, it is quite possible to follow all the rules, give your all, and still come up short--the first few times. The trick is persistence.

8. Be really sure before pursuing a four-year degree. Probably the most practical piece of advice here. A lot of folks in your grandparents' generation will insist that attending a university is mandatory. They have your best interests at heart, but that information only applied from ca. 1960-1995. The cost of higher education has risen so high as to negate the earnings advantage of a degree compared to just starting work after high school.

I'm not trying to discourage anyone from getting a four-year degree in general. I'm just cautioning aspiring university students to be absolutely sure about their calling before accepting a financial obligation that will affect the rest of their lives. Go for it if you know what you were meant to do and doing it requires a bachelor's degree. On the other hand, if you aren't sure, there's an abundance of fine junior colleges which will impart the foundational knowledge needed to operate as a functional human being in our society. They're also far cheaper than universities. If you still don't receive the epiphany that launches you on the path of your vocation, go and take whatever job seems least odious to you.

9. Don't confuse your job with your calling. Your vocation is like the Blues Brothers' proverbial "mission from God". It's the passionate endeavor that you'd gladly do for free but can hopefully identify and get paid for. Really, you can exercise your calling in pretty much any job. It just takes a little discernment and creativity.

10. Don't become obsessed with avoiding suffering. Though I've already refuted one tired aphorism, there's another, even more cliched axiom that I heartily endorse: "no pain, no gain". The lengths to which most people will go to avoid the least bit of discomfort are readily apparent. Don't become a masochist, but avoid the temptation to self-medicate via the myriad means available. Learn to work through trials and setbacks to make yourself more resilient. Fostering a healthy level of self-denial and learning to savor delayed gratification will make you happier in the long run.

After the Drought: When it Rains, it Pours

I'm back with important updates on two short story submissions.

First, editor Mike Sweeney over at Jersey Devil Press has given me a conditional release date of January 3 for their next issue, featuring my first short story "Beta Geminorum". Many thanks to him again.

Secondly, my second  short story "Reign of Terror" has been accepted for publication in Title Goes Here:. That story is slated to appear in the upcoming April issue. Again, I owe a big debt of thanks to editor Inanna Gabriel.

And as always, thanks to everyone who's taken the time to read my manuscripts and to everyone reading this.

Gold

Jersey Devil Press just accepted "Beta Geminorum" for publication. Thanks to them, Nick, Merrilee, Mick, JJ, Ben, and everyone who's given me advice and encouragement.

Next we query editors and agents about the novel.

Submission to the Devil

After having my first short story "Beta Geminorum" returned unread after a five month wait, I've resubmitted it to Jersey Devil Press.

They're an online magazine that publishes yearly anthologies. They also profess to enjoy weird fiction over there. I hope my work meets their standards.

As always, I'll keep you posted.

Nethereal Third Draft

I finally finished the third draft of my novel yesterday. I ended up trimming the final page count by about a hundred pages, just from tightening up dialogue and reducing unnecessary exposition. It should now be far easier for a reader to forget about the book and get lost in the story.

Finishing this project doesn't mean I'm done. Not remotely. Next on the agenda is revising and resubmitting my first short story. I'll let you know how it goes.