A Question for Readers
I have a finished novel in hand. It's a Ray Tatum novel. He was the conscience and voice of Cry Me A River, Blue Ridge, and Polar. I'm tempted to publish this book myself as an ebook initially, perhaps a physical book later on, rather than wait the twelve months or more it would take to see the novel into print with a trade house.
Do you care, as readers, where your books comes from? I would be able to price the novel as I please. I'm thinking $3.99 for the electronic version. Does that seem fair? Would you be any more willing to buy the book if it came from Viking/Penguin rather than my own little publishing imprint, Barking Mad Press?
I think lots of writers are wrestling just now with these questions, and any answers and/or advice you could give me would be most welcome.
Thanks in advance. TRP
Do you care, as readers, where your books comes from? I would be able to price the novel as I please. I'm thinking $3.99 for the electronic version. Does that seem fair? Would you be any more willing to buy the book if it came from Viking/Penguin rather than my own little publishing imprint, Barking Mad Press?
I think lots of writers are wrestling just now with these questions, and any answers and/or advice you could give me would be most welcome.
Thanks in advance. TRP
date
newest »
newest »
I work in an independent book store, but I have a nook, so I am rather ambiguous about this. But in the end, it's about the book, not the format. Re the small press vs. large publishing house question, I don't really care: it's about the book.I read "Jerusalem Gap" on my nook, all previous Pearson books in the usual format. I probably would never have bought an e-reader if all my books had not been lost in a house fire.
Certainly 3.99 or 4.99 is fair for an ebook. But when the question is about a new book by TR Pearson, it difficult for me to answer the question, as I would do whatever it takes to read the next Ray Tatum novel. I would say do whatever makes economic sense.
Interesting essay on this topic in the NY Times Book Review (May 22), last page.
Bruce wrote: "Interesting essay on this topic in the NY Times Book Review (May 22), last page."Hi Bruce,
I saw that article. Everybody is moving in the same direction. Thanks for your comment, by the way. I think the new Ray Tatum novel, called WarWolf, will probably be available as an inexpensive ebook in a couple of weeks. I'll likely be doing the same with all of my early novels that I can reclaim the rights to. Publishers have very sticky fingers. trp
R.L. wrote: "First, it's really exciting to hear that you have a new novel--looking forward to reading it!As a reader, I'm just interested in the story. I may not even be aware of who published the book.
If ..."
Thanks, R.L. Two data points so far, and I know how I feel as a reader -- so that's three. A cheap version of the new novel should be out soon. trp
As a longtime fan, I'm thrilled to hear that WarWolf is on the way, in one format or another!As a reader, I'd echo the sentiments expressed by others here that the format in which the message is delivered is irrelevant—it's the message that's important. And I would much rather have more of my book-purchasing dollar going directly to authors than publishers.
As a librarian by trade, I do nourish a soft spot for warm, dark rooms lined with full bookshelves, but have long since come to grips with the fact that that era is fading. I'm fine with lending ebooks. I'm more disturbed by the recent fumblings of publishers as they try to figure out how to justify hanging onto their marketing, production, and distribution "services" in light of the new technologies.
My apologies for wandering outside the bounds of your original questions. I realize that there are lot of things an author needs to consider before making a plunge of this magnitude, but I think it's the right move. You've got my vote, and I'll continue promoting your work to as much of the reading public as I encounter.
Steve wrote: "As a longtime fan, I'm thrilled to hear that WarWolf is on the way, in one format or another!As a reader, I'd echo the sentiments expressed by others here that the format in which the message is ..."
Thank you, Steve, for your response. I know I find myself reading more and more ebooks these days (I don't live anywhere near a bookstore, unless you count the Charlottesville B&N where they don't stock anything I've ever written, not that I'm bitter), and I agree that it's more about the content than the format. So I think I'm going to give electronic editions a try, not just with WarWolf but with every book of mine I can grab the rights to. I promise to keep them cheap and spend all the royalties on wholesome pursuits.
Thanks again for taking the time to respond. TRP
There's a somewhat relevant discussion going on over at Mobileread. There's quite a bit of dreck, too, as usual, but you might find it worth skimming.
R.L. wrote: "There's a somewhat relevant discussion going on over at Mobileread. There's quite a bit of dreck, too, as usual, but you might find it worth skimming."I took a look. You're right. It's kind of a mixed bag. I'll confess, I'm a little surprised that publishers show so little interest in ebooks for backlist. Or even demonstrate much capability in producing the things. I'm currently reading a Knopf book on my Nook that is a formatting mess. It would take precious little effort to put out a polished version, but they just can't be bothered. For $12.99, that's inexcusable.
I find I'm having to wait some months to get my rights back on certain titles, but that's only because publishers are accustomed to glacial speeds. They can't help themselves. trp
T. R. wrote: ...a formatting mess...I've had my Nook for a couple of months, and while I have been glad to find ebooks of certain out-of-print material that I have always wanted to read, I was dismayed to find them, in some cases, such a mess. True, I often paid nothing for them, but as some wit noted, I am glad I didn't pay more. I understand that the OCR process that is used for producing these books is still a bit rough. I hope it improves.
T. R. wrote: ..get my rights back on certain titles...
Count me in. I am looking forward to the time when I will once again be able to read the words that come after:
"That was the summer we lost the bald Jeeter..."
Bruce wrote: "T. R. wrote: ...a formatting mess...I've had my Nook for a couple of months, and while I have been glad to find ebooks of certain out-of-print material that I have always wanted to read, I was di..."
You'll get the chance very soon, and in a good electronic edition. Actually R.L., who I met on Amazon, has helped me to figure out how best to make an ebook with the help of a few open-source tools. Now I'm determined to make only code-monkey-approved electronic editions. No wing dings, no rogue spacing, no dropped words. I am determined to be a good e-citizen. I confess I enjoy it all a little more than I should.
Mike wrote: "I will certainly buy the ebook. It will be the first ebook I have ever purchased even though I have had my iPad for a year now. So far I have used it to read Project Gutenberg books only. But the p..."Hi Mike,
Thanks for taking the trouble to write, and I'm pleased and gratified to know you've collected my books. There is a pretty good chance that Warwolf will eventually be released in a paperback edition, and I hope it'll find a place of honor in your bookcase. I'm also planning on giving away a number of copies of the electronic edition, one of which should end up on your ipad. I'll be writing a blog post about that in the next few days.
Thanks again for sticking with me. trp
ps: I met Lewis Nordan once, years ago. He was a little on the sour side, which I happen to like. Like you, I hope he's still writing.
T.R.,I joined this site when I saw you were requesting perspective on your self-publishing proposal. I'll share a few thoughts which are hopefully helpful to you.
I just mentioned I joined this site to give perspective, but also to hear yours. Others will do the same. I'm guessing you have a very loyal following who are eager to see your newest writing. The approach will also give me a better location to guide my friends from Facebook and other sites to you.
I would pay market price for a new book from you. If it were to cost me $15.99 at Amazon, and $14.99 on iBooks, I'd be willing to pay that much to you. Happier too, because I'm hopeful more of the funding would go to you.
I have iPhones, iPads, a Kindle, and Windows laptops. As long as I can read your book on each of these without having to pay for each platform, I'm happy.
I'm curious as to whether traditional publishers are willing to work with you on a "print-only" basis. I assume the hard-copy printing isn't something you want to pursue, and the publishers don't want to be limited to a narrowing format. Do you have to choose between ebooks and print?
Finally, thanks so much for your books over the years. I read quite a bit, and you are the most interesting, enjoyable, and original author I've ever read. You're stories quite literally make me laugh out loud, which I just don't do otherwise.
I see you've posted the first chapter of Warwolf, I'll download that now.
Best Regards,
Neil
Neilnorton wrote: "T.R.,I joined this site when I saw you were requesting perspective on your self-publishing proposal. I'll share a few thoughts which are hopefully helpful to you.
I just mentioned I joined this ..."
Hi Neil,
Thanks for taking the time to comment, and I appreciate your willingness to support me by buying my books. On my end, I'll try to keep them entertaining.
As to the publishing questions, I have a couple of books in the trade publishing pipeline, and I've been struck by how unwieldy the process has become. It's generally fourteen months or more from submission to publication, and publishers no longer hold any real publicity advantage. They send out review copies and hope for the best. That's not much of a strategy.
I've published a couple of print-on-demand books in the past few years and have been happy with the results, and I own a Nook and find myself reading more and more ebooks. So I think I'm going to try both formats with Warwolf. I'll release the ebook first, followed by a print-on-demand paperback, probably a couple of months later.
While I appreciate your willingness to pay the big $, I think I'm going to price the Warwolf electronic edition at $3.99 (and yes, one copy for all devices). That gives me a decent royalty for my trouble, and I think it's a fair price for a 300 page ebook. I'm not just a writer; I'm a reader too. The paperback price will be tied to the cost of production, but I'll make that as cheap as possible as well.
I'll be giving some copies of the electronic version away soon in a bid to salt the mine and generate a few Amazon and Goodreads reviews. Those are as valuable these days as a favorable notice in the Times. Probably more valuable.
I think you'll be happy you've joined Goodreads. Solid reviews throughout the site and good judgment all around. I've picked up more than a few good recommendations. Thanks again for your interest and for troubling yourself to comment.
trp
As a traditional bookseller, I will always prefer a physical copy. I have read all but one or two of your books and I have always tried to have a few of your titles in stock in the book store where I work. More importantly, I try to recommend them to customers if I get the sense they would enjoy them. I first encountered "Short History..." back in the 80's when I listened to Dick Estelle read from it for an hour each day on the local public radio station. Keep on writing, I'll keep on reading. Speaking of "Warwolf" specifically, I would want to tell you that that is one of the finest opening paragraphs in American Literature.
Hi Ralph,I was surprised to get notified of a comment on a ten-year-old blog post, but here we are.
I was cleaning out my mother's closet last week (she died in March at 94) and I found about a dozen cassettes, all installments of Dick Estelle reading Short History. I'm sure the tape would break if I tried to play them, but a nice memory to have. Glad you remember that.
So the opening paragraph of Warwolf. Hmm. I'm going to have to go look. Thanks for the high praise and for your continued support.
It's pleasant to know I'm still stocked in a few bookstores.
T.R. wrote: "Hi Ralph,I was surprised to get notified of a comment on a ten-year-old blog post, but here we are.
I was cleaning out my mother's closet last week (she died in March at 94) and I found about a ..."
I finished "Devil Up". Wonderful story. I was sorry to see it end, but on the other hand, it was a beautiful ending which up until I came up on it, I wasn't quite sure how you were going to do it. Did I see somewhere that you thought it was your best? Hmm. It might be, but the spot of personal favorite has for a long time been occupied by "Glad News of the Natural World" and I think Ray Tatum might be one of my favorite characters of detective fiction.
Thank you for your work, it's always a pleasure to read.
I buy traditionally and independently published work, but confess that name recognition impacts on me. T.R. Pearson is a name that I trust, whereas I'd probably carefully vet an IP author. From the writer's standpoint, independent publishing still has an asterisk unless you've got a book like A Short History of a Small Place in your canon. I publish with Regal House, an indie press in North Carolina (Treasure of the Blue Whale, 2020; Delphic Oracle U.S.A. Fall, 2022) and I wouldn't trade them for all the Random Houses in heaven. No big advances, but I trust them. That's worth a lot.
As a reader, I'm just interested in the story. I may not even be aware of who published the book.
If I can pay $3.99 or $4.99 directly to an author, rather than the $10.99, $12.99 or more that some publishers are trying to get for their e-books, so much the better!
So, to answer your questions: yes, $3.99 seems fair, and no, I'd be less likely to buy a book published by Viking/Penguin because their price would probably be out of my range.