Making the Deal and Working It

Ralph and Northwest reached an agreement forpublication of Searchlight,Nevada on October 13, 1993. This agreement had Ralph paying Northwest $4,375 topublish ten thousand copies. Northwest's marketing director wrote Ralphconfirming receipt of Ralph's money and described it as a "joint-venturepayment." The company's operations officer explained via letter that Ralph'spayment represented about a fourth of production and marketing costs for tenthousand copies.
The agreement required Northwest to give a hundred"free" copies to Ralph and two hundred to major bookstores and book reviewers,to sell 2,500 copies through its "test market program," and to sell theremaining books in the retail marketplace.
Ralph was to get forty percent of the retail amountof each book sold through the test market program and a royalty of fifteenpercent of the retail price of remaining books sold to bookstores andwholesalers.
Northwest was expected to pay royalties January 31stand July 31st each year along with interest for late payments. Itwould do a certain amount of sales promotion, advertising, and publicity. Itwas to have exclusive rights to the book.
Northwest representatives told Ralph that his bookwould probably earn him at least $20,000 in royalties.
Northwest published and released the 131-page Searchlight, Nevada in December 1995 with a retail price of $7.95. Thebook went on sale at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Boynton Beach, Florida, and Falls Church, Virginia,and at Super Crown Books, store #106. People could also acquire it in Bailey'sCrossroads, Virginia,by special order through Borders Books and Music.
Prior to its release, Ralph worked in all stages ofpublication. In 1994, having reviewed its galley proofs, he asked about addingtwo chapters. By letter at the end of February 1995, he suggested cover designsand attached pictures, showing how he thought characters on the cover shouldlook. He promised to provide any additional assistance he could, saying that herealized the cover design equaled the storyline in importance. It didn't matterif the story was good if readers failed to buy it. Optimistic about the jointventure, he believed they'd have a "hot seller" and sell over 100,000 copies.
Ralph gave Northwest's public relations departmentmailing lists and telephone numbers of bookstores, newspapers, magazines, andradio and motion picture companies. On his own, he mailed about sixtycomplimentary copies of the book along with individualized letters tobookstores, newspapers, magazines, and hotels. He worked with Northwest'smarketing expert to get it stocked with distributors and to set up booksignings at major bookstores.