Quick Question From Published Authors..

[Intrepreneur]

A friend has written a book and is going to sell it as a digital download but is also planning to approach a publisher aiming to sell the book on Amazon. They have asked does it affect their aim to be published if selling a digital download before hand?

Thanks.

[Alexa Smith]

I believe it normally doesn't as long as at the time they approach publishers they have sole and absolute rights to the material (either by never having given any rights away in the first place or on their reversion to the author) and not contracted any rights out to anyone else on any ongoing basis, so that what the publisher's being offered isn't in any way "encumbered".

[tpw]

My understanding is that some publishers may look down on the digital first route, but I would not let that stop him.

So long as the publisher understand that it is in digital download currently and that all rights will be transferred to the publisher on acceptance, then the publisher can choose to keep it on digital download or take it off.

The reason I would not hesitate to offer in digital first, is because the process of finding a print publisher could take years.

[Kevin Barnes]

Here's a thought... Could you just rename the book digital book?

[Bev Clement]

If all they want to do is sell it on Amazon, then go the self publishing route using createspace.

It didn't affect Ron Douglas, as many publishers are watching the ebook world and asking authors if they can be their mainstream publisher

[Alexa Smith]

Originally Posted by Bev Clement

If all they want to do is sell it on Amazon, then go the self publishing route using createspace.

Absolutely.

To many commercial publishers, selling on Amazon is barely an attractive proposition at all, because unlike most retailers, Amazon ask for (and get) big discounts from publishers: it's part of how they make a living. Depending on the author, genre and other circumstances, many publishers see "being retailed by Amazon" primarily as an obligation rather than as a source of profit.

There are plenty of print media bestsellers that started life as blogs, though.

[tpw]

Yes, Amazon gets a big piece of the pie. If I remember right, they get 50% of the retail, whereas B&N only gets 35% of retail.

[Bev Clement]

It should matter the % Amazon gets because publishing houses normally pay royalties on the wholesale price not the retail price.

It might be of interest, but we have had a number of published authors asking if we have any work for them, because the % of royalties has dropped this year, and they need extra work to make the same income as the previous years.