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JHemdal
09/21/2006, 08:13 PM
All,

I had an idea today - not sure it will go anywhere, not even sure this is the correct forum to post this in...

Has anyone any interest in forming an aquarium-related author's consortium? I wonder if there would be substantial benefits from various authors getting together to discuss issues related to our work. For example, it seems fairly widespread that some authors are paid more than others for the same type of work - do you know where you stand? There was a magazine that was having problems making payments to authors - if you knew that in advance, would you have thought twice before sending them an article? What about publishers signing contracts and then invoking "kill fees", or stalling for a year as they "think about your book proposal" - and then say "no thanks" just before they come out with a similar title of their own? On the flip side - wouldn't it be great to learn which editors are a joy to work with, which ones are looking currently for book titles, etc.?

I see some potential drawbacks - a few people are very jealous about their editor contacts, and feel that they are in competition with other authors. I think much of that stems from the vacum we all work in - few of us ever really talk to one another (But the few times I have, I've often ended up collaborating on a project). It certainly won't please the publishers if we organize too much, but it might help us earn more than $6.50 per hour (which is what I made on my last book!)


PM me if you are interested in discussing this.


Jay Hemdal

ReefRascals
10/28/2006, 04:09 PM
<BUMP>

I would be intersted in seeing where this topic goes.

JHemdal
10/28/2006, 04:51 PM
Hi ReefRascals,

So far, this topic has gone absolutely nowhere - your's is the only response to date, and nobody has contacted me privately. I can see two possible conclusions from that; nobody here writes for the mags, or gives talks, OR the other authors here don't have any issues and are fine with the status quo.
Personally, although I've had some recent issues (thus prompting my starting this thread) I'm cool with it if there is no interest in trying to start a consortium, I'll just keep on as I have been.

Jay Hemdal

ReefRascals
10/28/2006, 05:10 PM
Frankly I see a great potential if authors put their ideas together in one place...not essentially a banning together of sorts, but rather a stage to share ideas as you have suggested. As a non-author, my observation is that there are too many 'experts', and much of the trendy information available to hobbyists is just that... trendy, and is often contradictory. I cannot attest to the competitive nature of writing aquarium books...or articles, but as in anything else I am certain there is some degree of politics.

I would like to see some participation in this thread...

Skipper
10/28/2006, 05:34 PM
I'm watching with great interest... :D

Steven Pro
10/28/2006, 05:59 PM
Please key me in the loop, Jay. But, I have pretty much decided that when I finish my draft of a book, that I will more than likely self-publish for many of the reasons you mention. I have heard more than my share of horror stories from a number of authors. Enough that shopping my manuscript to any publisher is a extremely unlikely.

Fredfish
10/29/2006, 09:41 AM
Related to self publishing, if there are enough titles avialable, places like RC could have a bookstore linking to self published titles.

Distribution and promotion are the big issues in getting a new title to sell. With the Reef hobby becoming so well developed I would think there is a real opportunity here.

Fred

JHemdal
10/29/2006, 10:05 AM
Steven,

I went the self-publishing route on my first book. As you know, with on demand computer publishing, getting it printed isn't the difficult part, the real issue is the marketing of a self-published book. I just don't have the time or energy to try that again, so I guess I can either try to continue to work with the commercial publishers, or stop writing books.

Jay

P.S. - Anyone interested in a 45,000 word manuscript on Mini-Aquariums along with 120 photos? I know where you can get one cheap<grin>.

ReefRascals
10/29/2006, 10:11 AM
Jay -

Can you give me an idea as to the number of copies printed for some of the popular aquarium book titles over the years. I'm just trying to put things into perspective.

Skipper
10/29/2006, 10:16 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8437360#post8437360 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JHemdal

P.S. - Anyone interested in a 45,000 word manuscript on Mini-Aquariums along with 120 photos? I know where you can get one cheap<grin>. I would be interested in a series of articles on mini-aquariums for Reefkeeping Magazine, Jay.

JHemdal
10/30/2006, 11:52 AM
ReefRascals,

I can't say with any certaintity - publishers keep the actual "net press runs" for books mostly a secret, or outright lie about it. With "print on demand" so common now, they don't need the economy of scale of running off 25,000 copies at a time. My Aquarium Careers book (self-published) only sold 1000 copies before I took it off the market.
Just totally guessing here - I think the range for initial press runs ranges from a low of 2500 copies (for specialty books) to perhaps 25,000 for mass market general titles.

Jay

JHemdal
10/30/2006, 11:55 AM
Skip,

Actually, it may come to that. I'm waiting to hear back from two book publishers about their interest in it. The book is set up so that it would be easilly carved up into magazine articles - but I'd obviously prefer to keep it all together as one book.


Jay

toonces
10/30/2006, 09:35 PM
hey jay,
just an fyi, i'm one of the 1000 who bought your book. it was very interesting reading.