OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW WRITERS Previously written with the title "The Launch of New Imprints, Is This Good For Writers?" By Jerry D. Simmons Author and former executive with The Time Warner Book Group There was a recent article in the Arizona Republic on the front page of the Arizona Living section about a mass-market publisher that was launching a new series of books. This particular series happened to be a romance line, but the category is secondary to what happens to the marketplace. Having experienced the launch of several new series over the years, I thought it would be good to give writers some insight into what happens inside a major publishing house when a new series or imprint is launched. Anytime an editor ventures outside the mainstream of a particular category, no matter how small, a sub-genre is created. If two or three of these new titles within the sub-genre sells through better than the other titles in the main category, the publisher starts to evaluate the launch of a new series. In mass-market, a sell through above 50% is reason for such consideration. Without the confirmation of additional market research, the sale of these new titles can be the source for a new line of books, or in the publishing world, a new imprint. Armed with a new name, logo, cover designs, and new and much more aggressive goals, the publisher creates a package of incentives that will entice book buyers and retailers to give these books space on their bookshelves, all as part of the launch. The booksellers, taking advantage of every opportunity to earn additional incentives, will take a chance to improve their operating margins and will buy these books. The marketplace has not suddenly grown to accommodate the new titles, so the competition takes notice. They begin their own search for writers who can fill this newly created phantom demand for the sub-genre, merely as a means of meeting the competition and reducing the erosion of shelf space or market share. Suddenly, editors are calling agents who are scrambling to meet the demand. In the meantime, books for the launch are flooding the marketplace. At the retail level, when such a launch is being made, returns begin to flow back to the publisher in greater numbers as booksellers are forced to make room for the new titles. The shelf life of category books drops from an average of three weeks to less than two, and the returns begin to build. Typically the imprint will initially distribute three or four titles in the first two or three months and ship all copies in a floor display to gain the attention of the consumer. For the first time author, this is a terrific opportunity to break into the business and get your first book published. However, there are some pitfalls that you should be aware of. Anytime the launch of a new imprint takes place, the number of copies distributed or shipped will far exceed what is possible for the market to absorb. As a result, the returns during this period may astound you! The publisher has total disregard to the consequences if the new category fails to sell copies. Certainly they want the new imprint to succeed, but the real goal is the gain of additional market share from the competition. In doing so, the publisher will knowingly flood the market with large numbers of copies, paying additional advertising or promotional dollars in the process. The actual increase in net copies sold at retail should increase slightly, but not anywhere close to the proportion that are returned, resulting in an overall lower sell through percentage. As a writer, you want to make absolutely certain that your publisher is committed to making this new imprint work. The publisher may not have properly researched the market before the launch of new books, but you can bet they know how long they can offer retailers incentives and continue to absorb returns before this new category becomes just another chapter in the company history. If you feel this is your chance, then you need to properly evaluate the opportunity. Your name and your book associated with returns greater than 60% could spell doom for your career. You’ll be a published author, but you may have sacrificed your future for the whim of a publisher who will live to launch a new imprint the next time they feel the need to increase distribution or gain market share. And if the new imprint fails, what happens to the authors? If this is your opportunity to finally get your book published, know some of the questions to ask: What are the marketing plans for the new imprint? How much advertising, marketing and promotion dollars have been committed? What is the expected distribution of the books for this new imprint? Is the publisher offering incentives to their customers to purchase large quantities of books? How long will these incentives last? What is the acceptable return percentage before the publisher decides to pull the plug? The launch of a new imprint is just one of the areas that writers and authors need to be aware of, thus preventing their publisher from taking advantage of the situation and creating a sales history for them and their book that buyers may shy away from the next time a new title is sold. Authors who are serious about their careers need to learn more about the basics of the business and how to take some control away from the publishers and place it back in the hands of the authors. Writers spend an enormous amount of time perfecting their craft; they also need to invest a small portion to learning the business of publishing. Understanding how to avoid the pitfalls of trade publishing can pay huge benefits when it comes time to sign your contract. Learn the basics and you will be much better informed to deal with agents, editors and publishers as your career as a writer takes off. Jerry D. Simmons spent more than twenty years as an executive with The Time Warner Book Group in New York. He is the author of INSIDE The Business of Publishing What Writers Need to Know and the creator of www.WritersReaders.com, where information essential to writers and their careers is available, FREE.
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