Fascinating read! I'd be very curious to see similar numbers for newsletters. I suspect it's very similar. There are only a few hundred newsletters with 1,000+ paid subscribers on Substack out of nearly 20,000 paid publications.
However, the amazing thing about Substack is that writers make 90% rather than 10% of the revenue.
No accounting for tastes. Jacqueline Sussan's book, Valley of the Dolls, has sold 31 million copies since it was published in 1966. Colleen Hoover's first novel (more like a novelette) Slammed, had a main story line that I found so familiar until I figured out I'd seen it in an episode of 1965 Gidget (episode 17) where she meets an older guy, falls in love, then discovers he's her new teacher. And there's your 'best selling' author for you.
Thanks for this article, even though it’s excruciating for me as an author to read.
I have the same agent who represented the author of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” trilogy. But the publishing industry has changed dramatically since that hugely successful title, as my agent warned.
I’ve been using all of my own money, and now my partner is working full time with me to help with marketing. My readers are few in number but have found my book quite meaningful, so they give me hope that with enough of my own resources, I will force this book to become more widely read. It just pisses me off that my publisher did virtually nothing for my work regarding distribution. What is a publisher for if not that?!
I never would have gone the traditional route if my manuscript had been fiction. Why would I? Why would my partner and I work so hard and spend so much money to advertise for the publisher to receive 80 percent of the net sales? My agent gets another 10 percent, and I, the creator of a book that took me 13 years, get the remaining 10 percent.
I went “traditional” only because my book is non fiction, so I needed the robust editing support that comes from a publishing house who vouched for my research and for the authenticity of my archives. So yes, I was quite happy with the editing process.
But the distribution/marketing has been completely lacking and absurd. I will never do this again. The corporate world of publishing has evolved into the most chilling environment for unknown authors, and as a result of their greed, people have become bored with the industry’s recycled and contrived titles. How does anyone dare to say, “ People don’t read anymore.” They read, but not one mega American publisher ever allows readers to have exposure to quality books. It’s a real chore for readers to find books they actually want to read, a needle in the haystack phenomenon. They’re sick of the celebrity “top ten” list. The film industry also engages in this banality because of never taking a risk.
Thanks for reading. And if you’re a new author, God be with you, because your publisher won’t be.
NCR Davis, author of “For the Boys — The War Story of a Combat Nurse in Patton’s Third Army”
This focuses on traditional publishing. As of 2018, 80 percent of books were self-published. There's a FB group called 20 Books to 50K that would disagree with the notion that one cannot make a living wage writing novels.
I visit little libraries in my neighborhood every day and have found some real gems. I’ve also decided that’s my marketing plan - place copies of my book in as many little libraries as possible. Not efficient or scalable but so fun.
Yep, it's all deep state government. The people in the White House, have lost their everv fucken mine ! So corrupt. We As Americans have been bull shited are hole life. By democrats. Stopped the madness. Voted for Trump is the only choice .
Thank you for this in-depth look at the business side of publishing. I just shared it with my daughter who is a college student looking into publishing as a career.
I noticed some of these things were in the cards back in 2013-2014, when I wrote my first book and some research showed I might only be offered a $10,000 advance and zero marketing. And I thought: I've spent 2 years writing this book to be the best thing it can be - and I'm going to get $10,000 for it?
Of course, if it sold well, I would make more money. But with zero marketing - how would anybody find it?
I also noticed that big publishing houses were giving book advances to youtube stars. And at the time this made me very angry because these youtube stars WERE NOT WRITERS. And most of them were 19 years old.
Which means they had no significant life experiences and no writing skills.... and yet THEY were going to be offered large book advances that I could never earn - despite the fact that I was a writer, by career. And I was putting everything in my soul into my work.
What I think happened is that books overall became very superficial. Because people who are not writers––who have large followings on social media get big advances (that are then unable to be given to ACTUAL writers with no social media presence).
Actual writers get buried and celebrities (whose career is not writing) get pushed to the forefront. Which makes writing stink - overall.
I gave up on actually reading big published books back in 2014. I started to hate all of them. I checked out all of the bestsellers from the library and did massive amounts of binge reading on all of these "best-selling books" and I hated the content and the superficiality of them. Good quality books were not being produced (or if they were, they were not being marketed).
The publishing industry focuses on sales, not quality. But they also control sales via marketing. So they're essentially pushing ONTO the public these books that are not quality - but have social media backing.
And quite frankly, I didn't want any of it anymore. As a writer, I no longer had a desire to be published by the traditional publishers. And as a reader, I now avoid traditionally published books, celebrity books, and best seller lists.
I think also with declining royalties - which is the amount of money you make per book (which wasn't mentioned in your substack) - I've had the suspicion that writers don't invest as much in their books anymore.
I think bookwriting used to be an entire career and sense of being for people. Their pièce de résistance. But because they get so little royalties from the books they write - it no longer feels like the most important work we do. Therefore, there's less incentive to put everything you have into it.
In fact, that was one part of my logic back then. I thought: I'm NEVER giving my pièce de résistance to the big publishing houses. If they're going to give me $10,000, I'm going to write a book in 2 weeks and send it along to them. And then maybe after 2 or 3 books, I'll give them my best work for a BIGGER advance.
I was NEVER going to sell my best work for that low of a price.
However, if you look at the admission from the Big 5 that they are primarily funded by their backlist - you might then ask - what was different about the quality of writing back then?
Why were books written in the 17th century or even the 1980s written with more substance and depth than we have available today - despite the fact that our societies are more conscious, connected, and self-aware than ever?
Maybe it's because of the style of acquisition in the publishing houses, themselves. Maybe deep, quality storytellers still exist, but nobody's betting on them.
And that's why they're betting on themselves via self-publishing.
Subscribed halfway through this. Thank you. And yes, I'll share.
Fascinating read! I'd be very curious to see similar numbers for newsletters. I suspect it's very similar. There are only a few hundred newsletters with 1,000+ paid subscribers on Substack out of nearly 20,000 paid publications.
However, the amazing thing about Substack is that writers make 90% rather than 10% of the revenue.
Im sorry - I disagree. I have a book addiction. Every time I pass a bookstore I want to go in there and get two new books.
Very insightful article, I must say. Even the comment section is full of stories. I love it!
There's a link to this piece in this review (thanks for the info): https://artsfuse.org/294601/book-review-big-fiction-is-the-author-hive-mind-or-queen-bee/
No accounting for tastes. Jacqueline Sussan's book, Valley of the Dolls, has sold 31 million copies since it was published in 1966. Colleen Hoover's first novel (more like a novelette) Slammed, had a main story line that I found so familiar until I figured out I'd seen it in an episode of 1965 Gidget (episode 17) where she meets an older guy, falls in love, then discovers he's her new teacher. And there's your 'best selling' author for you.
I’ll probably have to move out of my house soon with all the books I buy I’m running out of living space!
Bahahahahaha!!! Good problem to have.....
Thanks for this article, even though it’s excruciating for me as an author to read.
I have the same agent who represented the author of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” trilogy. But the publishing industry has changed dramatically since that hugely successful title, as my agent warned.
I’ve been using all of my own money, and now my partner is working full time with me to help with marketing. My readers are few in number but have found my book quite meaningful, so they give me hope that with enough of my own resources, I will force this book to become more widely read. It just pisses me off that my publisher did virtually nothing for my work regarding distribution. What is a publisher for if not that?!
I never would have gone the traditional route if my manuscript had been fiction. Why would I? Why would my partner and I work so hard and spend so much money to advertise for the publisher to receive 80 percent of the net sales? My agent gets another 10 percent, and I, the creator of a book that took me 13 years, get the remaining 10 percent.
I went “traditional” only because my book is non fiction, so I needed the robust editing support that comes from a publishing house who vouched for my research and for the authenticity of my archives. So yes, I was quite happy with the editing process.
But the distribution/marketing has been completely lacking and absurd. I will never do this again. The corporate world of publishing has evolved into the most chilling environment for unknown authors, and as a result of their greed, people have become bored with the industry’s recycled and contrived titles. How does anyone dare to say, “ People don’t read anymore.” They read, but not one mega American publisher ever allows readers to have exposure to quality books. It’s a real chore for readers to find books they actually want to read, a needle in the haystack phenomenon. They’re sick of the celebrity “top ten” list. The film industry also engages in this banality because of never taking a risk.
Thanks for reading. And if you’re a new author, God be with you, because your publisher won’t be.
NCR Davis, author of “For the Boys — The War Story of a Combat Nurse in Patton’s Third Army”
Thank you for this summary that is also open😊. It's much appreciated. I'll just have to remain faithful with my part.
This focuses on traditional publishing. As of 2018, 80 percent of books were self-published. There's a FB group called 20 Books to 50K that would disagree with the notion that one cannot make a living wage writing novels.
My wife uses a "Netflix of books" and it's a lot cheaper.
It's called the public library.
I'm actually LOLing!!! Too good!
I visit little libraries in my neighborhood every day and have found some real gems. I’ve also decided that’s my marketing plan - place copies of my book in as many little libraries as possible. Not efficient or scalable but so fun.
I love this!!!!
Yep, it's all deep state government. The people in the White House, have lost their everv fucken mine ! So corrupt. We As Americans have been bull shited are hole life. By democrats. Stopped the madness. Voted for Trump is the only choice .
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-my-family-to-escape-from-gaza-war-and-build-our-future
Thank you for this in-depth look at the business side of publishing. I just shared it with my daughter who is a college student looking into publishing as a career.
I noticed some of these things were in the cards back in 2013-2014, when I wrote my first book and some research showed I might only be offered a $10,000 advance and zero marketing. And I thought: I've spent 2 years writing this book to be the best thing it can be - and I'm going to get $10,000 for it?
Of course, if it sold well, I would make more money. But with zero marketing - how would anybody find it?
I also noticed that big publishing houses were giving book advances to youtube stars. And at the time this made me very angry because these youtube stars WERE NOT WRITERS. And most of them were 19 years old.
Which means they had no significant life experiences and no writing skills.... and yet THEY were going to be offered large book advances that I could never earn - despite the fact that I was a writer, by career. And I was putting everything in my soul into my work.
What I think happened is that books overall became very superficial. Because people who are not writers––who have large followings on social media get big advances (that are then unable to be given to ACTUAL writers with no social media presence).
Actual writers get buried and celebrities (whose career is not writing) get pushed to the forefront. Which makes writing stink - overall.
I gave up on actually reading big published books back in 2014. I started to hate all of them. I checked out all of the bestsellers from the library and did massive amounts of binge reading on all of these "best-selling books" and I hated the content and the superficiality of them. Good quality books were not being produced (or if they were, they were not being marketed).
The publishing industry focuses on sales, not quality. But they also control sales via marketing. So they're essentially pushing ONTO the public these books that are not quality - but have social media backing.
And quite frankly, I didn't want any of it anymore. As a writer, I no longer had a desire to be published by the traditional publishers. And as a reader, I now avoid traditionally published books, celebrity books, and best seller lists.
I think also with declining royalties - which is the amount of money you make per book (which wasn't mentioned in your substack) - I've had the suspicion that writers don't invest as much in their books anymore.
I think bookwriting used to be an entire career and sense of being for people. Their pièce de résistance. But because they get so little royalties from the books they write - it no longer feels like the most important work we do. Therefore, there's less incentive to put everything you have into it.
In fact, that was one part of my logic back then. I thought: I'm NEVER giving my pièce de résistance to the big publishing houses. If they're going to give me $10,000, I'm going to write a book in 2 weeks and send it along to them. And then maybe after 2 or 3 books, I'll give them my best work for a BIGGER advance.
I was NEVER going to sell my best work for that low of a price.
However, if you look at the admission from the Big 5 that they are primarily funded by their backlist - you might then ask - what was different about the quality of writing back then?
Why were books written in the 17th century or even the 1980s written with more substance and depth than we have available today - despite the fact that our societies are more conscious, connected, and self-aware than ever?
Maybe it's because of the style of acquisition in the publishing houses, themselves. Maybe deep, quality storytellers still exist, but nobody's betting on them.
And that's why they're betting on themselves via self-publishing.