Comments on: The Ninety Percent Rule, Applied http://101reasonstostopwriting.com/2006/11/10/the-ninety-percent-rule-applied/ The Fundamentals of Our Publishing are Wrong Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:37:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Sean Lindsay http://101reasonstostopwriting.com/2006/11/10/the-ninety-percent-rule-applied/comment-page-1/#comment-875 Sean Lindsay Sun, 12 Nov 2006 10:55:00 +0000 http://101reasonstostopwriting.com/2006/11/10/the-ninety-percent-rule-applied/#comment-875 "Do the stats improve if we refill our own cartridges?"<br /><br />Yes, if such frugality carries over to your writing, and not to the way you package your queries.<br /><br />Remember, edit twice, and print your MS on Letter Quality. “Do the stats improve if we refill our own cartridges?”

Yes, if such frugality carries over to your writing, and not to the way you package your queries.

Remember, edit twice, and print your MS on Letter Quality.

]]> By: Simon Haynes http://101reasonstostopwriting.com/2006/11/10/the-ninety-percent-rule-applied/comment-page-1/#comment-874 Simon Haynes Sun, 12 Nov 2006 05:15:00 +0000 http://101reasonstostopwriting.com/2006/11/10/the-ninety-percent-rule-applied/#comment-874 "One writer in a thousand makes enough money to pay for their printer ink."<br /><br />Do the stats improve if we refill our own cartridges? “One writer in a thousand makes enough money to pay for their printer ink.”

Do the stats improve if we refill our own cartridges?

]]> By: Sean Lindsay http://101reasonstostopwriting.com/2006/11/10/the-ninety-percent-rule-applied/comment-page-1/#comment-873 Sean Lindsay Fri, 10 Nov 2006 15:09:00 +0000 http://101reasonstostopwriting.com/2006/11/10/the-ninety-percent-rule-applied/#comment-873 You clearly haven't read my other blog, <b>101 Reasons to Stop Working in Insurance</b>. You clearly haven’t read my other blog, 101 Reasons to Stop Working in Insurance.

]]> By: Grim Sleeper http://101reasonstostopwriting.com/2006/11/10/the-ninety-percent-rule-applied/comment-page-1/#comment-872 Grim Sleeper Fri, 10 Nov 2006 14:45:00 +0000 http://101reasonstostopwriting.com/2006/11/10/the-ninety-percent-rule-applied/#comment-872 Man, that's tough. You should immediately give up this notion of a writing career. You must be very despondent at this point. Even if you have had a little taste of success, it may be that you will never have another. Chin up, though, Hamilton James and Bruce is looking for a few good underwriters. There is a future for you, just not the one you want. Man, that’s tough. You should immediately give up this notion of a writing career. You must be very despondent at this point. Even if you have had a little taste of success, it may be that you will never have another. Chin up, though, Hamilton James and Bruce is looking for a few good underwriters. There is a future for you, just not the one you want.

]]> By: Sean Lindsay http://101reasonstostopwriting.com/2006/11/10/the-ninety-percent-rule-applied/comment-page-1/#comment-871 Sean Lindsay Fri, 10 Nov 2006 02:32:00 +0000 http://101reasonstostopwriting.com/2006/11/10/the-ninety-percent-rule-applied/#comment-871 Publishers love that fantasy. It allows them to write the contracts that they do. Publishers love that fantasy. It allows them to write the contracts that they do.

]]> By: miketo http://101reasonstostopwriting.com/2006/11/10/the-ninety-percent-rule-applied/comment-page-1/#comment-870 miketo Thu, 09 Nov 2006 16:37:00 +0000 http://101reasonstostopwriting.com/2006/11/10/the-ninety-percent-rule-applied/#comment-870 It's no better in the nonfiction world. The niche I'm in (books about software) rarely pays enough in an advance to make it worthwhile, and the royalties -- always a percentage of net, not gross -- seldom approach the break-even point.<br /><br />The only way I can earn money is by doing those books on a work-for-hire basis, getting a slightly bigger payment up front and foregoing the royalties. In the software biz this is sensible since the shelf life of version-dependent books is limited.<br /><br />The people who have visions of writing a book, getting it published, and sitting back in comfort while the royalties roll in are living in a fantasy land. It’s no better in the nonfiction world. The niche I’m in (books about software) rarely pays enough in an advance to make it worthwhile, and the royalties — always a percentage of net, not gross — seldom approach the break-even point.

The only way I can earn money is by doing those books on a work-for-hire basis, getting a slightly bigger payment up front and foregoing the royalties. In the software biz this is sensible since the shelf life of version-dependent books is limited.

The people who have visions of writing a book, getting it published, and sitting back in comfort while the royalties roll in are living in a fantasy land.

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