Thoughtful Question

I had a lovely Worldcon, held in Kansas City, a town which I’ve always found congenial.  The event was full of friends, many of whom I don’t get to see nearly often enough, and the days and nights were full of bustle, chat, drinks, and fun.

I also got to eat some really good steaks, which you might expect in a city that builds statues to cows.

I met a number of new readers, which I’m always pleased to do, and one sent an email with an interesting question.

He’s working his way through my backlist, and he asked which of my ebooks earn me the most money, so that he can order them instead of those controlled by someone corporate entity or other, which might or might not pay me a lesser royalty.

Now it struck me that this was a right considerate question, albeit one that raises other questions, so I’ll answer it right away and then get on with a more complex response later.  If you see one of my ebooks priced at $4.99 or less, then it’s marketed by me, and the money goes straight into my account after Amazon or Google or whoever takes their cut.

If it has a higher price, then it’s marketed by one of my publishers, and I earn a royalty, which (like all royalties) can be delayed for years.

I earn more money from a $4.99 ebook than from a $30 hardback, mainly because there’s only one middleman taking a cut, not three or more as in the case of traditional publishing.  (Agent, publisher, and distributor, if you’re interested.)

That said, I’m perfectly good with all my ebooks, whether they’re marketed by me or by someone else.  If they’re marketed by a traditional publisher, it’s because I signed a deal with that publisher, and I wouldn’t have signed it if I objected strongly to its terms.

So what you should do is read the books you think you’re going to like.  I wrote them all to be read, after all.  I’ll be fine no matter which one you pick— and you’ll have the reading experience you’re looking for.