Maximizing Your Backlist with a special nod to Author Estates

It’s a whole new world of Author opportunity for anyone with backlist books and that includes the estates of deceased Authors.

I’ve written this post to provide an overview of what Authors and Heirs should be monitoring and pursuing.

For published books with a traditional publisher, check the print formats that the book is available in. Is it in the right format or formats (hardcover, trade paperback or mass market paperback)? Is it in ALL the print formats it should be? What about both an ebook edition and an audiobook edition? Your goal should be to make sure every title in the estate has an appropriate print edition, an ebook edition and an audiobook edition. [Read more…]

I’m sure you recognize the provenance of that title—current Copyright law grants authors a term of the author’s life plus 70 years. It’s an extraordinary grant by any measure, and I can’t think of anything comparable in patents or any other system that governs intellectual property.

Copyright, however, is only part of what governs the working lives of authors. Far more consequential are the actual publishing contract and licenses authors enter into, which, as a practical matter, are the real governors of their creative and financial lives. [Read more…]

I’ve been working on the Royalty Reminder software for almost two years.  I imagine keeping track of book publishing contracts and figuring out ways for Authors to protect and maximize their income may not grab the attention of that many people but for me it’s been consistently fascinating.

The SF writers of the classic age foresaw an economy dominated by massive corporations and to a striking degree, this has all come true.  On one hand some gates are down, and many Authors have access to their audiences through the miracle of the internet.  But the converse is also true, distribution is concentrated into just a few hands.

How will that affect the working book author as the marketplace continues to evolve? [Read more…]