Dear reader,
Today’s post is a response to something I saw on facebook, posted by someone who sneezes and makes more money than I do. (What? That’s just fact. This person’s sneezes are worth than my entire career basically.) And that’s okay. More power to them! They’re doing great, and I’m happy for them.
But they said something absolutely important, and I want to take the time to have a talk about it.
Readers, at the end of the day, you decide if a series lives or dies.
Authors are people who have to pay their bills, just like you. Books are not free things that grow on trees. My latest release (Grave Affairs by Lilith Daniels) cost me the following to write:
- Editorial: $4,240
- Software: $7; my subscription for Word.
- Copyright: $65
- Copious Amounts of Tea and Coffee: (Insert Infinity Symbol Here.)
- Cover Design: $800 (Base design), $100 for print stuffs, $100 for audiobook design stuff and misc other things. Note: this one started its life as a premade, so I got it slightly cheaper than normal. But only slightly cheaper than normal.
- Writing the Book: $8,471.
Note: I am the one paid absolutely last in the process.
Writing the Book
I’m assigning myself $25 per hour for this example. (This is way below actual value, I just arbitrarily picked a going rate.) For the sake of example, including my numerous proofing passes, implementing edits, etc, it takes me approximately three hours per 1,000 words to write the book. (1.5 hours per 1,000 words to write, on average, 1.5 hours to do the editing.) (Note: the actual number of hours is probably higher.)
Word Count per Kobo: 123,000 words.
Total if I actually got paid to write the book: $8,487.
For the record, it’s just about impossible (but barely doable) to live in my area on $25 per hour.
Total to Write the Book: $13,799.
Please note that I excluded advertising on this book. I was too lazy to go look up how much I spent. I think the $13,799 part of things gets the point across nicely. If you exclude paying me, the book cost $5,312 to write.
I earn approximately $5,49 per copy on this book, so in order to just pay back the costs of the book, I need to sell 968 copies. To pay me and cover the book expenses, I need to sell 2,513 copies.
This excludes taxes.
Readers, you decide if a series lives and dies. You decide if an author’s pilot book becomes a series.
If you refuse to buy a book because ‘you don’t read books until a series is completed’, you don’t get to complain that the series isn’t completed.
Authors are not a charity, and we are not writing books solely for your enjoyment.
We have family to feed, bills to pay, and life to live.
You decide if a series lives or dies. If you’re not willing to support authors through the journey of writing a series… please just don’t read series. (What? You don’t like hearing that? Well, authors need to be paid.)
Nobody is saying you need to read the books you buy, by the way. But if you want to see a series come to life, you need to support the series.
Adding a book to your wish list does nothing to pay the cover art, editorial, etc bills.
I’ve been fielding a lot of questions about the Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body count) series, as there has been a great deal of confusion on how this works.
1: Unless the author is paid, it does not help the series. This is why retail is a big deal for series. Patreon can support one and only one series, and they’re supporting the Royal States series. (And without Patreon, the Royal States series would have been dropped by now, with the Prince of New York becoming the final book in the series and being completely restructured to close off the series.) Instead, it’s continuing on as originally intended. (And yes, that’s despite my misgivings about the series and poor entitled reader behavior regarding said series.)
Another author (Neil Gaiman) said it best: Authors are not your bitch.
Authors are living, breathing people… creativity is expensive… and publishing books is an epic labor of love (and hate.)
2: It’s a-okay to not want to read a series. It’s not okay to cry and whine that the series wasn’t completed when you did nothing to help the author bring that series to life.
Authors literally do not owe you a completed series.
I finish series because I want to. But, when the series does not receiving the financial backing required to keep on trucking, it is sidelined.
The Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body count) series will only produce a book every 2-3 years now, or with longer frequency, because people did not wish to continue supporting the series. This is fine. People voted with their wallet.
I cannot afford to take financial losses on series, and my attention must go to where the money is. And to better make money, I need to diversify my audience, my books, and build a more robust backlist.
Every new series is a new opportunity to bring in a new reader.
As you can tell from the numbers from the Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body count) series, new releases in a long series are not bringing in new readers.
And so it dies, quite slowly and over a long period of time. I cannot justify writing more than a book every few years of this series.
Readers voted with their wallets.
That’s the beginning and the ending of this story.
If you don’t want a series to die, you need to support it.
Authors like to say leaving reviews, etc, helps… it does. But if nobody new is buying the book, if old fans aren’t supporting the series, authors cannot afford to continue writing expensive books.
So far (as of this morning so far), Grave Affairs has sold 1,354 copies on Amazon, 143 copies on Kobo, 116 copies on Barnes & Noble, and 43 sales combined for all other wide retailers.
That’s a total of 1,656 books. ($9091.44 in royalties, 45% ($4091.15) of which is lost to taxes.) That leaves me with $5,000.29 to pay off a $5,312 bill.
That’s a fabulous launch in the grand scheme of things… but it is not the number of sales that justify a series. Until that number is closer to 10,000 sales, Grave Affairs and Grave Intentions will be it for Lilith Daniels. (However much I love Kinsley and the gang… readers float the boats, and without readers, the series dies before it begins.)
This is also why Lowrance Vampires dies after the release of Death Dance.
While Book 1 has sold more than 10,000 copies, book 2 has not. Silent Stalker released in 2022, and readers voted “no” on Lowrance Vampires having more than three books.
There just aren’t the sales required to make it into a series.
Readers, you vote with your purchases. And when you say “not interested”, authors listen.
If you want a series to be finished, the decision is ultimately in your hands, with how you buy your books.
By refusing to buy the books and support the series, you are also refusing any ability to bitch and moan you didn’t get what you wanted.
Books take money to write, and unless you’re supporting the authors writing the books, you cannot ever expect them to invest money into a failing series.
Authors are not your bitch.
I know this is not what people want to hear, but this is a cold reality of the book publishing world.
Passion doesn’t pay the bills, and we all need to eat.
Your entertainment doesn’t come for free.
And no, the $7.99 (or however much you pay for a book) doesn’t entitle readers to anything more than the book, and it’s not the fault of authors it takes you only three hours to read what took us 350 hours to write. (Please don’t pressure us too hard about when the next novel comes out. I dedicate most of my life to writing books, and little is more disheartening than people telling me that a 100,000 word book that took me 300 hours to write is ‘short’.)
But most of all, please remember that authors are quitting because readers take us for granted. And nothing screams being taken for granted more than readers expecting authors to finish a series when those same readers refuse to buy the books in said series because it isn’t finished yet.
If you don’t want to see a series die, buy the books as they release, leave positive (4-5*) reviews, and tell your friends. And when you hear a reader saying they don’t buy books in a series until the series finishes, remind them of this: “That attitude is why series don’t get finished. Authors are not your bitch, and books take money to write.”
Yes, authors like me, with healthy and vibrant Patreons, have the luxury of continuing to write failed series. I absolutely do use Patreon funding to help cover the failures so I can continue writing them. Having stable income that isn’t reliant on retail sales is also a huge mental relief.
But it doesn’t change the fact that I, as an author, have to rely on retail, and I need series books to pay the bills.
To give you a better idea of the Royal States situation, 7 of 11 books have sold over 10k on Amazon alone. 3 more are within six months, approximate, of crossing the threshold for that. This is what is needed for a series to continue… and the reality of the situation is this: the Royal States series is not far from its natural conclusion. (I have something like 4-6 more covers in had after New Waters, and I already know how the series is ending, it’s just a matter of getting there. What I DON’T know is if the 4-6 covers is the right number of books, because I don’t know how long one of the arcs will take.)
It could be 2-3 books after New Waters… it could be 4… it could be 6. If I need extra covers, I’ll order them. But the series is coming to an end, dying from natural causes. It’s just to the point it’s almost over.
I am tossing in one final Pat novel for shits and giggles, because I want to. It will not be included in the series listing, although it will have the “A Royal States Novel” subtitle. It’s got nothing to do with the series plot.
The Agents of the Royal States series is not nearly as popular as Royal States, which is why there is only one Agents book on the lineup, and I doubt I will have any more covers made than what I already have in hand; unless it hits the 10k per book rule, it ends with what I have, and I’m doing them for fun.
Readers, ultimately, decide which series live and which series die.
When authors pull the plug on the series’ life support is based solely on them and their tolerances for loss and failure.
Nobody is saying you need to read the books you buy if you like waiting for a series to be completed. But if you aren’t buying the series, kindly sit down and be quiet.
You have no say in the life or death of a series you have not helped bring to life.
If you want to see a series written, you need to put your money on the table along with others… that way, an author has the fiscal means to continue writing for your entertainment.
And no, that doesn’t entitle you to anything other than “you did your share to keep that author writing.”
Everybody needs to eat, authors included.
Thanks for listening, and thanks for reading.
And thus I have purchased everything I can find that you have written, because you do need to be paid. I really appreciate that you are a fairly prolific and responsive writer. You certainly made Covid more bearable for me (which was when I found you and read my first of your books), and I very much appreciate your dedication to your work. Haters gonna hate, and idiots – well, there’s not a whole lot that can be done for people with a bad case of Stupid.
I really appreciate that! <3 <3 <3
And yeah, nobody can fix stupid, alas.
On Amazon I follow a few authors that I like, which includes you. That way I can pre-order your books as they are announced. The only question I have is why you are paying 45% taxes. That implies a high income. Based on your costs and book income, that doesn’t make sense. Whatever book you write, regardless of the author name you are using, I will buy and read it. I love the humor in your books. They always raise my spirits.
My husband is a high earning software developer in Silicon Valley. As such, every penny I earn is taxed at an applicable 45%.
Also, what you’re not seeing is the residual income I receive from the backlist books. Those $5 a day per book earnings do add up, and they’re how I can afford to write unprofitable books in the first place. My yearly income is solid, if I ignore the famine months.The backlist is why I can keep on trucking and writing books that DON’T earn money out of the gate. And feed myself and my family.
It’s very enlightening to read the breakdowns you’ve supplied recently. As a result, I am wondering if it puts more in your pocket if I buy a paperback or if I buy the e-book. And which sellers put more in your pocket? I really don’t know the answer to any of these questions and would really like to know because not only do you deserve to be paid and paid well, I would like to help ensure you continue to write and publish your delightful books
eBook, and basically any retailer other than Amazon if you’re on the retail side, the Patreon store if you are saavy and don’t mind sideloading your ePub. (I’m paid SIGNIFICANTLY more over at the Patreon store.) (I get something like 87% versus 70% at Patreon.)
Does it count if you buy Nook books? I refuse to buy any of your book (or any books for that matter) from Amazon because of how they treat authors. How does the Patreon subscriptions fall into your determination if you keep a series or not? I subscribe for Royal States but if the impact of that subscription doesn’t count, then do I need to just purchase the books? I’m so confused. Thank you!
I count Patreon in terms of number of subscribers auto counting as a sale in the book’s favor. It’s only like 530 people / sales total or something like that right now. What Patreon does for Royal States is completely REMOVE retail from consideration for me continuing it. It doesn’t matter what happens on Retail. Patreon pays for the Royal States series and the Agents series. (I’m just not continuing it beyond what I have covers for in hand.)
Yes, Nook is Barnes & Nobles, and that’s a wide vendor. Right now, my wide following does not change the numbers sufficiently to make a difference beyond what happens on Amazon, but if that changes, their weight in the scale is more important.
When I’m making the ultimate decision on the death of a series, I absolutely do check all of wide’s performance. (And no, Wide did not save the Magical Romantic Comedy series; a previous recent post goes better in the percentages of wide vs Amazon.)
What wide does is give me better survivability if Amazon, for any reason, shuts down my account. (Like via the error-reporting tool.)
Thank you for taking time to clarify! I appreciate your time and effort
I buy all the books by the authors I love but I will wait to read some. Especially if I know that particular author likes cliffhangers.
Yep, anxiety says I cannot read books with cliffhangers until the series is done. I buy those books as they release or I just move on to a different author. 50/50 mix on that one.
I buy all your books, whichever author, on NOOK as they are published.
I’m buy on Amazon because my digital library began on kindle, but I’m fortunate that I can support you on Patreon as well. Feed us books at your healthy rate, not our greedy desires.
Have reread Grave Affairs. Awaiting next in series. Have all rcwabc awaiting next. Awaiting next hcwabc. Also awaiting next one with your demented fashion designer.
I just wanted you to know that I am reading Grave Affairs and I am LOVING it!!! I want a little Miss Garnet!! I think you have hit yet another home run!! Thank you for the hours of entertainment!!
Rebecca Myers
Don’t know what happened to my first email but I will resend it.
I love Grave Affairs! You have hit yet another home run!!! I want a Miss Garnet! You have have made her character so adorable!!
Thanks for the hours of entertainment!
Rebecca Myers
How very true and honest. I love you didn’t pull punches. This is why I buy ebery book in a series I can find and get the pre orders if the series sounds good. I may not read right away but then I have it and I pray the series does not die before the end.
Love this truth ❤️
First and foremost, thank you so much for your honesty and transparency! I’m sad a few series I like are either ending or backburnered, but I’m looking forward to exploring more of your writing! That said, as a consumer who wishes to vote with my wallet, which medium is best to buy to give you the most financial return? Right now I buy e-books, but am happy to buy physical copies if those are better for you.
EBooks. Patreon store pays me best followed by Smashwords and then Kobo and B&N. Amazon comes next (they charge transfer fees based on file size)
You absolutely must be paid. My husband is an artist and people get fussy and whine about him not drawing what they specifically want and my response is always did you pay for it. If you don’t pay you are voting no with your wallet. Even if you do support a specific series no author or artist owes you as an individual anything more than the items you paid for. I love all of your work but yes write what is creating income for you.
just out of curiosity— which author are you referring to re “sneezing”
If I were going to name the author, I would have done so. I am choosing not to, as the author in question has enough on their plate at the moment and does not need more added to their plate. This is a gesture of kindness, because people are curious, they will want to go see the original discussions, and some of those discussions have not been kind. So, I refuse to add to the lack of kindness that has been shown to this person (and others).
Sorry, but there are many good reasons I am not sharing the name.
I love everything you’ve written and I own all of them. I don’t participate in your Patreon cuz I can’t afford to . I’m 75, on a small fixed income, pay a fortune for meds, and my docs keep telling me I’ve got a very limited time. So far I’ve stretched their estimates. I’ll keep reading everything you put out in all your various names. Love ya. Mary Ellen
I have become an avid fan of your writing in the last few years. I haven’t found a series yet that I haven’t enjoyed. I have even made the effort to start purchasing your books though your Patreon store so I could better support you, the artist verses the greedy corporate buggars. As a crafter myself (beadwork), I understand the importance of not undervalueing yourself and your work. I will happily continue to eat up (read) everything you will grace us with in the future, whatever it may be. Much luv & many HugZ to you and yours!
I have to say, the intro blurb on Grave Affairs did not move me at all, but I bought it because you wrote it and so probably I would like it more than I thought. And lo, I have now reread it 5 times and I can’t wait for the next one.
This is why I only look at the description long enough to get an idea for what type of story it is. If I judged books overly harshly by their descriptions, I would never read any books at all.
I totally understand being a responsible adult and doing what has to be done.
But I want to thank you for even considering continuing the Magical Romantic Comedies with a body count, at any interval. Since I found them a year ago, I have enjoyed them greatly. They are my comfort reads. I have read the series multiple times this year already and continue to pick and choose rereads at regular intervals. So much so that when I don’t have regular access to my Kindle copies, I have abused the library’s e-copies (on Hoopla) to such a degree that I’m pretty sure that the additional copies in Libby/Overdrive are my “fault” (not sorry). I only wish I was more competent in describing them to my fellow readers so they would enjoy them as well.
I am trying your other pen names and have just begun Bernadette Franklin and thank you for bringing back to my joy of “new” reading experiences.
Thanks for the hard work that writers do to bring their works to us readers.
I am sorry that Grave Affairs is doing so poorly. I really enjoyed the book. I do understand that if a series is not selling, you need to cut it from your writing schedule. Once I found your books, I made sure to buy all of them to make sure you can keep writing. I leave 5 star reviews on GoodReads and Kobo to hopefully promote your books.