Re:I Am a Wrox Author (again) (Score 1)

Hi there AC, and Reality Master - thanks for the warm welcome

Reality Master's financial analysis is not that far off, and AC you are right that a typical discount into the sales channel is 60%, which increases the break even point by that sort of magnitude, yes it does [bites tongue]

I have a lot of information in front of me about how many copies a computer book sells, across various publishers and technologies. I need to keep it quite general, but in today's book market, for most publishers (unless they really crack a book from the furnace that just all of us feel we must have [one book to bind us? apols]) then it just isn't that easy to go significantly beyond your discount-reajusted break-even point at the moment. Especially when there are so many books out there on some of the recent technologies - it is one tough market for publishers, although more books create a wider choice for programmers - in the short term at least.

The Y2000 period was a little bit different, and Wrox for sure was able to pay higher rates to its author and reviewer colleagues during that time. As an independent company, we adapt to the market conditions as best we can: that's why we do review our author rates.

But I tell what you already know indeed: Wrox rates and general publisher rates in the programming sector won't usually let anyone quit their day job. But Wrox isn't about quiting our day jobs ... if you're an author/programmer then you like what you do and I really trust that there's some good things that happen when you work with Wrox as an author or reviewer.

And for sure :) you've gotta really WANT to work with Wrox to publish your ideas to other programmers - more than once we've received a complaint from spouses about how involved their partner has become with a Wrox project. I have myself worked as an editor through a long day, slept on the floor by my computer, and picked myself up to start again a few hours later for the next day. NOT that this is how you have to do it at Wrox!! - but sometimes, when the spirit is with you, the book can mean that much. It felt great to see that book become what we all wanted it be when it was published - but then I took some time off!! No regrets. This is our lives, and imo we should sometimes do things that just feel good. I continue to hope that working with Wrox as an author and reviewer can supply some of life's rich stuff (if not enough cash to exactly retire.)

OK you've got me ready to go and read some of our recent author dedications again now ... see you later! xd