Backlist

 

Not all of our contracts are the same, but usually rights on our single author books revert back to you three years from publication date. However, we only take your book out of print if you ask us to. And even if you ask us to take it out of print we can still get you author copies.

You retain the rights on stories published on the CafeLit site and in the annual The Best of book. In the annual themed anthologies we ask for exclusive rights for one year though usually if you ask permission to reprint we’ll grant this.

However, this comes at a cost of £8.40 a year. This is extremely good value for money as this allows your title to be distributed world-wide. If we had to set this up ourselves it would take hours of work. Even so, with over a hundred titles you can see that this is a significant expense. So regretfully we’re having to take some titles out of distribution. We are doing this when they are five years old or older, haven’t sold ten copies in the previous year and aren’t part of a series. The e-book will still be available and we’re gradually replacing them with KDP books – available only through Amazon.  They will also still be available directly from us. And we shall continue to promote them. 

Titles affected are:

Hipp-O-Dee-Doo-Dah

Build a book hard copy

Build a Book photocopiable

Voices of Angels

The Best of CaféLit 2011

On This Day

Crime after Crime

Writers for Animals

Snowflakes

The Best of CaféLit 4

Spooking

The Best of CaféLit 5

Salford Stories

Baubles

Calling for Angels

100 Stories for Haiti

Gentle Footprints

Backlist or not?

A poet friend of mine is on the editorial board of an online poetry publication. Such publications are pretty well there forever, though earlier works gradually disappear from the search engines. One poet asked if their work could be taken down. The publishers didn’t want to do this. They took the view that this was art of that poet’s work and should stay.

Arguably the same can apply to print-on-demand. The book need never go out of print.  However, that may not necessarily be an advantage. In my area of expertise we’re plagued with constantly changing technology. Books date very quickly. They could become historical fiction but they don’t date quite enough for that. One solution here is to keep the book in print for four years and then re-edit and re-title it. In fact, we’ve just launched a new imprint that does exactly that: Renascienta. 50% profit share with the author.  

Here are some other strategies we use:

• We ask for exclusive rights for one year on stories in our anthologies though are open to them being republished before that.
• We keep books in print until they stop making a profit.
• E-books never go out of print – except single author titles at the author’s request after four years.  
• We’re happy to take down online publications after one year at the author’s request.     

New titles can help to sell backlist. Backlist is part of the author and actually makes significant contribution to an author’s income though sales, PLR and ALCS payments.   

           

      

The Life Cycle of a Book

We’re talking here about the post-publication life-cycle of your book. Each published book goes through certain stages and we look here at how shelf-life may be maintained or even extended. 

The initial buzz

Release day approaches. Press releases and product information sheets go out. The author launches the book, some book shops arrange signings, maybe there’s also a cyber-launch and perhaps the author goes on a blog tour. There is a buzz of sales activity and the rankings on Amazon go up.

Reviews and book clubs

The first reviews come in. Some book clubs might obtain the text. Some more serious reviews then come in. It’s great to have all 5* ones but actually all reviews help; they inform the readers of what the book is about and they raise awareness. They also keep your book appearing on searches.

Drip feed

Sales settle down to a trickle. Yet if you have several books trickling sales you may still have a torrent. The proactive author anyway will massage this quite successfully.

Backlist

When you next book comes out you may successfully sell several earlier works, particularly if they have a connection with the new one. Even if they don’t, the new book brings your name nearer the top of the list.   

The proactive author

This author makes sure they are always visible – but does it in such a way that they are not saying “Hey, look at me,” all the time. They will use social media sensibly – maybe 80% of the time being cheerful and friendly and responding to others, only 20%  talking about their own work and then never as a direct sales pitch though it’s always okay to announce the release of your book and any events you’re organising. And they’re never daft there.

Proactive authors are also willing to go and talk to people - festivals, writing groups, schools, even if it’s not precisely about one particular book but perhaps about writing, being a writer or about a theme in your book.

Proactive authors must also be proactive in seeking these opportunities.  

Balance

Many writers, of course, prefer to spend their time mainly writing. That is fine, but the trickle will be slower in the “drip feed” period. Consider also that you may not be able to write 24/7 or even 8/5 and a balancing activity may well be welcome. Each writer must find their own perfect balance. Note, however, many successful indie writers admit to working seven days a week and spend 50% of their working time writing and 50% marketing.

Worth a thought?