Update on Publishers

There are now three publishers who are expressing a clear interest in TRC.  Each is quite different than the other and each has something to offer which has special appeal to us.

We have our favorite.  Unlike Robert's earlier vows, we need to be smart business people in this matter.  The idea for an audction for the book rights had lots of chutzpa, but it is more than a little unrealistic.

Also, it would be unwise for us to discuss the particulars of the situation right now, but we expect that we are not far away from having an announceable deal.  When we do, we will tell the terms, including the advance of royalties we received and why we decided to go with a particular publisher.

In the meantime, we are very juiced that our shared vision is looking like it will become a reality.  Robert and I are going to be authors.  That is very cool.

Comments

[Steven Streight aka Vaspers the Grate]

I think I'd be careful about announcing advances and royalties and such. It might be information that a publisher may not want to shout from the mountaintops.

Considering you two guys' credentials, you probably can command a higher advance than other authors.

[jen]

All my book contracts included a clause stating I cannot share the contents of that contract. In speaking with other authors over the years, I believe it's quite standard. If you plan to publish the advance/royalties, make sure you watch out for that clause and strike it if necessary.

[Steven Streight aka Vaspers the Grate]

To reiterate (haven't used that word in ages):

If a would-be author sees the advance and royalties deal you two fellows get, then he/she might plead with that publisher for the same deal, when that deal was struck with you two due to your credentials, experience, expertise, company affiliation, association with big names in blogging, etc.

So the declaration of advance and royalties could potentially cause problems for your benefactor-patron-publisher.

Also, if high: envy, ill will. But if low: mockery, disrepute, bad beginning for book.

Confusedcious say: Hit the pause button and ponder, my friends.

[/pd]

Shel/Robert,your business is your business !! Why would I want to know about your Business eh ??

What interests me is the content, content and more content.. thats whats going to matter (to me).. my 2 cents !!

[Dave Briggs]

Have you guys seen http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/4194669.stm ?

What they are doing at Warwick University in the UK sounds really interesting and could offer some good case studies for your book.

[Shannon Clark]

A friend who recently (last Fall) sold a 2 book (fiction) deal to Harpers Collins experienced this. She posted to her blog full details, only to take it down on the advice of her agent. Instead, she posted the note from an indusry magazine (Publishers weekly I think not 100% certain) which uses a known set of common phrases to indicate rough range of deals - i.e. "a very good deal" indicates a 6 figure deal, other terms indicate higher/lower scale deals.

As hers was a six figure deal, but on the lower end of the range, her agent wanted her not to reveal the specifics in public so that the assumption by future publishers would be towards the higher end of the range. (She's likely to sell a non-fiction book later this year so we'll see if this works in her favor).

It is also used by booksellers as an indication of the level of support that the publisher is likely to give a specific book - i.e. one with a large advance = one with higher publicity budgets generally speaking.

My advice would be to be open, but only up to a point. Indicate the general range, perhaps offer to share the details privately but not fully publically, As well, however, don't neglect to emphasize the marketing reach that you each bring to the book, as well as the degree to which you both will be able to support the book once published - i.e. a publisher likely will be more willing to pay higher ammounts if the authors are available for speaking and publicity.

You may also want to consider whether speaking with an agent for your speaking engagements as well as an agent for the book might make sense. Robert - I'd imagine that Microsoft has both a policy and/or relationships with some speakers bureaus already. Shel, I think there was at least one good agent at PopTech - might see if you have his card to contact him? (was the agent for Malcolm Gladwell among others - at least 4 of the speakers for PopTech this year were his clients).

Shannon

[B.L. Ochman]

I applaud your openess. As far as I can determine, publishing is a front for something else, although I haven't determined for what.

Publishers put nothing behind 99.9 percent of their books.

A little openess might precipitate a sea change in publishing. There's way too much secrecy and clubiness.

[Steven Streight aka Vaspers the Grate]

Openess vs. recklessness.

Honesty vs. Spilling your guts about whatever you want to spill your guts about.

Frankness vs. Not betraying your publisher's need to keep secrets from the competition!

Who can tell the difference?

We have to know the difference.

[DJ Coffman]

Congrats you guys! This is going to be a really fun and informative book.

[Evan]

This is a very interesting change in tone, I think, as things are slowly beginning to conform to "normal publishing standards".

I'm not nay-saying here, I'm just noticing a trend. First the agent, then the loss of some openness, then there are 3 publishers whose names we won't know (will we ever know the two losing publishers?), and then the details of the deal will probably be generic in some form or fashion to the point of uselessness ("We got over $200,000" you might say).

Here's a prediction: There will be certain sections that aren't on the website until the book is published. -And/Or- there will be sections that are first given to an editor and then put online. Or vice versa (written, then given to an editor, and we don't see the final result until publish time).

Exact numbers and details? I won't believe it until I see it. Ugh, I hate sounding so negative, but it feels like you gave them the inch and we're on our way to a mile already. The book is awesome, this site is a triumph, but I'm afraid of what happens once this moves into, dare I say it, Non-Blogosphere Reality.

[Steven Streight aka Vaspers the Grate]

Who says the highly vaunted, vastly over-rated, yet under-appreciated "Blogosphere" is so inherently "Pure and Loverly"?

You must not read many blogs.

The overwhelmingly vast majority of blogs are entirely worthless rantings and ravings by chatterboxes with nothing to say and no skill in saying it.

The crybabies who berate and condemn Mr. Scoble and Mr. Israel are the ones out of touch with reality.

They remind me of the folk music fans who heckled Bob Dylan and screamed "Judas!!!" at him...for simply using an electric guitar during a performance. So many examples of hysterical purists who live in dreamy ideal worlds that cannot and should not exist.

Okay you want to know the names of the three publishers. Then you first tell us all the companies that fired you during your illustrious career. Or all the women who rejected you in bars. Or all the mistakes you've made. In other words: BE TRANSPARENT in your blog comments.

Ridiculous blather from blogophilic dummies.