Into the Fire

Within the local mall in my city, there is a Christian bookstore outlet, a division of Tree of Life. Yes, it has cards, stationery, book markers, CDs, DVDs, knick knacks, mugs, paintings, Bibles in different styles and translations, and lots of books—fiction and non-fiction. Books make up the better part of the not-too-large space. In the center of the store are two huge cardboard boxes filled to the top with ½ price novels and non-fiction books, mostly trade paper but some hardcover, some older and some fairly recent publications from both well-known and little known authors.

These novels in the big boxes are overstock from the publishers of said books. As you enter the store on the front rectangular display table, the customer sees novels which retail from $10.99 to $14.99 now priced anywhere from $3.97 to $7.97 and sometimes even those prices are discounted at checkout. Plus the store runs sales and sends out flyers in the mail advertising the sales.

Most of the time this outlet store gets the new release novels from top selling authors like Karen Kingsbury and Ted Dekker, sometimes able to offer them at a reduced price but not always. Other new releases might take awhile to get there.

With the publishers feeling the pinch of the economy in slowed sales or the projections of slowing sales, one must wonder why they and the printers can’t or won’t swing deals for smaller, cost-effective print runs. Heck, maybe they do, but I know from my own experience that when books are printed in the larger numbers, the price to produce them is reduced substantially. In other words it’s cheaper to print 1000 books than it is 500 and on up the ladder of costs. However, if publishers end up dumping a large overstock in half-price or less bins, why not print fewer books—especially for first time authors? I know, I know, No Name Nitwit doesn’t have a print run the size of Ted Dekker’s, but still, allowing the time for marketing and word of mouth to make its mark, it seems to me first timers or smaller niche novels warrant fewer copies.

It’s also surprising to see what novels appear in hardcover right out of the box. It’s pricey to produce them and even pricier to buy them, and in this little outlet mall I’ve bought hardcover novels for under $10, novels which haven’t been around for very long.

It has been said that 60% to 80% of all published books don’t “earn out” which translated means they don’t earn enough to equal the advances paid to the author. Doesn’t mean the publisher doesn’t make any money—he just makes substantially less than planned. Also it is said that the top few authors at any house make the big bucks and so carry No Name Nitwit and his like, making it possible for the least of us to even dare to consider getting a book contract. So what’s wrong with this? Does it fail to make sense to anyone else but me? It screams to me that someone is not doing a very good job at selecting book material or else they’re doing a pitiful job of getting it before the public. Does it not?

Again, walk into any bookstore. Unless you’re a recognized author, what are the chances your novel is going to beckon a whole bunch of someones to buy the thing? Have you seen your competition? Take a good look. What indeed makes your little novel so doggone special anyway?

Are there too many books? Can there ever be too many books? And who wants to answer yes to these questions when it could mean you’d be snuffing the chance for your own work ever being published?

Professionals always talk about making their way in this e-excessive new world of publishing. Maybe by making less copies of newer books, there can be more kinds of offerings overall. And don’t discount the POD method even with royalty publishing. It’s convenient and fast and always available once all the book prep is finished. Much to think about . . .

Father, I will answer my own question: You and you alone make a novel special in my world. Thank you for the talents of many and the feast of books. May those of us who dare to write honor you first and foremost. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.