Oh, I believe you that you're presenting your real numbers. My question is more about **why** these are the real numbers. Of course small presses work different from the big NY companies (thank god!). But why? I don't think we're any smarter than you, but I do think that we approach our business with a very different -- and much more positive -- attitude.
Seems to me that the big NY companies try to have it both ways -- on one hand, you all talk about how hard it is to make money on a book. On the other hand, firms like yours do little or nothing to work efficiently. It's not easy for me to make money on a book either, but at least I'm confident that I'm spending my dollars wisely.
In fact, from where I sit (both as a bookseller and a publisher), it often seems like your firm and others similarly situated are going out of your way to spend money inefficiently and ineffectively, at every step of the process. The waste that I see here as a bookseller is especially appalling, especially in terms of sales and marketing.
Maybe this is the right way to ask the question: how much have these numbers changed in the last 5 or 10 years? To what extent have NY publishers taken advantage of all the advances in technology that make it easier and easier to produce a quality book at a much lower cost?
Re: breaking down some line items
Seems to me that the big NY companies try to have it both ways -- on one hand, you all talk about how hard it is to make money on a book. On the other hand, firms like yours do little or nothing to work efficiently. It's not easy for me to make money on a book either, but at least I'm confident that I'm spending my dollars wisely.
In fact, from where I sit (both as a bookseller and a publisher), it often seems like your firm and others similarly situated are going out of your way to spend money inefficiently and ineffectively, at every step of the process. The waste that I see here as a bookseller is especially appalling, especially in terms of sales and marketing.
Maybe this is the right way to ask the question: how much have these numbers changed in the last 5 or 10 years? To what extent have NY publishers taken advantage of all the advances in technology that make it easier and easier to produce a quality book at a much lower cost?
-- Jim