Publisher Advance Payments

[R. Richard]

I have, in the past, contacted any number of publishers, trying to just get them to publish books that I had already written, forget an advance payment. I now see that what I should have done was to contact them regarding a book that I planned to write if they would give me a big advance payment. Ah well. Comment?

Book Publisher Goes To Court To Recoup Hefty Advances From Prominent Writers

A New York publisher this week filed lawsuits against several prominent writers who failed to deliver books for which they received hefty contractual advances, records show.

The Penguin Group's New York State Supreme Court breach of contract/unjust enrichment complaintsinclude copies of book contracts signed by the respective defendants.

The publisher is seeking repayments from:

* "Prozac Nation" author Elizabeth Wurtzel, who signed a $100,000 deal in 2003 to write "a book for teenagers to help them cope with depression." Penguin wants Wurtzel, seen at right, to return her $33,000 advance (and at least $7500 in interest).

* Blogger Ana Marie Cox, who signed in 2006 to author a "humorous examination of the next generation of political activists," is being dunned for her $81,250 advance (and at least $50,000 in interest). Her Penguin contract totaled $325,000.

* Rebecca Mead, a staff writer at The New Yorker, owes $20,000 (and at least $2000 in interest), according to Penguin, which struck a $50,000 deal in 2003 for "a collection of the author’s journalism."

* Holocaust survivor Herman Rosenblat was signed for $40,000 in 2008 to describe how he "survived a concentration camp because of a young girl who snuck him food. 17 years later the two met on a blind date and have been together ever since, married 50 years." While Rosenblat’s story was hailed by Oprah Winfrey as the "single greatest love story" she had told on the air, it turned out to be a fabrication. Penguin wants him to repay a $30,000 advance (and at least $10,000 in interest).

* "Hip-Hop Minister" Conrad Tillard signed an $85,000 Penguin contract in 2005 for a memoir about his "epic journey from the Ivy League to the Nation of Islam," and his subsequent falling out with Louis Farrakhan. The publishing house's lawsuit is seeking the repayment of about $38,000 from Tillard.

 

[sr71plt]

No, what you should have done was to become a celebrity before thinking about doing a book. Publishers give advances on the basis of projected sales. Being a celebrity guarantees a certain level of sales for a first book. Then best-selling authors of previous books also can offer up expectations of sales on future books. It's not rocket or voodoo science.

 

[R. Richard]

No, what you should have done was to become a celebrity before thinking about doing a book. Publishers give advances on the basis of projected sales. Being a celebrity guarantees a certain level of sales for a first book. Then best-selling authors of previous books also can offer up expectations of sales on future books. It's not rocket or voodoo science.

Actually, a specific book that I contacted publishers about was Anatomy of an Adult Film. The book was co-authored by the famous adult film star, Sunset Thomas, who I believe is more famous that the people cited in the article that I posted. Sunset is not only a celebrity, but she makes regular public appearances, during which she could publicize the book. Apparently, the idea of publishing Sunset Thomas was at the level of rocket and/or voodoo science for more than one major publisher.

 

[sr71plt]

I'm not real sure what you are trying to say--whether her celebrity got an advance or not, but, no, I hardly think that she's on the "advance" scale of celebrity. If you're saying she got an advance, then I think she was one lucky doll.

 

[R. Richard]

I'm not real sure what you are trying to say--whether her celebrity got an advance or not, but, no, I hardly think that she's on the "advance" scale of celebrity. If you're saying she got an advance, then I think she was one lucky doll.

You might read about Sunset Thomas here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunset_Thomas

Sunset is very much a celebrity in the adult film world and has also been a centerfold model. I have no idea what you think is required to be in the advance scale of celebrity, but if media exposure is a requirement, Sunset definitely has that. By the way, Sunset lacks formal education, but she's a very sharp lady and does quite well in interviews.

 

[sr71plt]

I imagine that mainstream publishers don't share your view of her level of celebrity. Did she or did she not get an advance? That pretty much will tell us what the publishers thought about the bankability of her name. So, we need not argue about it. Did she or did she not get an advance for the book you're pushing?

 

[lovecraft68]

I would imagine that Sunset's celebrity is amongst a certain crowd and most likely not one mainstream publishers are likely to think of.

Jenna Jameson is I would say the biggest name in the porn industry even though she no longer does movies.

You mention her to anyone who enjoys porn they know her.

mention her to someone out of that "realm" they don't know her.

I'm a huge Bernie Wrightson fan, mention him in the comic crowd and the geeks go wild.

Mention him to random people without saying what he did and its "who?"

 

[R. Richard]

I would imagine that Sunset's celebrity is amongst a certain crowd and most likely not one mainstream publishers are likely to think of.

Jenna Jameson is I would say the biggest name in the porn industry even though she no longer does movies.

You mention her to anyone who enjoys porn they know her.

mention her to someone out of that "realm" they don't know her.

If Sunset received an advance is no one's business, except Sunset's (and mine.)
As to Jenna Jameson, How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale is the autobiography of adult film star Jenna Jameson, published 17 Aug 2004. It was co-written with Neil Strauss, a contributor to the New York Times and Rolling Stone, and published by ReganBooks, a division of HarperCollins. It was an instant best-seller, spending six weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Judith Regan saw the potential, no one else did. The rest is history.
As to the acumen of publishing editors, read this and weep:
Rejected Authors

 

[i_would]

As to the acumen of publishing editors, read this and weep:
Rejected Authors

Publishers get thousands maybe tens of thousands of new authors that want to be published every year, of course they're sometimes wrong and reject a potentially best selling author.

On the other hand they're probably even more often wrong the other way around: just look at how many books are published on a daily basis, and how many become best sellers (not necessarily top-10 but at least enough to make a good profit out of). Overall it pays for them to be careful. Can't just publish anyone.

 

[R. Richard]

Publishers get thousands maybe tens of thousands of new authors that want to be published every year, of course they're sometimes wrong and reject a potentially best selling author.

On the other hand they're probably even more often wrong the other way around: just look at how many books are published on a daily basis, and how many become best sellers (not necessarily top-10 but at least enough to make a good profit out of). Overall it pays for them to be careful. Can't just publish anyone.

Of course a publisher might miss a best seller. However, when a couple of dozen publishers miss a best seller, you have to wonder if they're using an infinite number of monkeys to do their editing. Or, even if they bother to read the submissions.

 

[sr71plt]

If Sunset received an advance is no one's business, except Sunset's (and mine.)

A. Which means she didn't.

B. Obviously you didn't know anything about the topic when you initiated the thread to begin with.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

The publisher is seeking repayments from:

* "Prozac Nation" author Elizabeth Wurtzel, who signed a $100,000 deal in 2003 to write "a book for teenagers to help them cope with depression." Penguin wants Wurtzel, seen at right, to return her $33,000 advance (and at least $7500 in interest).

* Blogger Ana Marie Cox, who signed in 2006 to author a "humorous examination of the next generation of political activists," is being dunned for her $81,250 advance (and at least $50,000 in interest). Her Penguin contract totaled $325,000.

* Rebecca Mead, a staff writer at The New Yorker, owes $20,000 (and at least $2000 in interest), according to Penguin, which struck a $50,000 deal in 2003 for "a collection of the author’s journalism."

* Holocaust survivor Herman Rosenblat was signed for $40,000 in 2008 to describe how he "survived a concentration camp because of a young girl who snuck him food. 17 years later the two met on a blind date and have been together ever since, married 50 years." While Rosenblat’s story was hailed by Oprah Winfrey as the "single greatest love story" she had told on the air, it turned out to be a fabrication. Penguin wants him to repay a $30,000 advance (and at least $10,000 in interest).

* "Hip-Hop Minister" Conrad Tillard signed an $85,000 Penguin contract in 2005 for a memoir about his "epic journey from the Ivy League to the Nation of Islam," and his subsequent falling out with Louis Farrakhan. The publishing house's lawsuit is seeking the repayment of about $38,000 from Tillard.

"Prozac Nation" was a decent seller, and spawned a movie with Christina Ricci, so the idea of sales is pretty likely to come true.

Cox was a correspondent for GQ and a fairly well-known political blogger, hence the idea of sales.

Rebecca Mead = New Yorker... If that doesn't say it, nothing much will.

Equally as above; Oprah + Holocaust survivor = Chi-ching!!!

Conrad Tillard... Add together Islam, Farrakhan, Jesse Jackson, and then change the title to Reverend (conversion back to Christianity, if anyone's missing the point of that title change), it's just odd enough that people might buy it.

As far as Sunset Thomas is, I checked your link; here's a quote:

"In 2007, she appeared on the Montel Williams Show to discuss her porn career and being a mother."

Montel Williams? And you think she's a celebrity? Sounds like this book release was an attempt to regain some limelight; it also seems like the most notable thing she did is Cathouse the series, which is retarded in and of it's own right. Not to be shallow, although when we're discussing porn, I'm of perfect entitlement, but this girl's not exactly... y'know, good-looking. Jenna Jameson was famous because she was a classic hourglass with a pretty face (Playboy pretty); not my preference but a common one. Add to that the cycle of abuse being so apparent as she started to gain more public exposure and you've got a media bomb.

Q_C

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Publishers get thousands maybe tens of thousands of new authors that want to be published every year, of course they're sometimes wrong and reject a potentially best selling author.

On the other hand they're probably even more often wrong the other way around: just look at how many books are published on a daily basis, and how many become best sellers (not necessarily top-10 but at least enough to make a good profit out of). Overall it pays for them to be careful. Can't just publish anyone.

Also, a lot of times, because of the mass of people publishing a mass of people, best-sellers often don't really pan out until something draws them out of the crowd. A good writer, best-seller potential, can sit on the shelves for years, multiple publications, before recognition hits. It's not like it was back when Stephen King and Dean Koontz started...

Q_C