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June 01, 2006
Authors don't own their books
The previous post on my captology book brings up a larger issue . . .
If you sign with a reputable publisher (as oppposed to self-publishing) you rarely have any control over the book once you ink the deal. You may not have any say about your book's title or cover art. I negotiated these things in my contract and was later pleased I did, because what my publisher initially proposed wasn't what I wanted -- not at all.
As an author you rarely own your own book. It's sort of funny . . . sometimes my friends think my library shelves are filled with copies I can give away. (I wish!)
How do I get copies of my own book? I buy them online. My publisher gives me an "author's discount," but I can always find a better price on the web. So when I give someone a book, I buy it online and have it shipped to that person.
Strange but true.
-- BJ Fogg
Posted by BJ Fogg at June 1, 2006 07:02 AM