Publishers demanding audio rights

[Vertigo]

They may take our audio rights but they'll never take our FREEDOM!!!!

 

[Ursa major]

Synchronicity is at work!

The latest guest blogger on the website of John Scalzi (mentioned earlier) is writing about her new book, BraveTart. (Don't worry: it's a cook book, not a fantasy filled with rather unfortunate clichés.)

 

[The Big Peat]

Synchronicity is at work!

The latest guest blogger on the website of John Scalzi (mentioned earlier) is writing about her new book, BraveTart. (Don't worry: it's a cook book, not a fantasy filled with rather unfortunate clichés.)

... I'm now quite disappointed. That would be a fantastic name for a parody.

 

[Overread]

It makes senses that publishers want to protect revenue streams.
Wanting to get movie/audio/computer game rights isn't insane as some projects like that can turn a very nice profit. Similarly some authors can leave al ot of money on the table and lose out. The guy who wrote the Witcher series which went on to become one of the biggest RPG games of the last few years didn't get a contract that protected his best commercial interests long term; thus when the game went into very high sales he didn't see a higher return.

Publishers are sitting there like that, seeing authors able to earn outside of just the print book; so it makes sense to me that they want those additional rights; and that audio is the most likely to turn a profit on most books (movie/game is more niche at present)

 

[Bagpuss]

Is this really all about control?

No, it's all about money.

The reality is that the publishers are moving on from the concept that they simply publish books and into the idea that they are rights management companies who just happen to publish books. So, the more rights they can grab from authors without having to pay for them, then the happier the publishing company will be.

As @Overread said, the publishers see independent authors licensing their books for audio and making money out if it. They see their revenue disappearing. Therefore, the publishing companies want to gain the audio rights (and all of your other IP rights) to get a slice of the profits that might happen. But there's not unlimited money here. By demanding the author's rights for the audiobook as a prerequisite for a print book, the publishing company intends to deprive the authors of the money they would be due if they struck an independent deal - but hey, everyone says you can't get a book published without giving up your audio rights. Right! - Yeah, if you believe everyone in this day and age then I have a nice line in magic beans you could be interested in!!

 

[Brian G Turner]

The reality is that the publishers are moving on from the concept that they simply publish books and into the idea that they are rights management companies who just happen to publish books.

This is exactly it. Certainly that's the way the industry seems headed.

 

[Parson]

At the risk of being more old fashioned I prefer my audio book on tape - it's still the most practical as it stops and starts at the same place, and they turn off if you go to sleep listening to it without leaving any red lights on.

My digitial recordings pick up at the very word left off on even if the phone has been shut down and restarted. It is much preferable to audio disks, and isn't destroyed like more than one of my cassette tapes were.

 

[Dennis E. Taylor]

But there's not unlimited money here. By demanding the author's rights for the audiobook as a prerequisite for a print book, the publishing company intends to deprive the authors of the money they would be due if they struck an independent deal

This is a good point, and sometimes I think they're trying to hide it in the thrashing of ever more complicated deals. Movie reps will only pay so much for an option or rights to a story. More for you means less for me--there's no way to juggle it so that this isn't so. Insert a publisher into the equation and some of the money goes to them. You have to decide if they'll sell enough of your books to make up for that. If you're an unknown author trying to self-pub, the answer might be yes. But then they'll likely want to lock you in for a long, long time and many, many books, so you won't go independent as soon as you get a following.

It's not evil, or even particularly underhanded. It's business.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

Rayner Unwin wrote to Tolkien in 1952 suggesting a profit-sharing agreement, i.e. the book would first have to cover its costs.
Tolkien would receive no royalty payments as conventionally done.
In 1952 that was actually quite an old-fashioned way to do business, but it worked out well for JRRT in the end.
Just sayin'.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

My digitial recordings pick up at the very word left off on even if the phone has been shut down and restarted. It is much preferable to audio disks, and isn't destroyed like more than one of my cassette tapes were.

Some of my cassette tapes are nearly 40 years old. I just like that when my tape player turns off it's off. I don't like having phones and tablets in my bedroom.

 

[Parson]

Some of my cassette tapes are nearly 40 years old. I just like that when my tape player turns off it's off. I don't like having phones and tablets in my bedroom.

You must be very careful and tidy. Two things I only pretend to be. I don't think any of my 40 year old tapes could be played at all. (Almost all were in my car and that is not a very good environment for them.

 

[Cathbad]

I miss my 8-Track.

 

[Parson]

I miss my 8-Track.

Shakes Head .... Remembers the (pause-click) as it moved from one track to another often in the middle of a tune.

 

[Cathbad]

Shakes Head .... Remembers the (pause-click) as it moved from one track to another often in the middle of a tune.

Maybe it's a nostalgia block, but I don't recall that. I do remember the superb sound quality.

 

[Parson]

Maybe it's a nostalgia block, but I don't recall that. I do remember the superb sound quality.

Only in relation to the crackly mess called AM radio. Sound quality has only gotten better over the years and in digital formats. Any other idea is youth and nostalgia playing tricks on us geezers.

 

[Cathbad]

Only in relation to the crackly mess called AM radio. Sound quality has only gotten better over the years and in digital formats. Any other idea is youth and nostalgia playing tricks on us geezers.

Yes, digital is better. But 8-Track sound quality was superior to those cassettes that replaced it.

(And mine fit so neatly just above my gear shift in my GTO I didn't have much to do to install it!)

 

[Parson]

I never had an 8 track in my car. Always felt they were a passing phase. --- But back in 1984 when I told my friend in the telephone business that everyone would have a cell phone in their pocket one day; did I buy stock. No! Just because you might have a good insight now and then doesn't mean that you will profit from it.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

You must be very careful and tidy. Two things I only pretend to be. I don't think any of my 40 year old tapes could be played at all. (Almost all were in my car and that is not a very good environment for them.

Neither careful or tidy lol and never made a pretence of being either Not sure how they've survived but have a couple of even older music ones of my parents (one is a Glen Campbell one) - I think they spent a lot of time in the car with my dad. But maybe it's the environment where I live.

 

[Parson]

I think they spent a lot of time in the car with my dad. But maybe it's the environment where I live.

Hm, could be. It isn't uncommon in Iowa for summer temps inside a car to reach 130-150 Fahrenheit. Lots of little ones have died from heat exposure when their parents forgot or left them in the car for 30 min. or so in that environment. Does North Scotland have that kind of heat?

 

[AnyaKimlin]

Hm, could be. It isn't uncommon in Iowa for summer temps inside a car to reach 130-150 Fahrenheit. Lots of little ones have died from heat exposure when their parents forgot or left them in the car for 30 min. or so in that environment. Does North Scotland have that kind of heat?

No lol I don't think it has ever gone above 95 F (and I don't think ever that high). I'd consider 77 F a hot day and probably break out t-shirts and shorts at about 63 F. In the Mojave Desert in March on a pleasant but windy day I was skipping out the house in a t-shirt, shorts and a light cardigan, with my mother-in-law desperately trying to get me to wear a snow jacket, hat, scarf, and gloves.