Comments on: TenPages.com Makes Book Publishing More Accessible But Buyer Beware http://www.kennethlim.net/tenpages-com-makes-book-publishing-more-accessible-but-buyer-beware/ Online Marketing Blog Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:34:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: kennethlim http://www.kennethlim.net/tenpages-com-makes-book-publishing-more-accessible-but-buyer-beware/comment-page-1/#comment-63 kennethlim Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:02:05 +0000 http://www.kennethlim.net/?p=542#comment-63 Thanks, Valentine, I truly appreciate the insight here! Having worked at a publisher in the past, I understand the challenges to make it all work. The current earnings model does (or should) stimulate investing shareholders to critically look at manuscripts to prevent making any loss ;) Also, in spite of some of the harshness in my first take, I do think TenPages offers aspiring authors a great platform to get traction, encouragement and opportunity. I plan on monitoring the TenPages platform and revisiting it on this blog in 6-12 months to see how the works are coming to fruition :) Best of luck and thanks again for the inside scoop! Thanks, Valentine, I truly appreciate the insight here! Having worked at a publisher in the past, I understand the challenges to make it all work. The current earnings model does (or should) stimulate investing shareholders to critically look at manuscripts to prevent making any loss ;)

Also, in spite of some of the harshness in my first take, I do think TenPages offers aspiring authors a great platform to get traction, encouragement and opportunity.

I plan on monitoring the TenPages platform and revisiting it on this blog in 6-12 months to see how the works are coming to fruition :) Best of luck and thanks again for the inside scoop!

]]> By: kennethlim http://www.kennethlim.net/tenpages-com-makes-book-publishing-more-accessible-but-buyer-beware/comment-page-1/#comment-160 kennethlim Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:02:00 +0000 http://www.kennethlim.net/?p=542#comment-160 Thanks, Valentine, I truly appreciate the insight here! Having worked at a publisher in the past, I understand the challenges to make it all work. The current earnings model does (or should) stimulate investing shareholders to critically look at manuscripts to prevent making any loss ;) Also, in spite of some of the harshness in my first take, I do think TenPages offers aspiring authors a great platform to get traction, encouragement and opportunity. I plan on monitoring the TenPages platform and revisiting it on this blog in 6-12 months to see how the works are coming to fruition :) Best of luck and thanks again for the inside scoop! Thanks, Valentine, I truly appreciate the insight here! Having worked at a publisher in the past, I understand the challenges to make it all work. The current earnings model does (or should) stimulate investing shareholders to critically look at manuscripts to prevent making any loss ;)

Also, in spite of some of the harshness in my first take, I do think TenPages offers aspiring authors a great platform to get traction, encouragement and opportunity.

I plan on monitoring the TenPages platform and revisiting it on this blog in 6-12 months to see how the works are coming to fruition :) Best of luck and thanks again for the inside scoop!

]]> By: Valentine vd Lande http://www.kennethlim.net/tenpages-com-makes-book-publishing-more-accessible-but-buyer-beware/comment-page-1/#comment-61 Valentine vd Lande Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:02:12 +0000 http://www.kennethlim.net/?p=542#comment-61 Thanks Kenneth! We have thought about offering a percentage of the margin instead of the retail price excl tax, but the difficult thing is that the bookseller discounts vary and that makes it more difficult (less transparent) for the shareholder to predict his possible profits. Furthermore, this percentage was the highest we could do without making it unattractive for the other parties (the publisher, the author keeping his regular royalties and of course ourselves). When it comes to e-books, a survey we did at bol.com showed that e-books tend not to cannablise the sales of real books, but stimulate it. Of course, the e-book sales numbers in the Netherlands are still rather low (approx 0,15% of total book sales) so it's difficult to completely predict what it'll do and if more (e-)books will be sold with a lower pricing. PS your English is great for a Dutchman :) Thanks Kenneth!
We have thought about offering a percentage of the margin instead of the retail price excl tax, but the difficult thing is that the bookseller discounts vary and that makes it more difficult (less transparent) for the shareholder to predict his possible profits. Furthermore, this percentage was the highest we could do without making it unattractive for the other parties (the publisher, the author keeping his regular royalties and of course ourselves).
When it comes to e-books, a survey we did at bol.com showed that e-books tend not to cannablise the sales of real books, but stimulate it. Of course, the e-book sales numbers in the Netherlands are still rather low (approx 0,15% of total book sales) so it's difficult to completely predict what it'll do and if more (e-)books will be sold with a lower pricing.

PS your English is great for a Dutchman :)

]]> By: Valentine vd Lande http://www.kennethlim.net/tenpages-com-makes-book-publishing-more-accessible-but-buyer-beware/comment-page-1/#comment-159 Valentine vd Lande Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:02:00 +0000 http://www.kennethlim.net/?p=542#comment-159 Thanks Kenneth! We have thought about offering a percentage of the margin instead of the retail price excl tax, but the difficult thing is that the bookseller discounts vary and that makes it more difficult (less transparent) for the shareholder to predict his possible profits. Furthermore, this percentage was the highest we could do without making it unattractive for the other parties (the publisher, the author keeping his regular royalties and of course ourselves). When it comes to e-books, a survey we did at bol.com showed that e-books tend not to cannablise the sales of real books, but stimulate it. Of course, the e-book sales numbers in the Netherlands are still rather low (approx 0,15% of total book sales) so it's difficult to completely predict what it'll do and if more (e-)books will be sold with a lower pricing. PS your English is great for a Dutchman :) Thanks Kenneth!
We have thought about offering a percentage of the margin instead of the retail price excl tax, but the difficult thing is that the bookseller discounts vary and that makes it more difficult (less transparent) for the shareholder to predict his possible profits. Furthermore, this percentage was the highest we could do without making it unattractive for the other parties (the publisher, the author keeping his regular royalties and of course ourselves).
When it comes to e-books, a survey we did at bol.com showed that e-books tend not to cannablise the sales of real books, but stimulate it. Of course, the e-book sales numbers in the Netherlands are still rather low (approx 0,15% of total book sales) so it's difficult to completely predict what it'll do and if more (e-)books will be sold with a lower pricing.

PS your English is great for a Dutchman :)

]]> By: kennethlim http://www.kennethlim.net/tenpages-com-makes-book-publishing-more-accessible-but-buyer-beware/comment-page-1/#comment-60 kennethlim Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:39:45 +0000 http://www.kennethlim.net/?p=542#comment-60 Thanks, Valentine, I appreciate it that you stopped by to clarify. I'll edit the article based on your feedback. It's good to have transparency :) I agree that the social aspect--whether egoistic as in getting your own name mentioned in the book, or altruistic as in helping someone else reach the next level--can act as a great incentive for shareholders. Nonetheless, I think there are some variables that offer playing room. An example is using a % of the margin rather than a % of the retail price, because I assume that different distribution channels and publishing formats can have different prices and profit margins. Suppose you're introducing a title as both a printed book and an ebook, priced at €10 and €6 respectively. As a shareholder and with the current revenue model, I would seriously discourage people to buy the ebook, heh ;) What are your thoughts on such situations? Thanks again! P.S. I actually am Dutch :) Thanks, Valentine, I appreciate it that you stopped by to clarify.

I'll edit the article based on your feedback. It's good to have transparency :)

I agree that the social aspect–whether egoistic as in getting your own name mentioned in the book, or altruistic as in helping someone else reach the next level–can act as a great incentive for shareholders.

Nonetheless, I think there are some variables that offer playing room. An example is using a % of the margin rather than a % of the retail price, because I assume that different distribution channels and publishing formats can have different prices and profit margins. Suppose you're introducing a title as both a printed book and an ebook, priced at €10 and €6 respectively. As a shareholder and with the current revenue model, I would seriously discourage people to buy the ebook, heh ;) What are your thoughts on such situations?

Thanks again!

P.S. I actually am Dutch :)

]]> By: kennethlim http://www.kennethlim.net/tenpages-com-makes-book-publishing-more-accessible-but-buyer-beware/comment-page-1/#comment-158 kennethlim Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:39:00 +0000 http://www.kennethlim.net/?p=542#comment-158 Thanks, Valentine, I appreciate it that you stopped by to clarify. I'll edit the article based on your feedback. It's good to have transparency :) I agree that the social aspect--whether egoistic as in getting your own name mentioned in the book, or altruistic as in helping someone else reach the next level--can act as a great incentive for shareholders. Nonetheless, I think there are some variables that offer playing room. An example is using a % of the margin rather than a % of the retail price, because I assume that different distribution channels and publishing formats can have different prices and profit margins. Suppose you're introducing a title as both a printed book and an ebook, priced at €10 and €6 respectively. As a shareholder and with the current revenue model, I would seriously discourage people to buy the ebook, heh ;) What are your thoughts on such situations? Thanks again! P.S. I actually am Dutch :) Thanks, Valentine, I appreciate it that you stopped by to clarify.

I'll edit the article based on your feedback. It's good to have transparency :)

I agree that the social aspect–whether egoistic as in getting your own name mentioned in the book, or altruistic as in helping someone else reach the next level–can act as a great incentive for shareholders.

Nonetheless, I think there are some variables that offer playing room. An example is using a % of the margin rather than a % of the retail price, because I assume that different distribution channels and publishing formats can have different prices and profit margins. Suppose you're introducing a title as both a printed book and an ebook, priced at €10 and €6 respectively. As a shareholder and with the current revenue model, I would seriously discourage people to buy the ebook, heh ;) What are your thoughts on such situations?

Thanks again!

P.S. I actually am Dutch :)

]]> By: Valentine van der Lande http://www.kennethlim.net/tenpages-com-makes-book-publishing-more-accessible-but-buyer-beware/comment-page-1/#comment-59 Valentine van der Lande Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:40:15 +0000 http://www.kennethlim.net/?p=542#comment-59 Hi Kenneth, good to see that even a non Dutchman has picked up tenpages.com and I think you wrote a very good article, thanks. I would like to add some comments: shareholders don't get 1,25 euro directly when the manuscript has sold all the shares. Nevertheless, we think that it is doable to reach a higher than regular amount of sold (debute) copies of the upcoming book, because of the fan base already existing before the book has even come out. Books are all about spreading the word. The 18% that TenPages.com receives is not for TenPages.com itself, we pay 10% of it through to the shareholders (so we actually take the least percentage compared to writer & shareholders ;). Apart from the possible earnings as a shareholder (that I would like to raise as much as possible, but this is the highest we could go still leaving the concept interesting for all parties), it might also be attractive for shareholders to find their name in the actual book as one of the people who discovered the talent. And, of course, as a shareholder you also help a writer possibly fulfil his writing dreams. BTW, very right on the word profit, we'll adjust it asap! Hi Kenneth, good to see that even a non Dutchman has picked up tenpages.com and I think you wrote a very good article, thanks.
I would like to add some comments: shareholders don’t get 1,25 euro directly when the manuscript has sold all the shares. Nevertheless, we think that it is doable to reach a higher than regular amount of sold (debute) copies of the upcoming book, because of the fan base already existing before the book has even come out. Books are all about spreading the word.

The 18% that TenPages.com receives is not for TenPages.com itself, we pay 10% of it through to the shareholders (so we actually take the least percentage compared to writer & shareholders ;).

Apart from the possible earnings as a shareholder (that I would like to raise as much as possible, but this is the highest we could go still leaving the concept interesting for all parties), it might also be attractive for shareholders to find their name in the actual book as one of the people who discovered the talent. And, of course, as a shareholder you also help a writer possibly fulfil his writing dreams.
BTW, very right on the word profit, we’ll adjust it asap!

]]> By: Valentine van der Lande http://www.kennethlim.net/tenpages-com-makes-book-publishing-more-accessible-but-buyer-beware/comment-page-1/#comment-157 Valentine van der Lande Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:40:00 +0000 http://www.kennethlim.net/?p=542#comment-157 Hi Kenneth, good to see that even a non Dutchman has picked up tenpages.com and I think you wrote a very good article, thanks. I would like to add some comments: shareholders don't get 1,25 euro directly when the manuscript has sold all the shares. Nevertheless, we think that it is doable to reach a higher than regular amount of sold (debute) copies of the upcoming book, because of the fan base already existing before the book has even come out. Books are all about spreading the word. The 18% that TenPages.com receives is not for TenPages.com itself, we pay 10% of it through to the shareholders (so we actually take the least percentage compared to writer & shareholders ;). Apart from the possible earnings as a shareholder (that I would like to raise as much as possible, but this is the highest we could go still leaving the concept interesting for all parties), it might also be attractive for shareholders to find their name in the actual book as one of the people who discovered the talent. And, of course, as a shareholder you also help a writer possibly fulfil his writing dreams. BTW, very right on the word profit, we'll adjust it asap! Hi Kenneth, good to see that even a non Dutchman has picked up tenpages.com and I think you wrote a very good article, thanks.
I would like to add some comments: shareholders don’t get 1,25 euro directly when the manuscript has sold all the shares. Nevertheless, we think that it is doable to reach a higher than regular amount of sold (debute) copies of the upcoming book, because of the fan base already existing before the book has even come out. Books are all about spreading the word.

The 18% that TenPages.com receives is not for TenPages.com itself, we pay 10% of it through to the shareholders (so we actually take the least percentage compared to writer & shareholders ;).

Apart from the possible earnings as a shareholder (that I would like to raise as much as possible, but this is the highest we could go still leaving the concept interesting for all parties), it might also be attractive for shareholders to find their name in the actual book as one of the people who discovered the talent. And, of course, as a shareholder you also help a writer possibly fulfil his writing dreams.
BTW, very right on the word profit, we’ll adjust it asap!

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