Hacker News Reader

Comment by jhbadger | Hacker News Reader

>Remember, authors are not film studios or rock groups. We don't have merchandising opportunities, we don't perform live for a ticket fee

They used to! Charles Dickens was very popular in the US in the 19th century. But because of the lack of international copyright laws, it was completely legal for American publishers to print copies of his books without giving him a dime (because they were only covered by British copyright). So what did he do? He did a couple of tours of the US where he sold tickets to shows where he would read from his books and answer questions from the audience.

View on HN

Book tours are still a thing. minus the money. Although maybe the big authors like King, Martin, Gaiman, Rowling, Sanderson, get something out of it.

I'm not sure how common book tours are. I've done some book signings at events where I've nudged the event organizers into buying some books and giving me a table to sign them at some scheduled time. (Pro tip: It helps to have someone high up in the event hosting organization quoted in the book :-))

But my impression is that publishers are pretty selective at sending authors around the country on a book tour these days. Obviously big time (or even big time genre) authors can often book pretty nice speaking gigs if they like.

Publishers are very selective about sending authors on tours, because (except for the very biggest names) tours don't make money and cost quite a lot to organize -- they're loss-leaders designed to generate enthusiasm among booksellers (independent bookstores generate disproportionately more sales than you might expect given their usually-small size, and an enthusiastic local seller who feels a sense of amity towards an author can over a period of years produce thousands of additional sales).

I got sent on a couple of book tours when my career was spiking, over a decade ago. Grueling, and no very visible short term impact on sales ... and that's with free ticketing (the events were to generate publicity, not revenue). Many authors are middle-aged introverts and don't really thrive under such conditions -- myself included.

I'd probably actually like it personally but my books are just trade press computer stuff and I doubt I'll do something through a publisher again. Not because of any particularly bad experience but it basically happened because of who I was sitting next to at some event dinner and I'd just as soon not make any material money on my own terms :-)

I think my favorite short/novella/novelette(?) of yours is A Colder War. But lots of great work!

I'd rather a great writer write than be stuck on book tours.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com