What's it all about, really?

Money. That's what it's about these days. Not only in the publsihing game, but in healthcare, manufacturing, retail,government, academia, etc. It's all about the bottom line.

The bottom line for a fiction writer is to earn a decent living by selling or licensing (renting) original creative works. Fiction writers have traditionally sold or licensed their works to publishers who then managed all further sales, including distribution to retail markets, subsidiary sales, translations for foreign sales, etc. Publishers assumed that they also had license to market electronic sales as part of the publishing contract, with no additonal or only minimal additional compensation to the writer. Thanks to professional writers organizations like Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA), Authors Guild, ASJA, etc., writers began negotiating electronic rights as part of every contract. Most writers only earn pennies from electronic sales at this time, but that may change in the future as more readers are willing to purchase e-books.

Google's Google Book Library Project opened up a new can of works for writers. Many out of print but still in copyright works were digitized by Google, and writers are still uncertain how much money they will or won't make when Google sells electronic copies.

The entire publishing industry is going through massive changes, thanks to new technology and the effects of the economy. What will happen in the future? How will writers earn their living when traditional publishers have closed up shop?

I hope you will stay with me as we continue to explore these ideas in the days, weeks, months, and years to come.