Are you writing a book? Are you shopping a manuscript or just interested in the publishing industry?

Then this report published yesterday is a must read. From the link:

Choosing which way to publish is becoming a difficult choice for the modern author. This choice has only grown more challenging as options have expanded and as conflicting reports have emerged on how much or how little writers can expect to make. Our contention is that many of these reports are flawed, both by the self-selected surveys they employ, the sources for these surveys, and, occasionally, the biases in their interpretation. Our fear is that authors are selling themselves short and making poor decisions based on poor data. That is the main purpose for fighting for earnings transparency: helping aspiring writers choose the path that’s best for them.

Now, let me be clear on one thing: this report might be biased in favor of self publishing or indie publishing. However, I still think this is important data to keep in mind, especially for so called “niche” authors (genre, certain areas of non fiction, etc). If anything, I think the value of this report is in adding to a set of tools so that unpublished writers can make better informed decisions.

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