We found this excerpt from Anne Trubeck’s book So You Want to Publish a Book? on Jane Friedman’s amazing blog and know that when you read this short guide to the way publishers think you’ll be as grateful to both these find ladies as we here at TVWriter™ are.
by Anne Trubek
Each book a publisher launches is its own miniature, stand-alone start-up. Every book is a gamble. Publishing could have a game table on the floor of a Vegas casino, nestled between blackjack and roulette. Bet on which title will earn out, and which will fail. When a title doesn’t break even, the casino swipes the chips off the table. But when a bet wins, it can make up for all those losses. A few bestsellers can support a press despite many money-losing titles.