The Discerning Author Revisited
Revisiting my recent decision to pass on an offer to write a new For Dummies book. Did I make the right call? And what can you learn from my decision-making process?
Although their interests often diverge, authors and publishers aren't all that different. For starters, both camps must make choices. Established authors often pass on firm offers (more on that below). For their part, publishing houses don't greenlight every conceivable book. Adding to the complexity, perfect information eludes all of us.
As a result, the publishing landscape is littered with both:
- Can't-miss titles that did. Many recent celebrity memoirs fall into this bucket.
- Unexpected, breakout hits.
In the end, every book is a judgment call. Ideally, authors and publishers alike learn how to call balls and strikes better over time. In this way, books resemble movies, TV shows, tech products, and just about every new thing.
Declining an Offer
A while back, I wrote a post about how I politely declined an offer to write a new For Dummies book. My decision didn't sway the series' enthusiastic acquisitions editor, and that title recently dropped. I was understandably curious about its initial performance.
An early review of the physical book criticizes the quality of its images.
Based on the book's opening day Amazon sales rank, it appears that my instincts about its limited commercial viability were spot-on. If there were more than 200 pre-orders for it, I'll eat my hat. Plus, an early review of the physical book criticizes the quality of its images. Here's one of the title's confounding visuals:
