Thread: Ridiculous Advances Still Exist

Saw this and thought I'd share. Audrey Niffenegger, author of literary novel Time Traveler's Wife, sells second novel for (hold your breath) close to five million dollars. Wow.

Audrey Niffenegger sells second novel, Her Fearful Symmetry, for $5 million - SFScope - Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror

That's good, I suppose, except I'd rather have her make a couple hundred thousand less to make room for people like me, but what can you do?

I want $5 million for a novel!

Actually, I'd like anything for a novel. And to finish one. Brb gunna go write.

This line's my favourite:

"Mr. Regal said that Ms. Niffenegger felt loyal to MacAdam/Cage — which paid only $100,000 for “The Time Traveler’s Wife” — and would have liked to have stayed with the publisher that originally turned her into a literary star."

Yes. ONLY a hundred thousand dollars. With ONLY that amount of money, my life would be easy street for a long while.

Tom Clancy received the monster sum of $5000 advance for his blockbuster first novel The Hunt for Red October. His manuscript was rejected by all the other major publishers and became the first full length novel ever printed by the Naval Academy's little publishing company. Someone handed President Ronald Reagan a copy and after the president endorsed the story, the rest is history. Tom Clancy's most recent book was given a first printing of over 2,000,000 copies by Putnam!

Originally Posted by strangedaze

I'd rather have her make a couple hundred thousand less to make room for people like me, but what can you do?

She makes the money for her publisher to gamble on newbies and nobodies. Publishers don't pay those big advances because they're charities.

Fair enough. I would still like them to give me money.

Originally Posted by strangedaze

Fair enough. I would still like them to give me money.

That won't happen.

But they might buy the rights to your new master piece novel for money.

What are the chances that novel will make back five million bucks? Unless Oprah talks about it on her show, I guess.

Originally Posted by Dr. Malone

What are the chances that novel will make back five million bucks? Unless Oprah talks about it on her show, I guess.

Publishers don't always make bright decisions, but it's unlikely they'll be willing to part with more money than they think the book will make.

And don't forget that the $5m is reputed, not confirmed, and there may be a whole bundle of strings attached; it may be dependant, for example, on her next two books, etc.

Personally I think it's totally cool that (a) there is still the capacity for any of us to become 'superstar' writers, and (b) that literary sf is reaching such wide readership when there is so much dross to compete with.

Originally Posted by Mike C

She makes the money for her publisher to gamble on newbies and nobodies. Publishers don't pay those big advances because they're charities.

Yeah, I saw a money documentary a few weeks back about how publishing houses make their profits/keep going. And the big-selling celeb books, like say Katie Price's 'fiction,' give the publishers enough money to stay afloat and to take risky chances on new writers. So I guess I can only hope that one day I'll be thanking the very delectable and shy Katie Price for her contribution to the arts. http://www.newstoob.com/media/images...ice_jordan.jpg

I can imagine that story being an instant cure for writer's block, and leading to a few million submissions to agents and the other Lulu.

Originally Posted by Loulou

I guess I can only hope that one day I'll be thanking the very delectable and shy Katie Price for her contribution to the arts.

Hey, don't diss Katie!

She used to live nearby, and I bumped into her a few times. Under the brash exterior she's a nice girl. She's also a very savvy businesswoman; she knows her strengths (and weaknesses) and plays to them.

And don't forget her ghostwriter has also earned out of it, so 'real' writers are still benefitting.

I'm actually still curious as to why SD considers advances like this 'ridiculous'.

If we were talking about multi million deals for a footballer or other sportsman, with an IQ matching his shoe size, nobody would think anything of it. If it was an actor's fee for a movie, it's small beans. If it was a banker's bonus, we'd tut and raise eyebrows, but it's the way things are. But if it's a writer, lordy it's a scandal.

I saw that Katie Price whore in a porno or two.

now what are we supposed to write after that last commenet?