From: Jenny Randles <nufon@currantbun.com>
Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 10:51:00 +0100
Fwd Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2001 07:49:57 -0400
Subject: Re: High Silliness On UFO UpDates - Randles


 >Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2001 05:22:55 -0400
 >To: updates@sympatico.ca
 >From: John Velez <jvif@spacelab.net>
 >Subject: Re: High Silliness On UFO UpDates

<snip>

 >I'm certain that Dick Hall, or Jerry Clark, or Stan Friedman or
 >Jenny Randles etc., have never come anywhere near being properly
 >compensated for all the time and work it takes to research and
 >write their books. Maybe it's because, as you say, you have
 >never written a book, that you have no appreciation for the
 >effort and labor that is involved.

Hi,

Books are indeed very expensive to buy - which is why I don't
blame people for not doing so. I couldn't afford to do this
regularly and use my library a good deal.

In addition I purchase whatever stock I can as soon as a
publisher deletes a title of mine and in this way offer my own
work to anyone who wants to read it for prices that are much
more affordable . The prices at which I can then retail these
books cover costs rather than make me any money. This is only
possible in limited numbers and with some of my books but if I
can then I do this.

Its one way to say thanks.

But authors have no say in what price a book is sold for in a
commercial sense when first released by a publisher. We usually
find out not long before you all do as to what it is being sold
for in the stores.

Nor do authors get a lot of money from that purchase price. A
book that sells for say $10 will bring to me as author only a
few cents once all the discounts are taken off ($1 is the
maximum you would get - but very rarely anything like that finds
its way to the author ). The vast majority of the price of the
book goes to cover publishers/ retailers/ printers and various
other costs.

As for up front payments I don't mind telling you what I get in
that regard. You wouldn't  be living in Rio on the proceeds!

For my first book ('UFOs: A British Viewpoint') I got £250 ($400).

With 'Something in the Air' (my 45th book over 20 years later)
the advance was £1500 (that's around $2300). This is pretty
typical of what I get for my books.

It compensates me for several months or so writing full time -
not to mention the research leading up to it.

I do occasionally get a little more for a book - maybe two or
three times this sum with certain publishers and certain books
(although the better paid ones tend not to be UFO related -
indeed the ones that have made me the most have all had nothing
to do with UFOs).  I just got £7000 ($10,000) for a book to be
released by Readers Digest (which is again not on UFOs) - but
that was as a co-author deal so I only got half this amount and
this sum is a one-off fee. Even if the book sells a million
copies at $100 each I wont get another penny beyond £3500
(about $5000).

You do not have to be a math whiz to figure out that the rate
of pay for writing  UFO books is less than what most of you
probably get for doing your own work. Most writers that I know
live from day to day not knowing where the next bill is going to
be paid from. It is a very precarious profession. You hear about
the big successes. But the vast majority of writers never have
that kind of luck. They write because they want to write not
because they expect to be paid.

I cannot speak for everyone, of course. But serious UFO books
are not actually a huge seller from a publishers perspective and
quite a few have pulled out of the market altogether over the
past couple of years. So their popularity has considerably
reduced since the millennium.

This will not stop me writing - since it is in my blood. But it
does rather dispell the idea that this is a money making racket
- since right now you'd be hard pressed to find a publisher in
the UK to take on a serious new UFO title.

But I write because I am deeply interested in getting to the
truth about the UFO mystery. This is a way to help me put my
thoughts in order and report on what I find for others to read
if they choose to do so.

I do nonetheless feel very lucky  to be paid 'anything' by a
publisher for doing work that I enjoy and so am completely aware
of the debt that I owe to all who have purchased UFO books.
Which is why I have always  refused to cash in on this fact by
charging lecture and appearance fees, for example.  And its why
I have written a lot of things (including books) completely free
for UFO organisations such as BUFORA as a way to put something
back into the community.

And I very much doubt any of this is remotely unusual. I am sure
all UFO writers could tell you much the same thing. There are
very few in this field who are here to 'cash in' by exploiting
public interest in UFOs. Most of us are here for the long haul
and have exactly the same reasons that you have for sticking
around - we are curious and fascinated by these intriguing
phenomena.

Best wishes,

Jenny Randles