Fourth Questions Answered

So!  After a short break to get some work done, and do promotion — we have arrived at a pair of Fourth Questions.  To wit!

Question Four Number One

There is a recollection that Lee and Miller once upon a time wrote one (or more) books under an NDA where they can not indicate which book(s) they wrote, presumably as they were ghost writing (or for a house name). If the NDA has timed out, wonder if you could let us know which book(s) you folk wrote. If not, you are, of course, welcome to toss this question into the bit bin.

No, we narrowly escaped from a NDA situation in which the folks wanting our services were, um. . .a little feral in their understanding of what a NDA was and how much of our lives and creativity they got to own after we signed on the dotted line.  We kind of wrote a story about that.  Coming soon.

What we DID do is sign on to do a couple of works-for-hire.  One was for a gaming company, way, waaaaaay back in time, right after we’d moved to Maine.  The other was Sword of Orion:  Book One of Beneath Strange Skies, published by Phobos Impact.  People occasionally write to us, wanting to know when the next in that series will be published, or asking us to make the existing volume available as an ebook, and the answer is!

It’s not our book.  Those few who own this volume will note, not only the authors’ dedication to Victor Appleton, but that the book is copyright 2005 by Phobos Books LLC.  That means we don’t own the story, or the characters.  Certainly, we can’t undertake to write the sequel of a book someone else owns.

So, there’s that.

Question Four Number two

Now that Baen has your manuscript, approximately how long before an e-arc will become available…  Not every author that I enjoy releases an e-arc of their works and I really appreciate your willingness to support my addiction to your universes… Additionally, do you get more from the entrance fee for an e-arc than for the final electronic product since the final product it’s usually discounted?

The timing of eArcs has been amply discussed elsewhere.  Short form:  eArcs, their appearance, or non-appearance, in fact, their very existence — falls within Baen’s honor.  Authors do not make eArcs available.  The publisher makes eArcs available according to their own customs, of which we wot, if not precisely not, at least very little.

Authors are paid a percentage of cover price. This percentage is set down in the contract.  I think we get fifty percent of cover for the eArc, and something in that range for the finished ebook (see author being too lazy to get up from her desk to walk into the tech room, wrestle with the file cabinet and pull the contracts).  Percentages for hardcover and mass market sales are less, but the theory is you make it up in volume.

Here endeth the answers to Questions the Fourth.

Previous Answers:
Third Question Answered
Second Questions Answered
The First Answer