Anyone can see the ranking on Amazon. Just scroll half-way down the relevant page.

http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/2010/04/writers-obsessions-with-amazon-sales.html

It's like the stock market. You don't expect to earn out except over the long haul, but the day-to-day fluctuations, if read properly, can tell you a lot about the state of the economy or what the general public is feeling.

You shouldn't have to feel like you are "bothering" them to ask for sales numbers, should you? It doesn't take much to create a simple tool that automatically emails out individualized reports on a weekly – or even daily – basis. Authors would see only their numbers; agents the numbers of all their clients.

Or make the tool web-based and let authors and agents have access to their personal information ad-hoc. If publishers are getting numbers from somewhere, those numbers must be feeding into their systems. Feeding them back out securely and on an eyes-only basis is a fairly simple software trick. And, compared to the time spent answering author and agent pleas for data, since the process is automated once it's been set up, the cost would be repaid quickly in man-time saved.

Most agents take this kind of situation on a case-by-case basis. I still evaluate the project and the author, and consider whether I'd represent it even if it weren't already contracted. I look at whether I think the author has long-term potential, etc. I often say "no" to these situations.

Some agents will reduce their percentage if the project is already sold, and some won't. I typically won't reduce my percentage from the standard 15%. Either we're in it together for the long haul, or we're not. That's my take.

In Jim Denney's book, Quit Your Day Job, he suggests that if you already have an interested publisher who wants to sign a contract for your book, that you immediately contact an agent if you desire one and don't have one already. I confess, this never occurred to me. He thinks at this juncture you should:

1. Call or email an agent (rather than writing) immediately.
2. Offer them 10% to negotiate the contract only, since you already got a publisher interested so part of the work is done.

I'm very curious to find out what an agent would think of this. Jim Denney said it was like found money for the agent. Do you agree?

In this environment, where many authors ARE naive and/or have unrealistic expectations, publishers have to be careful about what numbers they toss around.

But like Marla said above, most publishers will give you the latest figures if you ask.

If I were published, and had a simple, counter-type gadget to magically tally my sales, I'd never get anything done!

So I guess this complex process is for the best.

~Britt Mitchell

In that case, I've been doing my public service of keeping other authors out of depression.