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Harper Collins launched a digital eBook line called Avon Impulse Monday, which will publish one romance title per week. The company said it is rolling the site out now as traditional channels for genre fiction books are shrinking and romance is experiencing growth in digital publishing.

Readers will benefit from books which are vetted for quality and will also be able to order higher cost print on demand versions. Avon Impulse will also offer selections from romance subgenres such as fantasy, time travel, and vampires.

But is Avon Impulse a good deal for authors?

Avon Impulse is accepting both agented and non-agented manuscripts, which could be a great opportunity for anyone looking to break into the writing world.

However, the company is only paying authors 25% commission on the “net sales” of the first 10,000 eBooks and then 50% after 10,000.

Compare that to Amazon, where authors can earn 70% commissions.

O’Rielly Radar has an interview with Booksquare.com owner Kassia Krozser about the new deal. Krozser had this to say about the commission rates.

“Where I have some concern is the business model, as outlined in the FAQ on the Avon Impulse website (and noted in Smart Bitches’ reporting). Avon is offering a 25% royalty on net receipts — net is undefined, but I am assuming it means price customer paid less commission/agency fees — for the first 10,000 units sold, increasing to 50% thereafter. I love that the royalty is increasing, that’s a very smart move, but the 25% royalty is not particularly competitive with other players in this marketplace; 30-35% would be more in line with established players in the digital-first market.

Another concern is the line’s DRM. Again, other players in this space make a point of touting their books as DRM-free. It’s a great marketing tool for them. While there are a lot of new readers who are relatively unsophisticated about DRM and buying ebooks, the established reader — a reader likely to champion a new imprint — has certain expectations.”

With self publishing stars such as Amanda Hocking making news for selling tons of eBooks via Amazon’s Kindle, and making a lot of money in the process, some authors might balk at such a commission.

When you self-publish, there are very few limits to what you can earn. You control the rights, pricing, and can make millions.

But…

But as any successful self-published author will tell you, the road to riches involves risk, luck, and of course, hard work.

The reality is that most authors struggle to make a space for themselves online. When you self-publish, you have to do it all (or pay someone to do it) edit, copyedit, make a cover, get publicity, schedule interviews and digital tours, and all the other stuff that authors do to get their books out there.

And here’s where Avon Impulse looks good.

Not only are your books sold in a place where there’s a willing audience searching for exactly what you offer, but the company also handles all the heavy lifting from editing, coaching, copyediting, cover creation, cross promotion, digital publicity, and marketing.

And while 25% isn’t exactly 70%, it is a bit better than the reported 15%-16% standard publisher commissions on eBooks. And 50% is even better.

The bottom line

While I’m a huge proponent of self-publishing, I like what Harper Collins is doing here. They are targeting a ripe market and offering authors a slightly more attractive commission (though not as much as some other digital first publishers). I’m guessing that other publishers will soon have to follow suit if they want to compete with self publishers who are finding success.

Time will tell how Avon Impulse authors fare or if the playing field will be tilted more in authors’ favor. But I’ll be watching this story as it unfolds.