Why We Write Books

Brian Tamanaha

Let's be clear: It's not for the money. Academic books take several thousand hours to research and write. Many university press books sell only a few hundred copies (mainly to libraries). A scholarly book that gets over the 2000 sales mark is doing very well. I get about two dollars for every paperback copy sold, and about five dollars for every hardcover copy sold (based on a 10% author royalty). I've earned about $3000 or so for each of my last three books (ignoring the total of $300 that I received for my first book). You can figure out the hourly rate of return from this information (I prefer not to do the calculation myself).

There are other financial returns for producing a book--perhaps a bit larger raise the year the book comes out--but not enough to make anyone do it. And remember that when someone embarks on a book project there is no advance guarantee that it will be published (unless your name is Posner or Sunstein).

Yes, there is also satisfaction and other psychic benefits (including prestige) for producing a book, but this must be weighed against the sacrifices made to get it done. And one must also consider the anxiety that is constant companion of the writing process--anxiety that it might not be published, anxiety that it might be sharply criticized, or, even worse, anxiety that it might be ignored, and sink to the bottom without making a sound in the sea of books that come out every year.

So why write books? The pleasures of reading, learning, writing and creating have a lot to do with it. But for many authors the most important factor is our conviction that the ideas and information contained in the book matter. Above all else, we want the book to be read in the hope that people will think about what we have written.

I am sharing these thoughts for two reasons. First, taking a deep breath in anticipation of what lies ahead, I am now embarking on a new book project. So I cannot escape thinking "why do it?" Second, these thoughts are offered as a long-winded explanation/excuse for what I am about to do: blatantly promote my recent book, Law as Means to an End. A positive review of the book, available here, was just published in the Law and Politics Review.

In the spirit of Jack's post below about using Haiku to describe our work, I have composed the following from the review:

excellent treatment
a lively, lucid manner
...it is a must read

If that's not enough to get you to check it out (image on the sidebar), let me add that it received an honorable mention award for outstanding Professional/Scholarly Law book of 2006 from the Association of American Publishers. Sandy Levinson's excellent Our Undemocratic Constitution received the same award in the Government & Political Science category, I am pleased to report, so Balkinization contributors were well represented.

You will find our books worth reading if you care about the state of our political and legal system.
Posted 11:25 AM by Brian Tamanaha [link]