A back-list is all your older books that are still selling. When I started publishing in 1988 it was a rule of thumb for most publishers to rely on their backlist to contribute at least seventy percent to the companies gross revenue. The back-list gave stability because you could count on it to produce predictable sales. These books were usually non-fiction in genres like guidebooks, cookbooks, biographies, histories and the like. Back-list books required only minor modifications between reprints and since all the preproduction costs of acquisition, editing and design were already expensed these books could be surprisingly profitable. A strong back-list is worth its weight in gold.
It’s easy for writers to concentrate on front-list fiction. It’s exciting to promote your latest work and hopefully see strong sales. I have met writers who have the belief that since ebooks and POD books are never out of print they always remain front-list. However, this assumption doesn't work and leads to disappointment. Most books sell best in their first year and afterwards their sales tend to drop-off, usually dramatically. This process leads to spikes in author revenues and feelings of desperation and stress.
For this reason I believe it's important for authors to build a "traditional" backlist. For instance, if you write fiction you may want to consider also writing some targeted non-fiction for your back-list. This sort of non-fiction can greatly stabilize a writers income and focus a career. Plus, writing in a different genre can strengthen your writing skills and many find it’s sometimes easier to write non-fiction as well. Writers need to be entrepreneurial enough to carefully consider each writing project to maximize their back-list potential. Writing is much more enjoyable when you have a predictably selling stable of books behind you. It allows you to relax a little and explore things with less worry and uncertainty.
