On the November 6 episode of Days of our Lives, Alex filled Stephanie in on her upcoming whirlwind book tour. She has to go! Book publishing is the only division of Titan currently making money, according to what Philip told Kate. And Stephanie’s book is such a best-seller that Alex is delighted to give Stephanie the biggest paycheck of her life. If that’s what Alex and Philip truly believe will save their family company, then Titan is in even bigger trouble than we were told. Or is Alex just lying to his girlfriend—and his colleagues?
Key Takeaways
- Stephanie’s book was released too recently for her to have already started receiving royalties.
- If Titan’s book division is its most profitable, they are doomed.
- Alex is lying to everyone.
Time Cop
Stephanie’s (Abigail Klein) first book came out in July. Publishing royalties are paid twice a year. January through June in September, and July through December in February.
Alex (Robert Scott Wilson) just handed Stephanie a very large royalty check. It’s too early. It might, at best, be the payment due upon publication. And that’s a fixed amount, not a portion of the income earned.
Market Share
The average traditionally published book sells 3,000 copies, but only about 250-300 of those sales happen in the first year. Stephanie’s book is a runaway best-seller in the vein of 50 Shades of Grey. That erotic thriller sold about 15 million copies over the space of a decade. The entire series earned over 200 million dollars for the publisher.
That’s a huge amount of profit for a book. That’s nothing for a conglomerate the size of Titan. Apple, in comparison, is worth $97 BILLION. If Titan is supposed to be in the same league, $200 million won’t even cover their annual payroll. And their book publishing division is their most profitable? Titan is doomed!
F is For Fake
But what if Alex is lying to Stephanie? In the interest of Titan, we certainly hope so. What if Alex is lying to Stephanie for two reasons? One) Because he’s the one who insisted on publishing her book, and he doesn’t want her to know it actually tanked (there were, after all, all of five people at her launch party over Halloween; that doesn’t scream international best-seller). Two) Because he wants to send her out on tour to get her away from Jeremy (Michael Roark).
The check Alex gave Stephanie may be the largest paycheck she ever received, but it probably wasn’t much for Alex to “borrow” from Titan’s petty cash. At least, if he’s stealing money from his family company in order to keep his girlfriend away from her ex, that would at least give this story a point.
