A NY Times best-selling author wants to write a new book as either volume II of her earlier successful book or an autobiography. She believes that by writing the volume II, given her previous success, she will have a 50% chance of placing it with a major publisher where it should ultimately sell about 40,000 copies. However, the worst-case scenario, if she can’t get a major publisher to take it, then she thinks there is 80% chance of placing it with a smaller publisher, with sales of 30,000 copies. On the other hand, if she writes an autobiography, considering the potential interest in her journey as successful writer, she thinks there will be 40% chance of placing it with a major publisher, and it should result in ultimate sales of about 50,000 copies. If she can’t get a major publisher to take it, the worst-case scenario, she thinks there is a 50% chance of placing it with a smaller publisher, with ultimate sales of 35,000 copies. Construct a decision tree to help this author decide. What book should the author pursue? What is the expected payoff for the optimum decision alternative? Set up a systematic sensitivity analysis to choose the best alternative and the expected payoff when the probability of placing the autobiography with a major publisher ranges from 0.4 to 0.9 (with 0.05 increments). What is the best alternative when this probability is 0.45?

Practical Management Science

6th Edition

ISBN:9781337406659

Author:WINSTON, Wayne L.

Publisher:WINSTON, Wayne L.

Chapter2: Introduction To Spreadsheet Modeling

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 20P: Julie James is opening a lemonade stand. She believes the fixed cost per week of running the stand...

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A NY Times best-selling author wants to write a new book as either volume II of her earlier successful book or an autobiography. She believes that by writing the volume II, given her previous success, she will have a 50% chance of placing it with a major publisher where it should ultimately sell about 40,000 copies. However, the worst-case scenario, if she can’t get a major publisher to take it, then she thinks there is 80% chance of placing it with a smaller publisher, with sales of 30,000 copies. On the other hand, if she writes an autobiography, considering the potential interest in her journey as successful writer, she thinks there will be 40% chance of placing it with a major publisher, and it should result in ultimate sales of about 50,000 copies. If she can’t get a major publisher to take it, the worst-case scenario, she thinks there is a 50% chance of placing it with a smaller publisher, with ultimate sales of 35,000 copies.

Construct a decision tree to help this author decide.
What book should the author pursue?

What is the expected payoff for the optimum decision alternative?

Set up a systematic sensitivity analysis to choose the best alternative and the expected payoff when the probability of placing the autobiography with a major publisher ranges from 0.4 to 0.9 (with 0.05 increments). What is the best alternative when this probability is 0.45?

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