Re: Fees for extraordinary expenses

Jon,

Advances exist for the same reason as returns. Both have their roots  
in the Depression, when publishers did everything they could to  
ensure there was sufficient material coming in to publish and  
adequate distribution so the books would sell.

Given that most writers would rather write than have a day job, the  
concept of receiving X amount of money when you signed the contract  
has become the rite of passage that, in some minds, marks the  
difference between the true professional and the amateur. That this  
is nothing but a loan makes no difference--it's become the principle  
of the thing.

Extrapolating from that to "real publishers pay advances" as a  
criterion for writer organization recognition then isn't such a huge  
leap. And, as I've pointed out, it makes for a handy way to limit who  
qualifies as being professional.

I notice that RWA has quietly been making some adjustments to their  
more draconian rules as far as authors are concerned. However, it  
appears they still insist there should be no money passing from  
author to publisher--or any potential for same--in defining a "real  
publisher." I have the contact for applying for recognition; I'll see  
what happens when they confront our audio use fee and our kill fee,  
neither of which have anything to do with paying for publication.

Interestingly enough, I've been in conversation with one of my  
authors who'd had a number of his books recorded and sold as audio  
who now is looking at having new, better versions done. He asked if  
there was some way for Zumaya to assist with distribution, and since  
we have a storefront that can handle downloads, I told him we could.  
I also noted that, should that occur, we would waive the use fee in  
favor of commission on sales.

This is what the WAs don't seem to understand--that any decent  
publisher will always be willing to negotiate as long as doing so  
doesn't give away the farm.

L
Elizabeth Burton
Zumaya Publications LLC
Austin TX
http://www.zumayapublications.com

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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