Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael01  Thank you, Ian. I'm more interested in the small presses anyway. Do the booksellers pay for the copies right away, or do they wait until they're sold? I understand they like to have the right to return the books if they don't sell.
Scarfy: Okay, yes, I can see if they print 2.5 million copies! But many initial runs are between 500 and 1500, right? |
ian will know better than i do, but i suspect stock is purchased by retailers on 60 or 90 day invoices - meaning that you have up to 3 months to sell your stock and accumulate enough money to pay the bill. obviously this leave the suppliers hanging for a while.... and yes, if there is a returns agreement on unsold stock after that, that has to be taken into account. the maths is probably quantum-level.
all of which may help explain why royalties are not paid until at least 6 months down the line (assuming you've already earned off the advance).
(again, this is what i'm familiar with from HMV. other markets may vary.)