Recently, The British "The Bookseller" (The Bookseller magazine) published a survey on writers' royalties (mainly English writers), of the 262 respondents, half of the authors answered that they had suffered from arrears in advance and royalties, and some writers were forced to rely on loans and public welfare grants to survive.
According to the Bookseller, of the 262 respondents, 52% (137) reported having problems receiving advances or royalties, with the average arrears exceeding one year, and the arrears for many stretching back years or even decades.
About 18 per cent (48 people) had problems with both advances and royalties, 17 per cent (45 people) had problems only with advances, and almost the same number (44 people) had problems only with royalties. In addition, 48 percent reported no problems.
The arrears in advance payments and royalties are delayed by an average of more than a year, and some are delayed by years or even decades.
One author with 15 years' experience revealed that "the arrears are the worst I've ever seen", while another said he was still chasing £30,000. Many authors are frustrated by the lack of transparency and accountability from publishers and literary agents.
The survey found that the problem of delinquency appears to be similar between large companies and independent publishers (54 percent and 49 percent, respectively), but slightly more so among nonfiction books, with 70 percent of nonfiction authors experiencing problems with delinquent advances or royalties, compared to 50 percent of fiction authors.
According to The Bookseller, only 7 percent (14) of affected authors are considering or have begun legal proceedings to defend their rights, with many more demanding copyright return to the author or seizure of manuscripts, and almost all of the authors reported facing significant pressure.
Many authors are frustrated by the uncertainty surrounding the publication of their books. These changes were caused by editorial workloads, staff changes, last minute changes to contracts or the cancellation of hardcover editions.
A novelist said, The delay in the delivery of the advance payment is due to the long wait for the editor to return, and the delay in the publication date and the cancellation of the hardcover edition can cause the delay in the delivery of the advance payment by nearly a year.
"If a manuscript editor misses their deadline, the author's payment should still be paid on time, which is beyond the author's control." The publishing world has little accountability when it comes to money, which it dares to do because many authors are too grateful and afraid of getting into trouble to speak up.
No salaried person can understand that an author's livelihood depends entirely on the efficiency and cooperation of the publisher, "one author interviewed called for a more equitable model.
Lack of clarity and accountability is a major issue, with many criticising publishers for unclear royalty structures, statements and sales figures. One author of an independently published novel wrote of a seven-month delay in payment: "The publisher never tells you when it will be paid, which is basically financial terrorism."
The fragmented nature of revenue in the publishing industry (in the form of translations, audiobooks, etc.) also poses problems for smooth payments, and some questionable practices appear to be exploiting loopholes in the system.
One novel author wrote: "My agent told me that regarding our audiobook deal with Amazon, I haven't made any money yet, even though it's been two years... These books are best sellers on Amazon audiobook. They bypassed my agent and went straight to Amazon and I found out they still owed me over £10,000."
Other authors claim that publishers and agents have turned a blind eye to the financial hardship of authors who have been unpaid.
"My publisher didn't pay me £30,000 for 18 months," says one author. "It was almost food taken from my table, and apparently the head of the publishing department didn't know anything about it. I saw an email where he simply replied, 'Oh! How embarrassing '. It's so devastating... It seems to be all a joke to him."
While much of the survey focused on the more negative feedback, it's worth noting that about half of respondents did not experience payment issues. While some authors have criticized digital publishers for the lack of upfront payments, many have praised the monthly payment system they use - and many have asked other publishers to follow suit.
"I think it's important to state that I am a writer for Bookouture [a UK digital publishing company] and they are completely transparent with respect to royalties and monthly reports," wrote one novelist.
Despite the growing trend of unpaid writers and royalties, the Bookseller said it would not name and shame certain publishers at this stage. The magazine editorial board has reached out to the industry for comment and will include constructive solutions in a later update.
