STATUS: Not really liking how dark it gets so early.
What’s playing on the XM or iPod right now? LIGHT MY CANDLE from the Soundtrack RENT
Yesterday I highlighted the top 3 culprits regarding errors in royalty statements. So what happens if errors are found?
It’s pretty simple. We call our main contact in the royalties department. Since rarely an accounting period passes without some error being found on any one of the hundred + statements we receive, we talk to the royalty managers pretty often. First name basis actually.
We usually call first to discuss the errors and then follow up with an email so there is a paper trail. In all our instances, the royalties contact has corrected the errors promptly and regenerated the statements so we have correct ones for our files.
We make notes in the client’s royalties file so we can track past issues and be on the look-out for future issues (as sometimes it’s the same error that keeps reoccurring). Do I think the errors deliberate? For the big publishers, no. For some of the indie smaller publishers, it depends on the company.
Now there are definitely other things Publishers have done that haven’t been above board (as there have been lawsuits etc) that could impact royalty statements but they weren’t issues on the royalty statements themselves per se.
This ought to be titled “Why You Need an Agent.”
One of many reasons why you need an agent. Yeah, what she said.
I would also entitle it “why you need an agent,” with the childish addition of “3rd.” As in 3rd comment. Someday I’ll be able to throw down a “1st!”.
I have only been following your blog since I moved to Denver.(3 months ago)So even if you have talked about this before I find it incredibly Interesting. I agree with previous posts regardless of wither or not you have blogged on a topic before. If it is on your mind let us know. At the very least it is a reminder that the issue is still relevant.
Thanks for this, Kristin. Have you heard of authors’ royalties being jerked around by Amazon? I had a free Kindle DL offer and Amazon told my publicist it generated GOBS of actual sales. The report was very specific in number of copies sold. Come royalty time, Amazon backpedaled and then wouldn’t let anybody see the actual numbers. Besides mad, I was perplexed as to why this happened. Surely folks paying 9.99 for a DL aren’t returning for a refund? I learned I’m not the only author in my company with this problem. Just wondered if it’s common or not. Thx, Linda S. Clare The Fence My Father Built, a novel from Abingdon Press.