Comments on: Cash flow http://pcwrede.com/blog/cash-flow/ Patricia C. Wrede talks about writing Thu, 23 May 2013 05:55:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: Cindy Noble http://pcwrede.com/blog/cash-flow/comment-page-1/#comment-3838 Cindy Noble Sun, 05 Jun 2011 22:36:34 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=1142#comment-3838 There is lots of "don't quit your day job" and "don't expect to get rich as a writer" advice floating around. But I have never seen anything about the particulars of how and when advances are paid and the difficulties of payment-lag. Thanks for the great info and advice. There is lots of “don’t quit your day job” and “don’t expect to get rich as a writer” advice floating around. But I have never seen anything about the particulars of how and when advances are paid and the difficulties of payment-lag. Thanks for the great info and advice.

]]> By: pcwrede http://pcwrede.com/blog/cash-flow/comment-page-1/#comment-3825 pcwrede Tue, 31 May 2011 20:26:49 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=1142#comment-3825 David - The answer to all your questions is "It depends on what the contract says." I have a good agent; for most of my books, if the publisher sells them at a discount, I get a percentage (not as much as the usual royalty rate) as long as they're not sold below cost of production. This is not true for the middle-school Star Wars novelizations; for those, I got a flat payment, no royalties, because they were work-for-hire. Which was OK with me, because the flat payment was quite good for novelizing someone else's story. This is, however, why professonal writers say over and over "check your contract carefully before you sign it." Clare - Cash flow can be a problem even for those writers who make a ton of money; it is surprisingly easy for a really large check to evaporate within three or four months if one isn't paying attention. Or so I have observed. ;D David – The answer to all your questions is “It depends on what the contract says.” I have a good agent; for most of my books, if the publisher sells them at a discount, I get a percentage (not as much as the usual royalty rate) as long as they’re not sold below cost of production. This is not true for the middle-school Star Wars novelizations; for those, I got a flat payment, no royalties, because they were work-for-hire. Which was OK with me, because the flat payment was quite good for novelizing someone else’s story. This is, however, why professonal writers say over and over “check your contract carefully before you sign it.”

Clare – Cash flow can be a problem even for those writers who make a ton of money; it is surprisingly easy for a really large check to evaporate within three or four months if one isn’t paying attention. Or so I have observed. ;D

]]> By: Mary http://pcwrede.com/blog/cash-flow/comment-page-1/#comment-3824 Mary Tue, 31 May 2011 02:16:39 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=1142#comment-3824 David: read the contract carefully. It should say "Non-refundable advance." David: read the contract carefully. It should say “Non-refundable advance.”

]]> By: Clare http://pcwrede.com/blog/cash-flow/comment-page-1/#comment-3822 Clare Mon, 30 May 2011 20:09:13 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=1142#comment-3822 Ahhh...its always nice to know you were 100% correct in assuming your dream career was going to have lousy pay and you'd probably end up starving in a gutter, but embrace it with open arms anyway!Thanks much :). Ahhh…its always nice to know you were 100% correct in assuming your dream career was going to have lousy pay and you’d probably end up starving in a gutter, but embrace it with open arms anyway!Thanks much :) .

]]> By: David Youngs http://pcwrede.com/blog/cash-flow/comment-page-1/#comment-3819 David Youngs Mon, 30 May 2011 02:23:31 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=1142#comment-3819 Patricia: Does the advance ever get taken back if the book doesn't sell enough? Does the author get any credit for remaindered books sold at those deep discount places? Patricia:
Does the advance ever get taken back if the book doesn’t sell enough?
Does the author get any credit for remaindered books sold at those deep discount places?

]]> By: Mary http://pcwrede.com/blog/cash-flow/comment-page-1/#comment-3818 Mary Sun, 29 May 2011 16:55:43 +0000 http://pcwrede.com/blog/?p=1142#comment-3818 Living from paycheck to paycheck is an unwise way to prepare for the freelance writing life. Living from paycheck to paycheck is an unwise way to prepare for the freelance writing life.

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