Where's the royalty?
Brian Clegg
Sunday, 20 April 2008 10:12 UTC
I really didn’t want to use this forum purely for moans, but I do think Mac Sci is being a bit slow with the royalties.
I have books with a good range of publishers, and even the slowest of the rest have now come up with the July-Dec 2007 royalties. The fastest (St Martin’s Press – well done, guys) were in on 7th February. Even the tortoise-like Kogan Page have paid up.
I’d really like to know how publishers can justify waiting this long. I can understand it back in the days when accounting was all quill pens (perhaps it still is at Macmillan Science), but I really can’t see why it should take more than a month to sort out.
How about it, Mac Sci? Let’s see how quick you can get the Jan-June ones out. After all, you are supposed to be operating whole new 21st century publishing model.
Updated 20 April 2008 10:12 UTC
-
Replies
-
Still waiting! May 2 now.
-
Do you think they read Nature Network, Brian? Just curious.
-
No, I don’t Maxine – I was hoping to encourage some other Macmillan Science authors into discussing this. But I suspect because so little has been posted here, none of them check the forum out any more.
-
I wonder if there is a “legacy issue” here, Brian, because I’ve noticed one or two other forums on NN that started out relatively alive but have since become a bit, well, moribund.
When I first joined NN one did not have this “email alert” function, in which one could elect to receive an email at a choice of frequencies to capture contributions to a forum or group.
This service is jolly useful as it means one does not have to keep checking back. If this group was set up before the e-alert function became available (I think it was?), then maybe it would be worth Sara (as moderator) or other energetic person emailing the members to encourage them to do this? Otherwise, they may all be in blissful ignorance (and not getting their royalties either, possibly?) -
Definitely over to Sara (are you close enough to give her a kick?) – I think the other problem is that, unless it’s to whinge about something like this, Macmillan Science authors are a diverse bunch and don’t necessarily have a lot in common to discuss within the fold of this group.
-
I’ll mention it to her when I see her next, Brian—maybe she’ll want to hand over moderation to her successor, as she has moved on from Macmillan Science a year or so ago.
Interesting what you write abotu MacSci authors. The Macmillan New Writers, with which you share some characteristics (maybe even royalty-wise, but I hope not!), have a group blog to which I subscribe in RSS and scan the occasional item. I agree with your implication that they are a very diverse bunch so that the blog doesn’t have a strong sense of identity. Mainly I read Brian McGilloway as I thought his books are so good, and he’s interesting to read. I don’t mean to slight the other authors, I just haven’t the time to read all their posts: maybe I will once I’ve read their books (or some of their books!).
-
In the unlikely event anyone is following this saga, apparently, hem, ‘the cheque got lost in the post’. Where have I heard that before…
-
Well I am, so that’s one. I’m laughing, but sharing your pain at the same time.
-