Royalties for used books (PA)

Sher2

Here's an issue that has come up recently. Most of the online booksellers have links to other booksellers for "used" or "out of print" books. Some of those links are to distributors. If those entities are selling PA books, particularly after the 7-year contract period has lapsed, how on earth would you ever track such sales, much less get paid for copies sold that way? Just one more headache courtesy of the POD that claims it isn't.
 

HapiSofi

Re: Royalty question

Sher, that system was built around conventional publishing houses, where you know how many copies a book's total print orders add up to.
 

Sher2

Royalty question

<Sher, that system was built around conventional publishing houses, where you know how many copies a book's total print orders add up to.>

Exactly. But what about the influx of POD books on the market? They're being sold via links from, for example, Amazon.com. An "experiment" was done today on PA titles from Amazon, where one can buy new, used, and out of print copies. It's the lack of a legitimate print run that's giving me the heebie-jeebies, thanks to the POD that claims it is not a POD.
 

James D Macdonald

Re: Royalty question

Authors don't get a royalty on used copies in any case. You can't track those sales.

Is the worry that someone is printing up extra copies to sell as "used," and cut the author out of the equation entirely?
 

Sher2

Royalty question

<Is the worry that someone is printing up extra copies to sell as "used," and cut the author out of the equation entirely?>


Yep, James. Also, an ad has just turned up for a private seller (linked from Amazon) which has a PA title, and it claims "excess stock direct from the publisher." The price of the $19.95 book is $9.00 from that seller. PA has told that author that they have no control over it.
 

DaveKuzminski

Re: Royalty question

Now just how does someone get excess stock direct from PA when their books are printed on demand?
 

James D Macdonald

Re: Royalty question

Oh, dear. Can-of-worms time. I suspect the infamous Paragraph 24 of the contract has something to do with it.

Dunno how the author is going to work that out short of hiring a lawyer.
 

Sher2

Royalty question

<Can you post the URL for that ad?>

Sure. The author's question included this information:

The ad that is driving me nuts...

"Book: xxxxx (privacy protected, but it's a PA book)
Seller: amazonbook61 (Safe buying guarantee)
Rating: 4.7 stars over the past twelve months (78 ratings). Seller has 78 lifetime ratings.
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days; Ships from CA, United States. Expedited shipping available. International shipping available.
See shipping rates
Comments: Brand New - Media 0verstock - Direct from Publisher - CLOSEOUT PRICE"

The URL to the site (where her $19.95 book is selling for $9.00) is

s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea...93-8377665
 

DaveKuzminski

Re: Royalty question

We can only wish for now that CLOSEOUT PRICE means PA is closing shop.
 

Sher2

Royalty question

<We can only wish for now that CLOSEOUT PRICE means PA is closing shop.>

I'd be all for that, if PA had to pay out some BIG money first.

The owner of the aforementioned book selling site was e-mailed and asked whether the books were new, where they came from, and whether PA authors are paid royalties on them. His response was:

"All books are full new retail copies with Royalties paid and rather than discard them when a media opportunity has paased these new books are offered at discount with proceeds going to benefit the hungry in the LA area. It seems as a better solution instead of just offering them to staffers -"

Media copies? PA?!

What do you make of that?
 

James D Macdonald

Re: Royalty question

That puts the needle on my BS Meter past the red line.
 

HapiSofi

Re: Royalty question

It does the same to me. I'm wondering whether "media overstock" is a euphemism for "remainder".
 

James D. Macdonald

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PublishAmerica and royalties:

Books that are sold used aren't going to generate royalties in any case: Presumably the author has already earned his/her royalties on those physical books when they were sold new.