I did get a reply:
The advance is paid back out of the first royalties. It is a loan. Many publishers require that it be paid back. Who publishes your current books? It sounds like you have a good publisher.
Suzanne XXXXX
> To:
[email protected];
[email protected]
> Subject: [Admin] Advance=LOAN?????
> From:
[email protected]
> Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:51:53 -0600
>
> C. Scott Saylors sent a message using the contact form at
>
http://www.novel-writer.com/contact.
>
> Where did you get the quaint notion that an advance on royalties was a
> "loan"? Nowhere in the real industry is it considered a loan. An advance
> on royalties is a carefully calculated estimate on the income for the
> author through the life of the printing of their book.
>
> Only if the author fails to fulfill his contract is the author obligated
> to return any money at all.
>
> If the publisher cancels out, any portion of the advance monies paid
> belong to the author.
>
> Regards,
>
> Scott
I sent back a lengthier note explaining what an advance really is and is not. No reply to that as yet.
i got the reply back in the early AM hours, so I suspect Suzanne is attending to publisher business outside of a day job. That's fine, but it does suggest that the business is ancillary to her livlihood.
Regards,
Scott