Sales info from a small publisher

jobryan

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Anybody aware of standards (or just your own experience) about what type of info an author should get from a (small) publisher about sales, and with what frequency? Trying to find out what is "normal". For example, can I reasonably expect to receive info about my book's sales once a month, broken down by print and ebook - or what?

How is this information usually broken down for the author?

Does/should a publisher itemize costs that they take out of sales, if any?

Thanks in advance.
 

mrsmig

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My publisher is contractually obligated to provide me with quarterly royalty statements and payments, on a schedule which is detailed in the contract.

If your contract doesn't cover this vital information, and if your publisher is also allowed to deduct unspecified expenses from your sales, I'm sorry to say you may have signed a very bad contract.

Have you checked to see if your publisher is listed in the Bewares, Recommendations and Background Checks Index? If it does, you may glean some valuable information by reading that thread.
 
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Maryn

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I'm not "as published" as many. My publisher's contract specified monthly sales reports and royalty statements, and that's what I got.

So I echo the advice to get out your contract and reread it.
 

jobryan

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Thanks all - I'll go back and make sure I didn't miss it in the contract.
 

cool pop

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Yep, the contract should say it. Every publisher is different with how they pay, inform you, etc.
 
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