Quote:
Originally Posted by mr ploppy
Considering that publishers take 80% or more of your income forever in return for a loan and a few one-off jobs, I don't think piracy is a writer's main problem right now.
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The reason publishers get their share is because they take all the financial risk.
They pay the advance (which is non-returnable).
They pay for the physical design and printing of the book.
They pay for marketing (to the book trade).
They pay for editing.
They front the money for all these things and they do it before a single sale has been made. This is all cash up front from the publisher's pocket.
Then, once the book has been produced, and they sell to the trade it's 100% returnable. Every copy the stores don't sell gets returned to the publisher and they have to eat that cost.
Publishers don't make a lot of money.