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Royalty is paid on sales, not print runs. The publishers right to sell is an assignment of copyright. That assignment may revert after 5 years, or 15 or author's death or even last till expiry of actual copyright (life + Y years). Traditionally a contract would have been for the life of the copyright, thus estate would have received royalties on sales, but often now the contract is for a number of years and rights revert to author, who then can find another publisher or self-publish.
The Advance is typically on royalties, thus a book might make a profit for a Publisher but the author might not get any royalties as the total royalties never reached the pre-paid advance.
Most books never make the Advance!
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