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Originally Posted by Sirtel
But they're available on Gutenberg, aren't they?
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Yes, to people that are happy to have ebooks.
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Originally Posted by Sirtel
I don't see a problem with publishers making money from PD books. They're doing the work of publishing them, after all.
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No, there is no problem with publishers making money from PD, as long as they are not too greedy or bullying others.
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Originally Posted by Sirtel
The author's family and relatives haven't done anything, so shouldn't get the royalties for decades after the author's death.
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The Estate is often one person, who may or may not have been involved.
Note most (maybe 95%) authors don't make even a minimum wage, which is usually lower than a living wage. A plumber is quite well paid at the point of delivery. A book can take a month to a couple of years and advances (if you get traditionally published) might pay only a month's rent in Limerick, Ireland, and then the royalties are not paid to the author until the advance is paid off. If it's self-published, then the retailer takes 70% to 90% of each sale and pays the remainder up to months later. For SP, the editing, cover, formatting and marketing depends on the author's expertise and time or expenditure.
People are mad if they think writing is a sure way to make money. Those popular authors are as lucky as lottery or casino winners and nearly as rare. Only a fraction of them are rich. Plenty of "successful" authors are not well off.
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Originally Posted by Sirtel
If an author dies immediately after writing a book, then 10 years of royalties should be enough for their family.
Of course I know that will never happen.
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Ten years might be fine. I thought twenty is a lot more reasonable than 75, which was extended basically by lobbying of big corporations, not estates, from 50, which was already far to long.
More than 30 is certainly nothing to do with Author's estates. but corporate greed.