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Originally Posted by Shaggy
That's pretty much what Format C said. In most cases, the author doesn't really have control anymore.
That's because Baen are "nice guys" in their dealings with artists. Many other companies are not.
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There's a real and valid reason for that clause in publishing contracts. It's in the best interest of both author and publisher when the publisher sends out review copies or engages in other publicity and marketing activities. The clause is there to ensure that the publisher doesn't have to pay a royalty on copies that are not actually sold (but rather provided essentially as advertising). Similarly, it prevents the publisher from saying to the author "Sorry, we can't send your book to any reviewers because we'd have to pay you a royalty, but we won't get any revenue for that copy."
The authors protection is that the publisher is presumed to consider what will lead to the greatest level of sales (although one may often be puzzled about the choices publishers actually make), so the publisher is not likely to deprive the author of income by giving away far too many copies. Similarly, the publisher is required to pay royalties on copies they get paid for (and thus to not stiff the author there).
It's not a matter of "the author has no control," but rather that "the author has
delegated control to either publisher or agent" with a reasonable expectation that the publisher or agent won't be too egregiously stupid -- if only to protect their own income potential.
Xenophon
P.S. I'd rather have my favorite authors writing more, and spending less time on things like marketing and worrying about paying the bills. Your mileage may vary.