This is for aspiring writers who listen and read blogs posted by "published" authors who don't really know how the publishing industry works or ever worked but like to blog about it as though they do.
First off, it takes quite a bit of research to get the "truth" of the matter or if you're lucky you'll run across a link like this one here that explains it all quite nicely. ;)
Bottom line, Simon and Shuester started the return policy/"don't worry about sending the book back just rip off the book cover and send it to save on postage" during the depression to keep the then small bookstores/now chain bookstores from going under. The publishing industry has warped and mutated since then until no one knows what's going on anymore.
Sufficed to say EVERYONE involved in publishing makes money off an author's work but the author. And no small publisher can operate with chain bookstores as ALL chain bookstores operate by "large" publisher's rules thinking it's perfectly legal to send unsold, over ordered books back with the covers ripped off etc . . . and not pay for 3000 years after a book sales because that's the way "large" publisher have done it for years.
I'm still baffled that some really big name Small Press authors don't get this. They act like they don't know anything about publishing. It's right there for anybody to see. I certainly see it. There are more than 4000 copies of Never Ceese out there that I've not received one cent of royalty for and never will. Gotta love that!!! NOT!!!
E-books may give us authors and small press publishers to turn this all around but we've got to be smart about it. We have to learn from the past but dear Lord you have to know what the past is before you can learn from it. EGADS!
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