What are royalties in publishing?

Question: What are royalties in publishing!?

I hear it alot, but I don't get what it means!. Can someone explainWww@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Royalties are the percentages of the book's purchase price that go to the author!. (An agent's share comes out of the author's share!.) Typical royalties for hardcover editions are 10% on the first 5000 books sold; 12 ?% on the next 5000 units and 15% thereafter!. Most first novels by people who are not celebrities sell under the first 5000!.

Typical trade paperback royalties (the large paperbacks) are 7 ?% and mass market royalties are for 8% for the first 150,000 units sold and 10% thereafter!.

First printings for the unknown author lucky enough to get hardbound are typically 5,000 units!. Say it sells for $25 (because we sure like our round numbers) and it sells through--all 5,000 copies sell!.

$25 x 10% = $2!.50 per book in royalties
$2!.50 x 5,000 = $12,500--not much considering that it probably took a year to research and write the book, and quite possibly longer!. A full time minimum-wage job would earn the author more money!.

More often, the unknown author gets trade paperback!. They’re usually about $15!.00

$15 x 7 ?% = $1!.12 per book in royalties--not even half what the hardbound earns!.
$1!.12 x 5,000 = $5,600

Or maybe the unknown author goes straight to mass market paperback!. They’re often about $8!.00

$8 x 8% = 64 cents per book in royalties
$0!.64 x 5,000 = $3,200

Of course, if you happen to write the huge novel of the moment, maybe you sell a half million copies instead!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

You don't have to rush out and get your work copyrighted!. And in fact, keep your work between you and your mentor, teacher, guide, or editor, and do NOT copyright it!.

Copyright in one form or another is what you sell to a publisher!. You need to have it in order to sell it, and you already do!.

As I've said many times, just keep a copy of your work (even incomplete) at home, with your name and a date (I use the year, for a book) in every header on a floppy, and/or hard-drive and/or printed out and that IS your copyright!.

Read The Writer's Market, not just junk you see here!. Read the first section until you have it practically memorized, because you'll need every part to help you publish properly and to take correct steps in order!.

I am assuming you are not using vanity press, otherwise known as self-publication!. That only really works if you have a good product anyway, plus lots of capital and huge self-confidence, because it will be you selling your books, alone!.

About royalties!.!.!. they are what you agree as enough pay for the work you did on the book you're selling to a regular publisher!. It'll be worked out contractually!.
They (publishers) get a percentage of money per book sold, and you do too!. That's your royalty!. When you're a beginner, the percentage may be a bit smaller for you, but if you have an agent pitching for you (really a much better thing-- the agents and publishers already know each other!.!.!. and you should too before picking any--- use links in The Writer's Market to find out who is reputable), and your product is really good, you'll get good royalty payments!.
Best of luck!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Royalties (sometimes, running royalties) are usage-based payments made by one party (the "licensee") to another (the "licensor") for ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property (IP) right!.

Royalties can be determined as a percentage of gross or net sales derived from use of the asset or a fixed price per unit sold!. but there are also other modes and metrics of compensation!. A royalty interest is the right to collect a stream of future royalty payments, often used in the oil industry and music industry to describe a percentage ownership of future production or revenues from a given leasehold, which may be divested from the original owner of the asset!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I used to work in publishing!.
Royalties is money you receive for your body of work!.
That is (and this is very important)that you have copyrighted your work!.
For, you get the $ from the copyright office!.
If your not copyrighted!.
Go to Copyright!.Gov!.
Good luck!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Royalties are basically the money you get when your books sell!. If you sell 1000 books, you'll get a fraction of the royalties(profit) from those salesWww@QuestionHome@Com