Here’s what I know…

….if someone does a job for you and you get your share of the payment then it’s not unreasonable for the other person – subcontractor, writer, whatever - to get their share. Contracts are like that. We’ll take this much and give you X in return once a month or quarter as the case may be. It’s all about honour and commitment and good business principles. You can lie your arse off and tell me cheques get sent every month on the same day to every single person, without fear or favour or nationality, but you know what? If I don’t get said cheque within a certain time period, and I hear others living in the same country as the cheque sender have not got theirs and it’s time for the next cheque to come out, well then I tend to think liar, liar, pants on fire. Publishing is a business. It’s as simple as that. You may set yourself up as demi-goddesses and expect to rest on dusty, rat eaten laurels of when you were at the top of your game but all the pretence in the world is not going to cover cash flow problems. So – pony up and pay or admit you’re in deep shite and that you can’t pay your authors. That’s what I know…