Linux Country

Why do publishers think it is OK to not pay authors? I don’t know, and I don’t care. It is enough to know that there are publishers who think it OK to play games with us; to stall, ignore, lie, and trot out the same worn excuses as though we’re dumb enough to believe them. They pay themselves, which apparently means all is well with the world.

But it’s OK to stiff freelance authors. I cannot fathom the asshole mentality that thinks this is acceptable, and I don’t want to. It’s gross enough doing the monthly inspection of my sewer system.

Suppose that it’s not assholery in a particular circumstance, but the publisher is having a cash flow squeeze. What’s the right thing to do? Don’t pay the writers! No, that is the wrong answer. The right answer is the publisher takes a pay cut, even a symbolic one, and honors his obligations whatever it takes. Get a line of credit, press debtors for payment. Negotiate with the writers– maybe they will take a delayed or reduced payment in exchange for a later payment with a bonus to compensate.

Quit laughing, I can dream. Quick poll: have any of you fine freelance authors ever received compensation, like a cash bonus or accumulated interest, and a sincere apology for a late payment from the person actually responsible? Probably your beleaguered editor was all kinds of remorseful, but that doesn’t count if they have no control over payables.

Bottlenecks and Worms

The worst of all worlds is having an editor who won’t help you. I had one for years who was a world-class bottleneck and a wormy apologist. Author invoices landed on his desk to die. When he finally approved them they landed in an accounts payable system designed for delay. Did he help? Pshaw of course not, after all his paycheck arrived on time every month, and the A/P clerks were scary.

This is problem that has plagued freelance authors (and musicians and all creative artists) from the dawn of corporate-asshole time. It doesn’t smell any better with age. It does increase my appreciation of my good publishers who pay on time without making me nag and threaten. It fuels my determination to self-publish, because if I fail it’s on me, and if I succeed I reap the rewards. And it will cure the nausea I feel when dipshit publishers who play funny money games profit from my work.

You might enjoy this video Fuck You. Pay Me.