The Writers' Circle

A question that has bothered me for quite some time, 'How can authors know the amount of copies the publisher tells them has been printed?' I have tried to research this and so far came up blank.

Authors could be easily deceived by an unscrupulous publisher, who could inform the writer that X amount of books has been sent to the retailers, while Y amount has actually been issued to bookshops. This problem would arise more with a first time author, who wouldn't know how the publishing trade works and could easily be cheated.

It would benefit the deceiver in gaining more money from not having to pay all the royalties to the author. Surely there is a system in place to prevent this from happening? I'm sure the vast majority of publishers are honest as the day is long, however in saying that, there are bound to be those whose integrity could be called into question.

So it's all down to trust in the end. Are mere writers trying hard to get their work published and almost prepared to do and accept anything a publisher tells them to achieve that goal, in danger of getting ripped off? Of course they are very vulnerable and so easily led into traps, it makes you ask the question is it all worth it.

The answer must be a resounding YES, no matter what the pitfalls are, the sheer joy of having the first copy of YOUR own work, in book form in your hands, is a truely magic  and an out of this world experience. 

Can anyone who knows how the publishing business works put me out of my misery and explain if there is a method of independently confirming the amount of copies printed?

Then another problem could also arise. If the publisher sells the rights to a publisher in other countries, the same issue occurs. How can authors know this has taken place, bar a friend seeing a copy of the book on sale in that country. All food for thought.

I await with bated breath on your replies.

Thanks for reading.

belfastlass777