Advances
13.0 Advances
The writer should make careful note of the provisions in the publishing contract relating to the payment of advances. Often, those provisions are complex so that some effort is required in calculating exactly when advances are due. If, as often happens, the writer fails to spot that an advance is due some publishers will delay payment. No doubt the advance will eventually be paid but the publisher is unlikely to agree to pay any interest on the late payment. One other point to bear in mind is that if the royalty account is fully recouped publishers sometimes try to accelerate payment of a particular advance so that payment is made immediately prior to the accounting date (which then enables the publisher immediately to recoup the advance from the royalties due on that accounting date).