At this year’s London Book Fair, IBS took a survey of 140 publishers to discover only 19% have systems in place to manage author royalties.

With author royalty rates low enough to force many a ’successful’ author to maintain their writing as a part-time sideline to their day-job, the need is has never been more urgent to ensure they are being paid every penny they are owed in a timely fashion.

I have to say, as someone who will likely one day have a deal in place with a publisher, this is very worrying, and smacks of little respect for the author as a business partner in the creation and selling of books.

Some additional stats from that survey:

• 79% believed they should sell directly to the consumer (as opposed to through bookstores)
• 56% said they already did
• 89% believe there is still a place for the high street bookstore (I like this one the most!)
• 83% believe consumers would soon completely accept ebooks as a valid way to consume books (despite only 35% of the respondents admitting to have used an ebook themselves)