The money thing

In the MFA program, I was made to feel crass for daring to mention money. I believe my exact wine-induced phrase was: "I don't write for free." I'm not a mercenary, but I don't pour hours, and in one case a year, into a novel, for nothing. If my  university asked me to teach for free, I wouldn't even show up to the faculty meeting for the free food. No one should work for free. Anyway, talking about money tends to make people uncomfortable, so of course, we should talk about the things that makes us uncomfortable.

First, this amazingly well-researched article by Lincoln Michel who discusses his research into traditional publishing. The wheres, whys, and hows are something every novelist should endeavor to understand.

Second, author Brenda Hiatt has been telling the story to anyone with an Internet connection. What do romance and YA publishers pay? Authors submit their numbers to Hiatt and she graciously posts them (both traditional and indie). When you're negotiating a contract, or deciding where to submit, these numbers are tremendously helpful.

If you know of an article or website with good writerly information on publishing and the money trail, please post in the comments.