: Re: Do living authors still get paid royalties for their old work? Do authors still get paid royalties for their old works? For example, If I decided to buy a copy of the "Odessa File" by Frederick

@Voss1744584

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Assuming that you are referring to works published in the USA, it depends on:

who owns the copyright and the specific terms of the contract. In some cases, the publisher owns the copyright. In some cases, the author is entitled to royalties only after the publisher earns the amount paid as an advance. Often books don't earn more than the initial advance, and so the author can hypothetically not earn anything from the sale (even though the sale can ultimately lead to more earnings).
Is the book being sold for the first time, or is it a used book? Used
books don't earn the author any money directly (although there may be
indirect benefits). Authors don't earn anything from review copies either.
Are you buying an ebook version? Generally speaking, the author earns more money from an ebook sale than a physical copy.
Is the book seller selling a book or ebook with the consent of the copyright holder? This can be difficult to tell sometimes (especially with printed books), but some common sense will usually provide the answer.

You should generally make an effort to acquire a book or ebook legally and cheaply. On the other hand, I pick up free and cheap books all the time -- and feel no guilt about doing so. Most authors publish several books, and so even if you get one title for free, chances are more likely that you will buy additional volumes by the same author. Giving away free and discounted titles is a legitimate part of building brand awareness.

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