The Authors Guild is calling on publishers to offer authors more favorable terms in order to combat decreasing incomes.
The organization published an open letter to The Association of American Publishers on its site. In the letter, the group urged publishers to offer better deals pointing out that author salaries have dropped an average of more than 30 percent since 2009.
Here is an excerpt from the letter:
What we demand is simple: Publishers need to revise many of their standard contract terms to make them more equitable. Authors should get at least 50% of net e-book income, not a mere 25%. They should not have their hands tied with non-compete and option clauses, that can make it impossible for them to write new books without delay. They should not be forced to accept royalties that can decline by 50% when the publisher cuts its wholesale price by a single cent. They should be able to get the rights back when the publisher stops supporting a book.