Verzögerte Vorschuss- und Honorarzahlungen durch manuelle Vertragsabwicklung

Definition

Publishing contracts typically divide advances into instalments tied to key events such as signing, manuscript delivery/acceptance, and publication, and then provide for periodic royalty statements (often semi‑annual) and payments.[1][3][4] Australian guidance notes that advances are commonly AUD 3,000–10,000 for new authors, often across multiple books or instalments.[4] When milestone management is spreadsheet‑based and disconnected from finance systems, publishers frequently miss internal triggers (e.g., acceptance date not recorded), create royalty statements late, or require manual approvals before releasing payments. This causes delayed outgoing payments to authors and agents and, conversely, delayed incoming payments where contracts require counter‑signing and invoicing before an advance is due. For lists of 50–200 active contracts, a conservative 1–2 hours of manual tracking and follow‑up per contract per half‑year translates to 100–800 hours annually, and 30–90 day delays on AUD 3,000–10,000 tranches mean AUD 50,000–250,000 of cash is routinely out of sync with contract expectations.

Why This Matters

The Pitch: Australian 🇦🇺 publishers handling dozens of author contracts can tie up AUD 50,000–250,000 in working capital and incur 20–40 hours per month in chasing and reconciling late advance and royalty payments. Automation of milestone tracking, approvals, and payment runs shortens time‑to‑cash and reduces admin cost.

Affected Stakeholders

Finance and accounts payable, Royalty accountant, Contracts manager, Editors and publishing managers, Authors and agents (as counterparties)

Related Business Risks