Author Topic: How does Brandon get paid for WoT  (Read 2206 times)

schneb

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How does Brandon get paid for WoT
« on: December 06, 2009, 07:38:22 PM »
I was just wondering if anybody knew what Brandon's contract arrangement with the Jordan estate is for finishing of the Wheel of Time series.  Is he getting a percentage of the royalties, or is he doing the work for a flat fee?  I'm not looking for numbers, just trying to satisfy my curiosity as to what the pay mechanism is.

ErikHolmes

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Re: How does Brandon get paid for WoT
« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2009, 08:44:26 PM »
I think in class on time he told us that he was: "getting paid an obscene amount of money to write the books."

I believe this was while telling us about everything that went into their decision about splitting the book up into three books. I think he mentioned that he'd offered to to do all three for the price they had originally talked about but they told him that he would get paid for each book.

So it sounds to me like they are just paying him a fee to write the books. But maybe he's getting a percentage too. Its possible when he said that he meant the advance they gave him was obscene. 
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Miyabi

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Re: How does Brandon get paid for WoT
« Reply #2 on: December 06, 2009, 10:29:54 PM »

He was paid one sum for the final book.  The divide it into three didn't gain him any extra money at all.

I don't believe he gets royalties but I could be wrong about that.
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ErikHolmes

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Re: How does Brandon get paid for WoT
« Reply #3 on: December 06, 2009, 11:24:51 PM »
I had heard that the deal got changed once the decision was made to break the book up into three books. Brandon said he'd do all three for what they were paying him, but they insisted on paying him for each one.
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Miyabi

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Re: How does Brandon get paid for WoT
« Reply #4 on: December 06, 2009, 11:33:27 PM »
I had heard that the deal got changed once the decision was made to break the book up into three books. Brandon said he'd do all three for what they were paying him, but they insisted on paying him for each one.

Awe, I see.

I just remember the first mention that he had made was that he wouldn't be making more.

Thanks for the info.
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Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: How does Brandon get paid for WoT
« Reply #5 on: December 07, 2009, 12:54:25 AM »
I actually know, so I will answer.

Brandon's contract is with Harriet. He gets an advance from her that is multiple times larger than what Tor gave him as an advance for a single one of his own books in the past. When the contract was renegotiated he gets a bit more for each of books 13 and 14 than he got for book 12. He does get a royalty but it's a percentage of what Harriet gets, not a percentage of the retail price, and it's subject to the advance. US sales count much more than international sales.

The advance for Way of Kings was not as high as the advance for TGS but it was still very high. If Way of Kings starts selling enough for him to earn royalties, and remains popular, he will end up making much more from the Stormlight Archive than from the Wheel of Time even if it sells only half as much. Ancillary rights are also much much better. And he'll get a huge bonus if a book in the Stormlight Archive hits #1 on the New York Times list.
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Miyabi

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Re: How does Brandon get paid for WoT
« Reply #6 on: December 07, 2009, 02:42:26 AM »

Thanks for the clarification Peter.
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Hero of Ages

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Re: How does Brandon get paid for WoT
« Reply #7 on: December 07, 2009, 08:54:58 AM »
He deserves every penny too.
I must not fear;
Fear is the mind killer;
I will face my fear;
I will let it pass through me;
When the fear is gone, there will be nothing;
Only I will remain.
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Anticipation of death is worse than death itself.
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