> “But advances are not earnings—they are a guess on the part of the publisher what an author will earn in book sales.” Not really. An advanced is a loan you d

> “But advances are not earnings—they are a guess on the part of the publisher what an author will earn in book sales.” Not really. An advanced is a loan you don’t have to pay back. If you get a $5000 advance, you won’t get paid for any of the books sold until they surpass a $5000 net of royalties.