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How do you sell tens of millions of books and become broke not even twenty years later? Suppose her publisher was absolutely and utterly ripping her off, only paying $1 per book, that's still burning through about a million USD per year. Somewhere buried there lies the real crime. With which I mean to say either her publisher ripped her off beyond belief, or she's really bad with money.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
What do you mean?
Morally/ethically good vs. competent. OP implies that success in the legal system is only possible with unethical means.
Good luck to anyone dealing with something similar. My wife had a charge held against her even though the trooper knew he lacked probable cause. The state police say that's fine and the trooper is allowed to do that. The DA and the courts don't care. Until the system becomes accountable to the people, it will continue to act as an oligarchy and crush us peons.
I assume you got a good lawyer?
There are actually two scenes in Good Fellas that explain it perfectly. That the mob fills the role of the police in providing protection to those who cannot go to the police. And the classic "fuck you, pay me" scene. We violated your rights? Fuck you, pay me. You're innocent (not that they treat you that way)? Fuck you, pay me. The charge lacks probable cause? Fuck you, pay me.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Morally/ethically good vs. competent. OP implies that success in the legal system is only possible with unethical means.
Well, the whole legal system is based on the principle that a fair fight between two sides will yield the truth. So if one side is doing unethical and even unlawful things, then it's less likely the other side will win (or the truth be revealed).
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Well, the whole legal system is based on the principle that a fair fight between two sides will yield the truth. So if one side is doing unethical and even unlawful things, then it's less likely the other side will win (or the truth be revealed).
The truth is relative
How do you sell tens of millions of books and become broke not even twenty years later? Suppose her publisher was absolutely and utterly ripping her off, only paying $1 per book, that's still burning through about a million USD per year. Somewhere buried there lies the real crime. With which I mean to say either her publisher ripped her off beyond belief, or she's really bad with money.
I think you overestimate both how much most authors earn as well as how easy it is to blow through $20m. It's likely also "cash broke" rather than actually bankrupt; it sounds like she still has her house (albeit borrowed against) and other assets.
I actually looked up what an average compensation per book sold is, and $1 is on the low end.
Also blowing through a million USD year-after-year is actually very hard. It's only easy if you really suck at handling money.
If you spent $1000 every single day shopping, you're still not even spending half a million per year.
> it sounds like she still has her house (albeit borrowed against)
Which means she basically already sold it, and is just still allowed to live in it until she either buys it back, or gets kicked out.
How do you sell tens of millions of books and become broke not even twenty years later? Suppose her publisher was absolutely and utterly ripping her off, only paying $1 per book, that's still burning through about a million USD per year. Somewhere buried there lies the real crime. With which I mean to say either her publisher ripped her off beyond belief, or she's really bad with money.
One party allowed to run up unchecked marketing costs, fully recoupable against the other party's royalty.