Well, we do get paid our royalties - a portion of them - eventually. If we manage to jump through the hoops, we might even pay only 5% tax instead of 30%. But then if the purchase is through Amazon or Createspace, at some stage after we earn over $100, we could get paid a cheque, sent around the world in paper form. It will cost $15 to convert to Australian dollars, (ANZ) plus it will take an extra 6 weeks because it has to be sent all the way back to America for the signature to be verified! It's the same for when we get to over a hundred pounds, or over a hundred Euros, all calculated separately.

Is it any wonder I ask for people to buy my books from Smashwords rather than Amazon? They pay into Paypal, and there's minimal or no extra charge and no delay. I have sold far fewer books on Smashwords, but I do enjoy it that I get royalties for those books. I've yet to be paid by either Smashwords or Amazon, though there are sales made routinely.