Anatoly Volynets

“ Beta: So? Publishers know. The very moment a work leaves the house, it becomes available for everybody.
Alpha: Yes, and you don’t understand, Beta. That’s the catch—the artist loses it right away!
What Does an Artist Get? Delta: Careful there! To become famous for your work does not mean to lose it! It is the best thing that can happen to an artist!
Alpha: I love it! Everybody gets money, and the artist gets famous and hungry! ”

“ If it were not for the magic, then there would be no publishers in line, no money for the first sale, not the slightest interest in proudly putting on the cover “I sponsored this author!” Nothing, Beta, nothing, just empty pockets!
Delta: Hmm ... well, actually, if an artist is not known to the public, there is no way for him to get paid on any planet.
Alpha: How do they get rich then?
Beta: Frankly, I don’t care how it happens down here.... By the way, I’ve heard many times that only a handful of artists get considerable money. The great majority of them are starving artists anyway. ”

“ Amazed, I woke up and tossed and turned for the rest of the night, trying to grasp if there was any way for an artist to make money there. I could not wait to bring this up with my first graders. They do so love magic! So the next morning, I asked them about it, and look at what I got.
Who Gets Money and Why? Alpha: There is nothing to talk about here. If nobody has to pay an artist, then nobody will, no matter how famous he is. I say, the more famous an artist is, the more money he loses on that stupid planet.
Beta: He ain’t losin’ money because nobody gets money there. ”