This week publishing insider website, Publishing Perspectives featured an Op-Ed piece from AuthorBuzz.com founder and author, MJ Rose. Rose commented, from an author’s perspective, on the increased efforts by authors to participate in marketing their own books.

Rose argued that, while it had once been discouraged by publishers, it is now not only encouraged, but even expected. She points out that some publishers are “even soliciting the author’s help with both time and, yes, money.”

She questioned then, with the growing trend for decreased author advances, if perhaps the royalty rate should increased.

“We now have a situation where publishers are financially benefiting from the author’s efforts but the author is still getting paid the old way, without regard to how much we personally invest,” she says.

What do you think? Should author’s advances and royalties remain exactly the same, or should there be a change?

Jeff Rivera is the author of “Forever My Lady” and the founder of GumboWriters.com.