Three years after Albert Whitman & Company came under fire from authors and illustrators over delayed royalty payments, numerous agents are saying that the 105-year-old Chicagoland children’s publisher has once again fallen behind on its obligations.
PW spoke with more than a dozen authors and agents over the past month who all shared similar complaints and concerns after agreeing to speak on condition of anonymity. One agent said that the publisher managed to get current after its troubles in 2020–2021, but has since slipped. Another agent offered a more blunt assessment: AW&C is “up to their old games” and “not behaving like a reputable publisher.”
“Frankly, their schedule of paying five months after sending the royalty statement is frustrating,” one agent said, while another added that the company owes payments on multiple illustrator contracts as well as royalty payments for other clients. “They have always been slow to pay, but they have become unresponsive, and that is quite concerning.”
In an interview, AW&C v-p and co-owner Patrick McPartland acknowledged the publisher’s recent difficulties and told PW that executives have been reaching out to author and agent groups, including the Association of American Literary Agents, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and the Authors Guild. McPartland cited a tough 2023 in terms of sales and cash flow—a common theme among many indie presses. Those challenges were exacerbated, he said, by the death of business director Joseph Campbell in August 2022.
“We’re doing our best to get out in front of this and make sure that everyone is aware that we are aware,” McPartland said, adding that the company is also “slowing down acquisitions” to prioritize paying author advances and royalties.
Still, the latest round of troubles has shaken the confidence of some authors and agents. One author (whose agent succeeded in reverting the rights from AW&C to a series she’d created) reported that a royalty check dated November 15 did not arrive until the end of January. A second author, who spoke with PW about the publisher’s troubles back in 2020 and 2021, complained of a continuing lack of transparency: “I don’t know what they’re doing with the royalties, and I don’t see any way I can find out. With a publisher you have to have some sense of trust. I absolutely have no trust in Albert Whitman after struggling with them for over a decade.”
A third author, a former children’s book editor at various New York City houses who has published more than a dozen books with AW&C, concurred. “The editorial staff is lovely and I have done some very nice books with them, but the payment stuff is just a sin,” the author said. “Not only do they not pay but they offer zero explanation. Each time, one person will say, ‘I am going to check on that,’ or, ‘It’s waiting for an okay from the people in charge.’ No one wants to have to scream and shout to get their money. It’s not respectful.”
Lauren MacLeod, a member of the AALA’s communications committee, told PW in an email that the organization is “well aware” of the situation and confirmed that it has recently received complaints from “multiple agencies.” She said the AALA is canvassing its membership to assess the extent of the problem, noting that the group previously issued alerts regarding delayed payments from the publisher in 2018 and 2020. SCBWI executive director Sarah Baker said she does not know of any recent complaints relating to AW&C.
McPartland said that the publisher has taken steps to address the issues and asked for patience. He added that he and co-owner John Quattrocchi, AW&C’s president, were forced to lay off “some very good employees” this past year and implement other cost-cutting measures, such as downsizing the company’s office. AW&C also sold off its popular Boxcar Children series.
“The fixes are going to work, they just take time,” McPartland said. “We’re a small independent publisher really doing our best to treat people fairly and pay them on time. It’s been a challenge. But we will catch up.”
