A high-profile royalty dispute in Poland has spotlighted the precarious financial realities faced by even the country’s bestselling authors. Joanna Kuciel-Frydryszak, acclaimed writer of Chłopki (The Peasants), has filed a lawsuit against her publisher, Marginesy, arguing that her compensation is disproportionately low in light of the book’s massive success — over half a million copies sold and twelve reprints in five months.
At the heart of the dispute is Poland’s newly amended bestseller clause, introduced in September 2024, which allows authors to demand increased remuneration if their earnings are deemed unreasonably low compared to a publisher’s profits. Kuciel-Frydryszak’s move has sparked a heated national conversation around authors’ rights, royalties, and the uneven distribution of earnings in the Polish publishing industry.
Authors Speak Out: “You Can’t Make a Living Writing Books in Poland”
The conversation has drawn in other Polish writers, including respected author and Polish Literary Union board member Jakub Żulczyk, who has voiced support for Kuciel-Frydryszak. Żulczyk has long been critical of traditional publishing contracts and launched his own publishing initiative, NEWHOMERS, in 2022 to offer fairer deals for creators.
Meanwhile, authors like Natalia Zacharek reveal how dire the financial landscape is — earning between 0.5% and 1.5% of book sales, often amounting to only a few thousand złoty over years. “It’s impossible to make a living from writing books in Poland,” Zacharek told Euronews, echoing the broader frustration among intellectuals and creators in the country.
Systemic Imbalance and the Call for Reform
Traditional publishing contracts in Poland typically grant authors between 5% and 15% of a book’s retail price. In exceptional cases, bestselling authors may negotiate up to 25%, but these remain rare. The rest is absorbed by production, distribution, and—most controversially—publishers’ margins.
Kuciel-Frydryszak’s legal case is being viewed as a potential watershed moment. As debates rage across social media and within literary circles, many hope this is the beginning of long-overdue structural reform in Poland’s publishing industry.
Zacharek summed up the sentiment: “I dream that this is just the beginning of an avalanche.”
