Deal directly with the publisher. The trouble is, in today's market, most authors need agents. Get the publisher to send separate checks to the author and the agent. We like this idea best. Employ a trustee.
Many attorneys have trust accounts, and many companies exist just to handle sums of money in trust.
T he idea is that the publisher will send the royalty checks to the trustee, who will then send you your part, and your agent theirs. There will be a fee for this service. W e've thought it over around here, and have universally decided that from now on, we'll require a clause in our agent contracts that the publisher will send separate checks to the author and the agent. If this is not possible, the checks will go to a designated trustee, who will pay the author and the agent. Y ou must have your attorney write such a clause, naming the trustee, fee amounts, etc.