[Writer Post] Publishing Sundries
This week is a “sundries” week. I’ve been trying to keep up. Really. The adjustment back to the “responsible adult” world isn’t that bad, but it does take some time. I’m also getting ready for Fan Days in a week and a half — that’s a huge new thing that takes some preparations.
But there has been some stuff going on in the publishing world. A couple of weeks ago there was a fluff up about Penguin suing some authors for their advances. I read about it at the time, but didn’t write about it. My friend, Meredith, asked my opinion of the case today. I agree with several other authors I know in saying, “Good for Penguin.”
The “Don’t Be A Jerk” rule goes both ways. If authors are going to go after publishers for not living up to their contracts, then we authors have to live up to ours. I hate missing any kind of deadline. HATE it, but it does happen for a myriad of reasons–but you talk to your publisher and come up with a plan. This thing of taking money then never producing? What is that? That’s making the rest of us that bust our humps look bad.
The other thing going that popped up is apparently Google and publishers making some kind of secret deal for digitalizing books. This has been going on longer than even the Apple/Big Six ebook case. Where Google (in their wisdom of “We’re Not Evil”) decided to make all kinds of books available in digital library — without getting permission to do so from anyone.
There are problems here… like, if your company has to SAY “We’re not Evil” — yeah, you are. You’re just being sneakier about it. But my Google rant is well known. The other is none of the AUTHORS know what this agreement is. Several authors’ organizations have put out statements wanting to know what this agreement is.
Why? Because this whole electronic/digital…thing? Didn’t exist more than about 15 years ago, if that long. NOW we have clauses and language dealing with digital rights and electronic options. But now before. So what books, what rights, are these guys negotiating and do they even own said rights? Since it’s being done behind closed doors, the answer to that seems to be…SHENANIGANS!!!
And I’m sorry, no. I’m not the most conversant person in the world when it comes to legalese, but I’m not STUPID. I’m tired of companies (in general) thinking those who create their product/content/etc are silly monkeys who don’t know they have thumbs much less a brain with which to see what’s in their best interest. Stop trying to “Help” me get more “exposure” or whatever justification you use. Talk to me. Pay me what’s fair and right. And Don’t Be A JERK.
Okay, sundries turned into a wee bit of a rant. Sorry about that. But now…once more into the breach.