"Amazons latest sneaky move in the hatchette"
Um, I don't recall ever calling Amazon sneaky. In fact, they're pretty much in your face when it comes to business strategy. So I clicked on the search criteria to see what comes up in Bing.
Well, I'll be damned. The number two website was this blog. Specifically, my post from the end of May in regards to Amazon's first public response to the Hatchette propaganda machine.
*sigh*
If only Hatchette's authors and the Author's Guild had left the indies out of the equation, they'd still be getting their journalist buddies to tout the party line. But, no, you just HAD to drag us into this fucking mess.
Now, Author's Guild president Roxana Robinson says:
I've been in touch with other people at the Authors Guild. We're trying to represent everyone, which includes those authors who are self-published and trying to protect them as well. And we’re looking toward the long-term; we want the best arrangement possible for writers in the future.
Guess what, sweetheart? I'm not a member of the Author's Guild. I don't pay any dues to your organization. And you sure as hell don't represent me or my publishing company!
Your statement is the ultimate in power-grabbing arrogance, Roxana. So go hang out with your millionaire buddies in the Hamptons and leave working writers like me out of your power games.
This sheep is officially pissed!
Gee, you'd almost think the Author's Guild has... well, more than a few thousand author members. They have, what, about eight thousand members? But that includes some number of agents, and of attorneys who work in publishing, according to what I found, so the number of actual authors who are members is at least a bit lower.
ReplyDeleteHeck, even if all eight thousand members were writers, that's what, one percent? a tenth of a percent? less than a tenth of a percent of all the writers in the US, even only counting people who are actually publishing or trying to get published? Yeah, I don't think Ms. Robinson has a whole lot of clout to throw around. She certainly doesn't represent me, either, and I doubt many indie pubbing writers would be happy to find out she claims to speak for them.
Angie
The Author's Guild has turned in a millionaires' club. If they stood for writers, why didn't they fight the contract revisions on e-books, changing the rate from 50% of gross to 25% of net? Nope, Roxana and her buddies like their cozy little arrangement with the BPHs--give us more money and we'll keep the little people in line. Except the little people have done an end-run-around and AG is pretending they are in control.
ReplyDelete