The Famous Writer Facepalm

I'm getting really tired of the anti-indie sentiment floating around the internet. It's almost as bad as the anti-Amazon crap, but then according to Scott Turow, I'm too fucking stupid to understand that I need agents and publishers to ensure the quality of my manuscripts.

Really? If so, why am I getting daily messages from readers wondering where the hell my next book is?

Scott had an op-ed piece in last Sunday's New York Times entitled "The Slow Death of the American Author." In it, Scott accuses the U.S. Supreme Court, Amazon, Google, libraries, and pirates for the diminishing monetary returns of authors.

I won't get into all the factual inaccuracies in Scott's opinion piece. Suffice to say, many others pointed out the problems in more detail than I could hope to. Though if you want an entertaining read, Barry Eisler's commentary is the funniest.

First of all, anyone who can blame pirates and libraries in the same breath isn't inhaling the same atmosphere I am.

Second of all, what slow death? I'm doing just fine. (Just got my Apple numbers for March. Still ahead of Amazon sales. B&N still beating everyone. Go figure.)

But the thing is Scott's not talking about the death of authors. He's concerned about the slow death of the Big Six.

The really big problem that has the writers up in arms is Scott's position as the president of Authors Guild, a group that supposed to be on the side of writers. Or so we thought.

In some of the brouhahas lately like the RH Hydra fiasco or the Nightshade spiral toward bankruptcy, Authors Guild has not said one word. Not one. Other organizations, such the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, have. But not one word out of Scott on behalf of Authors Guild.

For those who think other writers are picking on Scott Turow, well, I think they have every reason to question where his loyalties lie when the shit hits the fan and authors get taken for a ride by publishers.

Because of the massive upheavals in the publishing industry, I'm not inclined to join another writers' association. Or even rejoin one.

You see, I quit the Romance Writers of America. Or that's what I was accused of in a private e-mail last year. As I pointed out to this person, I didn't quit. I simply didn't bother to renew my membership.

It's nothing against RWA. If you're a beginning writer, I highly recommend joining RWA. For the money, their craft classes outstrip any MFA program in the nation. I may rejoin down the road. We'll see what happens through the rest of this year.

But when it comes to the business side of your publishing career, look to your right. See those blogs I have links to? Those are the people who have a clue about business. Read them.

Or not. It's your choice.

But whatever you do, don't listen to Scott Turow.

[Edit to add: Stonekettle Station isn't exactly a writers' blog, but Ret. Navy Chief Warrant Officer Jim Wright is funny as hell. His style of social commentary reminds me of Mark Twain. Don't read it if you're easily offended.]

Writers Behaving Badly - The Author Guild Smackdown

Get some popcorn and a drink before you read the following links. This is better than WWE match!

Okay, we all know about Amazon acquiring Goodreads. Big whoop, right?

Well, Scott Turow, the president of the Author's Guild, wrote a screed last Friday that made the Unibomber look positively sane. But that's not the good part.

The entertainment comes in the comments on that post and the follow-up commentary over at The Passive Voice.

Highlights:

- Rather than address the merits of the situation, YA author Ellen Hopkins called Bob Mayer a "scorned author" who has not reached the "stature of [Scott Turow]" and told him to "shut [his] mouth."

And Bob, an ex-Green Beret, could kill both Hopkins and Turow with his little finger. It doesn't mean he will. Kind of like Amazon taking over the world.

- An anonymous commenter calling himself (herself?) "Clamps" accused self-published authors of "spamming their way to the top."

Isn't this one getting old? It's right up there with J.A. Konrath buying a million of his own books in order to hit the Amazon Top 100.

- Ellen Hopkins claims Amazon reviews are more skewed than Goodreads. Passive Guy jumps in with "Just like the New York Times reviews."

Seriously, Ellen? Do you not understand how you got those glowing literati reviews?


What does this all come down to?

Not a Selket-damned thing, folks. This internal fighting is stupid. It's ridiculous. It's why I've withdrawn from the writers' organizations I used to belong to.

Nothing really matters except getting our words down and getting our stories in front of readers. How you do it is up to you.

[Edit to add: Since I wrote this post, comments on the Author's Guild blog post have been closed. Gee, I wonder why. *rolls eyes*]