So, What The Hell Is Wrong With Traditional Publishers?

David Gaughran has written a fascinating post on his blog—Publishers Behaving Badly, Part… I’ve Lost Count.

Right after he indicates that the two essential players in the book-world are writers and readers and that retailers are at least acting somewhat rational about justifying their cut of the money (leaving agents, publishers, and distributors in a somewhat suspicious position), he says:

“Publishers seem determined to move in the opposite direction: making the proposition of publishing with them less attractive rather than more attractive, reducing advances, worsening contract terms, and treating writers as marks rather than partners – despite whatever guff accompanies the launch of their latest initiatives.”

He then goes on to indict Random House about the scandalous terms they offered authors with their new digital-first imprints—Hydra, Alibi, Flirt & Loveswept.

But Gaughran certainly isn’t alone.

Here are just a few other opinions (and, a bit of news…) about this outrage:

Authors Warned Away from eBook-Only Imprints

Second-Class Contracts? Deal Terms at Random House’s Hydra Imprint

Hydra Changes Contract Terms in Response to Pressure From Writers Groups

Random House Revises Contract for Digital-First SF Imprint Hydra – Promises to Exploit Authors Less

Random House Announces New Terms at Digital Imprints Hydra, Alibi, Loveswept, and Flirt

It will be interesting to see what actually falls out from this dramatic turn of events…

Back at Gaughran’s post, he also has something to say on these topics:

Author Solutions Class Action?

Simon & Schuster Offers Bribes To Pimp Author Solutions

Dymocks-owned D Publishing is Toast

I can only imagine future headlines, future escapades, future fails for a dinosaur industry that needs massive transformation just to stay alive………
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