Posts from — February 2010

Everyone in Denver: I heart you.

While I stayed at Jennifer Louden’s house, we talked about heartbreak, writing, and teaching. Plus she and Bob cooked for me and let me do laundry. It was awesome.

Untitled from jennifer louden on Vimeo.

Excerpt from my recent Huffington Post blog:

The recent throwdown between Amazon and Macmillan publishers is very, very interesting. I’m observing from three perspectives—as a working author trying to make a living as such; a Macmillan author, and an ex-music business exec.

When I read this on an Amazon forum: “I am not in the habit of supporting bullies…” I thought, yes. The idea that Amazon would actually refuse to sell an item because the supplier would not consent to their pricing demands was shocking, awful, a manifestation of everything that is wrong with the way we sell art/entertainment in our culture. A total and complete bully’s move.

Then I read this,  “…and will forever refrain from purchasing any book published by Macmillan [heretofore known as 'the bully'] or any of its divisions. I vote with my money and they just lost my vote.”

Oh my. How did the American public get hoodwinked into believing that the suppliers are the bullies rather than the retailers?

As an ex-music business exec (1989-2000), I’ve already seen how the story ends when an industry allows retailers (rather than suppliers) to set product pricing. Recording companies waited around for someone else to take the hit by telling Best Buy or Walmart to stuff their “loss-leader” strategies and outrageous price and position fees. But no one did. Kudos to Macmillan’s John Sargent for his bold gesture.  And shame on Amazon for calling the move to accept Macmillan’s pricing (for now) a capitulation. That word really gave me the creeps. Silly us-and-them PR, dudes. As if you were the ones struggling to hold on to margins, not publishers and not the lowest paid of all in this supply chain, the author. (Somehow, we’re never considered in this debate. If the publisher’s prices fall, so do our royalties. Which are an urban legend anyway.)

Amazon, you are being ridiculous. Just call it like it is: YOU WANT TO MAKE MORE MONEY.

And if anyone stopped to consider the author’s royalty (which is not paid by Amazon), they would see who is really being trampled here. Jeez.

5 Steps to Heal a Broken Heart

Long interview on WebTalk Radio.