And now, some thoughts on subjects pertaining to publishing. I’ll use myself as an example for much of this.
1. I am in business with Amazon, though
subsidiary. , I am deeply happy with my experience working with Audible (and thus, by extension, Amazon). They’ve been a very good business partner to me.
2. I am also in business with Hachette, via its Gollancz imprint in the UK. I think what Amazon’s doing to US Hachette authors at the moment well and truly sucks. I heartily remind people that just because Amazon has been screwing these authors by making it impossible to buy their books there, doesn’t mean you can’t get those books — pretty much immediately — from all sorts of other retailers, including local bookstores. This might also be a fine time to install a Kobo or Nook or iBook app on your tablet or smartphone and diversify your eBook retailers.
3. I am in business with Random House, through its Heyne imprint in Germany. I have had an excellent business relationship with Heyne and think very highly of the people who work there. You may also recall that last year, when Random House attempted egregious bullshit with the contracts for their digital imprints Hydra and Alibi, , because they were trying to screw authors, no two ways about it.
4. I am in business with Macmillan, through Tor Books. As most of you know, I have been very happy with Tor, who treats me very well and who is very sup I have the career I have because Tor has done well by me. What most of you may not know is that one major reason there was a three-year gap between Zoe’s Tale and Fuzzy Nation was because Tor and I had a substantial business disagreement, and I chose not to write new work for Tor for a while. The details of that disagreement are not important now — water under the bridge — but it was significant enough that I walked away from the company and worked on other things. Then it was done, we came to an understanding, and now we are working together again, quite happily.
What’s the point to all of the above?
Publishing is a business. As a writer, you are enaging in business with others, sometimes including large corporations. It’s not a team sport. It’s not an arena where there are “sides.” There’s no “either/or” choice one has to make, either with the businesses one works with or how one publishes one’s work. Anyone who simplifies it down to that sort of construct either doesn’t understand the business or is actively disingenuous, and isn’t doing you any favors regardless. The “side” you should be on is your own (and, if you choose, that of other authors).
These businesses and corporations are not your friends. They will seek to extract the maximum benefit from you that they can, and from others with whom they engage in business, consistent with their current set of business goals. This does not make them evil — it makes them business entities (they might also be evil, or might not be, but that’s a different thing). If you’re treating these businesses as friends, you’re likely to get screwed.
(And for God’s sake, don’t confuse being friends with people at those businesses with being friends with the business. I have very good friends at Tor. It didn’t stop me from having a substantial business disagreement with the company. Businesses aren’t your friends, even when they employ friends.)
Sometimes the goals of these businesses will align with yours. Sometimes they will not. And often a company that you’ve found yourself in alignment with previously will tack off on a different course, leaving you behind. Maybe you’ll realign at some later point. Maybe you won’t. If you’re under the impression that any business will always align with your own set of business goals, you are likely missing something. Expecting businesses that are not your own to act in a manner other than their own self-interest is likely to end in disappointment for you.
You’re allowed to think more than one thing about a company at the same time. I like what Amazon’s doing in the audiobook space, especially as it involves me. I think what it’s doing to Hachette authors sucks, in no small part because it happened to me, a few years back, when Amazon had a similar fight with Macmillan. Amazon
it’s also made it clear to me that it doesn’t give a shit about my career when its interests are elsewhere. Amazon isn’t the only business partner I have that I can say that about. It’s clarifying, I will say.
Your business relationships are allowed to be complex, entangled and even contradictory. How do I feel about being in business with Hachette and Amazon? I feel fine about it, obviously. Likewise, I feel fine about being in business with, for example, Macmillan and Subterranean Press, both of whom have published the same work of mine, in different formats. . I’m going to keep doing that, because I like to eat and I know where my ethical lines are. You can do this too. The person to decide what limits you choose to place on your business should be you.
Publishing is a business. I said that already. Guess what? I’m saying it again. If you’re not approaching it as a business, with the same eye toward your own business goals as those you’re in business with undoubtedly have on theirs, then when you find yourself completely at a loss and utterly dependent on the business choices of a company that fundamentally doesn’t care about you outside of a ledger entry, the amount of sympathy you’ll get — from me, anyway, and I suspect from other authors who tend to the business of their writing — will be smaller than you might hope.
Update, 7/10/14:
and discussion.
Taunting the tauntable since 1998
John Scalzi, proprietor
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Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.英语1.（）?It's D.A.What is it B.Is it D C.Letter D D.How is it2.It's time for you to go to bed,Jane.OK.(),Mom.A.Good night B.Goodbye C.Good evening D.See you3.Is that () Chinese car?Yes,it is.A.a B.an C.the D.什么都不写4.(),I'm late.A.Sorry B.Morning C.Hello D.Hi5.Sorry()A.Right B.All right C.That's right D.That's all right6.There is () “h” in the word “her”.A.a B.什么都不写 C.an D.the7.Who is Mary?The girl () in red skirt.A.is B.am C.什么都不写 D.are 8.Can you spell her name?(),I can't.A.Excuse me B.Sorry C.No D.Yes9.Hello!() Yang Ming.A.This is B.You are C.It's a D.Where is10.What's his name?()A.Peter B.Kate C.Linda D.Alice 二、【补全对话】A:Thank you.B:That's (1) (2).1.__ 2.__三、根据对话内容,从对话后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项.Teacher:Good morning,class!Students:_1_,Miss Wang!Teacher:How are you,Jim?Jim:_2_,Miss Wang._3_?Teacher:I'm fine,too._4_?Li Lei:My name is Li Lei.Teacher:Hello,Li Lei!Li Lei:_5_,Miss Wang!Teacher:Sit down,please.Li Lei:Thank you.A.Thank youB.How are youC.Good morningD.HelloE.What's you nameF.Fine,thank you四、【阅读理解】APeter:Excuse me.Are you Mary?Rose:No,my name is Rose.Peter:Oh,I'm sorry!My name is Peter.Nice to meet you.Rose:Nice to meet you,too.Are you in Class Peter:Yes,I am.Rose:Then we are in the same class.Oh,Mary is coming.Mary:Hi,Rose!Rose:Hi,Mary!This is Peter,our new classmate(同学).Peter:Hello,Mary!Mary:Hello,Peter!Nice to meet you.Peter:Nice to meet you,too!I'm glad to be in the same class with you two.Rose:It's time for class.Let's go together(一起).Mary:OK!Lest's go.根据对话内容判断正（T）误（F）.（）1.Peter is a new student.（）2.Peter knows Mary very well.（）3.Mary and Rose are in the same class （）4.Peter is glad to be in the same class with Mary and Rose.（）5.They are all in Class 3.B 阅读短文,完成下面的问题.Hello!I'm Barbara Green.I'm a girl.Look!I have long hair.I'm from Canada.I live at 255 Scarborough Street,Toronto,MIS SB3.My telephone number is .My e-mail address is .Do you like to give a call or an e-mail to me?I'd like to be your friend.[address(地址)] ____________[Post code(邮政编码)] ____________五、按要求写句子1.This is a quilt.(对“a quilt”提问)____________2.This is a white map.(改为同义句)____________3.He is fine today.(对“fine”提问)____________4.Thank you very much..（作出礼貌应答）____________5.He is Percy.（改为同义句）____________6.It’s an orange.（对“an orange”提问）What’s that____________?7.Her bike is green.（对“green”提问）____________is her bike?
一.5：A A D A D10：C A C A A二.all right三.1.C 2.F 3.B 4.E 5.D四.A.5：T F T T FB.[address(地址)] ：255 Scarborough Street,Toronto,MIS SB3 Telephone number is 五.1.What’s this?2.This map is white3.How is he today?4.You are welcome5.This boy is Percy6.fruit7.What colour要好好学习,不要偷懒呦!
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