Publishers as Pimps?

Even the handful of remaining NYC publishers (about to get even smaller with the merge of Random House and Penguin) are turning into predators out to pimp their author's work and gouge them using viciously unfair contract agreements. Coming under heavy fire, Random House has just backpedaled significantly on it's contract agreements (though there are still major problems) after several large writer organizations and writer protection groups came down hard on them. Read all about it here on David Gaughran's Blog. Deciding not to publish with a supposedly prestigious New York Publishing house could save both your butt and your wallet. Writer beware!

One thing I'd also like to point out to romance writers is to please take note that the largest writing organization leading the way in litigation and outspoken challenge to the Big NYC houses is not a romance writer's organization, but one that represents Science Fiction and Fantasy authors (SFWA). And this is despite that the SF/F market makes up a fraction of the total book sales market, while romance makes up a much larger sales chunk (specifically $1.4 Billion annually for Romance books vs. $579 Million for Science Fiction and Fantasy books, combined (2011 figures)). I'll let you draw your own conclusions about the state of internal support for writers in both of those genres. I hate to sound like a harpy, but there is no better time to be an INDIE. Get on that! 

photo credit: Anna Fischer via photopin cc