How To Take Some Control Away From the Publishers
By Jerry D. Simmons | July 21st, 2009 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
It astonishes me that publishers refuse to release sales information to their writers. When I worked in New York, there was never a hesitation to release information to those authors and agents who made such a request. Of course we always tried to make it as confusing as possible, but if questioned, we were willing to explain. Problem is, we were never questioned.
Nothing would please me more than to see authors take away the outrageous control that publishers have over the information they share with authors. It’s your book, your product; yes they control the rights but not the information. What would it take to regain the upper hand on these publishers? A unified front from published authors at all levels, demaning a consistent reporting structure from publishers.
I have no experience as an organizer of this type but if anyone has the background and desire to start such a campaign to spread the word among all writers, please let me know. What we want is for publishers to provide their authors with a strict reporting structure following the guidelines we establish, of information about the sale and distribution of their book(s). This is the only way authors are going to be able to hold their publishers accountable for treatment detrimental to their careers.
I’m tired of hearing about publishers who refuse to give their authors basic information. This is unacceptable to me and should be to everyone reading this blog. Authors need to stop allowing this to happen and quit accepting treatment that is designed to keep you in the dark. Start making some demands of your own. We could make some big changes in the publishing industry if we could organize the efforts of all authors. Remember, they need you a lot more than you need them because they need product!
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