Quote:
Originally Posted by j.p.s
Notwithstanding any possibly strong PR value or leverage, how would accepting the offer put any money in authors' pockets since Hachette controls the rights?
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It wouldn't. The authors have no voice in the fight.
Amazon proposed paying the authors directly *if* Hachette agreed.
(Knowing full well that Hachette wouldn't.)
(After all, Hachette rejected the previous offer of a compensation pool.)
Now it is up to the authors to beg Hachette to change their mind.
(They shouldn't hold their breaths.)
The purpose of the proposal is to make the point that if any author is losing money and facing hardship (which doesn't include the oh-so-vocal millionaires) it isn't Amazon's doing but Hachette's. Which is why Amazon also revealed that Hachette's contract with them expired way back in March, which means that Amazon owes nothing to Hachette nor its authors. If they really wanted to get nasty, they would have delisted them back in April and they would have been completely within their rights. (And they probably will, soon.)
No contract, no talks: no sales.