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As I read these discussions, I feel frustrated and a little sad. When did Mobileread become such an unfriendly place? I begin to understand why so many writers drop in but then don't visit very often. This used to be a congenial place for writers to visit. That's not so true anymore.
I'm fine with people having differing views on the Amazon/Macmillan fight. But I get really tired of hearing posters who apparently have little knowledge of how book publishing works carry on endlessly about how stupid publishers are, or what morons authors are for dealing with them. I get tired of reading, "Author X said something online that sucked. I'm never reading his/her books again!" Or worse, "Author Y is such an ass for being at Publisher Z, I'm never reading his/her books again!" And worst of all, I hate people putting words in my mouth that I never said.
I've been a working writer for over thirty years. I don't know everything about publishing, but I've picked up a fair amount of knowledge and experience. And guess what! I don't know what effect these new changes will have on my profitability as an author. No one knows. There are too many variables. Every book's experience is different. Every book contract is different. Much of the equation is hard to quantify, such as how the overall profitability of a publisher affects its willingness and ability to publish less lucrative titles (such as your typical SF novel). It's not just about the immediate formula.
Do I have reservations and suspicions about the Agency model? Yes, I do. Am I "siding" with Macmillan? No, I'm not. Do I have loyalty to the people at my publisher who work hard on my behalf? Sure I do. Am I glad that most of my ebooks, even of books that were published by Tor, are published independently? Absolutely. Do I favor low-priced, DRM-free ebooks? Totally.
Do I think Amazon behaved despicably? Damn straight.
Is it time for me to stop reading these discussions? I'm pretty sure it is.
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