Help! My Publisher is a Greedy Corporation!

It's hard to match the schadenfreude that comes from reading a headline like "Conservative Authors Sue Publisher" particularly when the publisher is the odious Regnery and mewling plaintiffs are "authors" like Jerome R. Corsi, Lt. Col. Robert (Buzz) Patterson and Richard Miniter -- men who have collectively penned such memorable tomes as Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry (Corsi), Dereliction of Duty: The Eyewitness Account of How Bill Clinton Compromised America's National Security (Patterson) and Shadow War: The Untold Story of How Bush Is Winning the War on Terror (Miniter). But as good as the headline is, the actual story of what drove the hit-man wing of the conservative party to court is even better.

The authors are suing because Regnery sells lots of books to book clubs at discounts for which they pay their authors lower royalties. Worse, whimper the plaintiffs, Regnery is a big conglomerate with interests in the very book club to whom they're doling out the cheap books. Really. That's what they're complaining about? Wasn't vertical integration and the concentration of corporate power is precisely what the conservatives have championed all these years? Let's remember that these are the folks who lobbied to break down the walls between investment and commercial banking, end traditional limitations on corporate ownership of multiple media outlets in the same market, and eviscerate all forms of governmental regulation that might level the playing field between workers and corporations.

As satisfying as the headline is, a topper comes in eighth paragraph of Motoko Rich's achingly straight NYT coverage. In it Mr. Minitner whines with no sense of irony whatsoever "Why is Regnery acting like a Marxist cartoon of a capitalist company?" Gosh? I don't know, maybe because your publisher is actually....um...a capitalist company. Who knew the swiftboaters were such wimpy whiners when it turns out that because of unequal bargaining power they struck stupid deals?

Now let's be clear -- I'm all for decent royalty schemes, heck I'm on strike now seeking a fair deal, but what I object to here is the hypocrisy. In their suit the authors literally argue that in "reducing royalty payments, the publisher is maximizing its profits and the profits of its parent company at their expense." Um, yes. Are you stupid? That's what corporations do. And just in case you missed it, while you've been loudly selling out millions of American workers while ravenously sanctifying the notion of the almighty corporation, this is what those corporations have been doing to those millions of workers -- exactly what you'd hoped -- maximizing value for it's shareholders at the expense of it's laborers. You asked for it, you got it. This is a hell of your own making. One you've inflicted on millions of American who actually need rather than feel entitled to the money. So instead of suing like a hypocrite, why do you just go home and deposit your paltry royalty check -- as far as I'm concerned what you wrote wasn't worth the paper it was printed on to begin with.

Comments

[ImmanuelGoldstein]

Obviously we need tort reform to preven these kinds of frivolous lawsuits.
What's the definition of a frivolous lawsuit? SOMEBODY ELSE'S lawsuit!

[tblue]

These idiots are "best-selling authors" only because of these discount book sales and giveaways. Without these fake sales, they would not be able to get any other gigs they have gotten from conservative sponsors and organizations, including being featured speakers on conservative tours and at conservative group meetings, which they have gotten based on name-recognition and "best-selling author" status.

The idiots have bought into their own hype. They think they really are best-selling authors, instead of the "best-selling authors" those fake book sales have dressed them up as.

[MasterfullyInept]

Now thats TRULY funny.

[Eoin45]

They don't like it when the "invisible hand" is in their pockets.

[BamaRainbow]

I'd love to see the REAL sales figures that these propagandistic pieces actually sell to customers instead of shills. It's been known for a long time that many of these books don't actually sell to real people, but are bought en masse by agents of the publishing house to inflate sales figures to get them on the Best Sellers lists. Since the agents are getting paid by the publisher (or a subsidiary) and the books go back to the warehouse, the publisher is then able to use those wonderful accounting techniques (similar to those used on the Hollywood blockbusters that make $200 million at the box office but somehow still lose money) to make those "sales" disappear.
I'd suggest these writers just live with their "losses" and demand a bigger advance before turning in their "oeuvres".

[fantagor]

Conservative ideology is built on the concept of "it hasn't affected me, so who cares?"

Every item they have pushed for or supported by default - the consolidation of corporate interests, the end of habeas corpus, warrantless wiretaps and data mining, torture, out sourcing the military - is a non-issue...till it actually intrudes on their bubble.

Then they blame liberals and the left (Karl Marx?) and all is right with the world.

Randy

[NChooseK]

When I scan the right wing sites, which isn't that often, seems there's always a "join the site and get such and such book free!" promotion going on. It's not always Regnery books. Sometimes it's Coulter or O'Reilly or another one of the "big leaguers" on the right.

It makes me wonder how many of the books actually make it into the hands of readers.

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

I'll save my sympathy for the WGA - the pablum they churn out never started a war, nor does it support a Fascist regeime. Please note that FOX writers are not represented by a union, so Murdoch's propaganda show 24 doesn't count.

[faust2001]

The Conservative idealogy is dead in the water. It has been shown for the fraud that it is.

[DRaymond]

I would love it if this gets to the damages phase and they point out exactly how many copies they would have likely sold if it weren't for the book clubs targeted marketing or even how many book clubs would have carried the book if they weren't owned by the publisher.

Because grunble about the publishers if you wish, but they love full-price off the bookshelves sales too. It makes more money for them as well.

But let me explain how the bookstore business works. Bookstores preorder enough copies to make a nice big display on the new releases rack. The publishers have to print based on those preorders. Then all but a few that are unsold by the time they move off the new releases rack are boxed up and sent back to the publisher as returns. Where do those go? Mostly to the book clubs.

[sufi66]

These writers should unionize to prevent exploitation.

The union should be called the "Ayn Rand Collective."

Don't look now but your swiftboats are leaking---lots and lots of money. Wait till you get your lawyer bills too!

[fedupwiththis]

Couldn't happen to a more deserving group of lying, cheating hacks.

[steveveresdotcom]

Ahhh! The dolci vendetti of punishment to fit the chickens come home to roost in their own scat. Surely the Swift-Boaters were aware that Richard Mellon Scaife's minions at Regnery distribute mainly through offal-mongers like The Conservative Book Club, because going back at least to the Bircher classic "None Dare Call It Treason", no one in their right mind BUYS this bunk.

[Desiderata]

priceless!

[hopeless277]

Even if they win, I'm sure Preznit FairBush will step in and nullify the verdict. Can't have corps paying out their hard won cash to freeloaders, can we? What a president that would set!! Holy Profits, Batman, head for the Caymans.