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I only got paid the first 1/3rd, and walked away from the second 2/3rds after we were almost complete. Writing that honest letter cost me $42,900. Maybe I'm a

I only got paid the first 1/3rd, and walked away from the second 2/3rds after we were almost complete. Writing that honest letter cost me $42,900. Maybe I'm a jerk, maybe you want to defend how badly traditional publishing treats their authors and staff (do you really think they can't do better? much better?) - but yeah, I walked away from around $50k here, and the writing was already agreed by agent and editor to be excellent at that point. Principled stand, man. Most people don't get it, can't get it. But I think things need to improve, so I'm going to try to force things to improve.

cperciva 15y ago
Quitting a job you hate is not "taking a principled stand". Taking a principled stand would be if you said "I love working with you, but I can't do it if you're going to continue to (print books on paper made from unsustainable forestry practices | allow the Chinese government to censor books | do other random evil stuff)". The fact that you wrote a multi-page rant about how much you hate working with them demonstrates that you're quitting for your own sake, not because of any "principles".
- lionhearted 15y ago
  > Quitting a job you hate is not "taking a principled stand". I disagree. How much would the world change if everyone started doing it tomorrow? > you're quitting for your own sake, not because of any "principles". We're already written. I told them they need to improve how they treat people, audit and remove bureaucracy, and do better for everyone to keep working with me. I didn't ask for any terms for myself. Just doing better in general, modernizing, and treating everyone better. I probably could have gotten my personal goals met easily with a personal letter, instead I'm in a public fight. You can be as cynical as you want, but I walked away from $50k, a solid credential, and a lot of open doors to try to improve an important-but-badly-flawed-industry. Anyways. Keep your cynicism and skepticism. I admire it, actually, and the open dialog. But if you change your mind later, will you write it publicly? A lot more is going to happen going forwards.

cperciva 15y ago

Quitting a job you hate is not "taking a principled stand". Taking a principled stand would be if you said "I love working with you, but I can't do it if you're going to continue to (print books on paper made from unsustainable forestry practices | allow the Chinese government to censor books | do other random evil stuff)". The fact that you wrote a multi-page rant about how much you hate working with them demonstrates that you're quitting for your own sake, not because of any "principles".

lionhearted 15y ago
> Quitting a job you hate is not "taking a principled stand". I disagree. How much would the world change if everyone started doing it tomorrow? > you're quitting for your own sake, not because of any "principles". We're already written. I told them they need to improve how they treat people, audit and remove bureaucracy, and do better for everyone to keep working with me. I didn't ask for any terms for myself. Just doing better in general, modernizing, and treating everyone better. I probably could have gotten my personal goals met easily with a personal letter, instead I'm in a public fight. You can be as cynical as you want, but I walked away from $50k, a solid credential, and a lot of open doors to try to improve an important-but-badly-flawed-industry. Anyways. Keep your cynicism and skepticism. I admire it, actually, and the open dialog. But if you change your mind later, will you write it publicly? A lot more is going to happen going forwards.