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It was pure evil genius for Amazon to offer a pool of funds to compensate authors, split 50-50 with Hachette. We’ve offered to Hachette to fund 50% of an aut

by panarky 12y ago

It was pure evil genius for Amazon to offer a pool of funds to compensate authors, split 50-50 with Hachette. We’ve offered to Hachette to fund 50% of an author pool – to be allocated by Hachette – to mitigate the impact of this dispute on author royalties, if Hachette funds the other 50%. Hachette's response isn't nearly so clever. Once we have reached such an agreement, we will be happy to discuss with Amazon its ideas about compensating authors for the damage its demand for improved terms may have done them, and to pass along any payments it considers appropriate.

nkurz 12y ago
For easy reference, Amazon's full statement is here: http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle/ref=cm_cd_fp_ef_tft_tp?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx1D7SY3BVSESG&cdThread=Tx1UO5T446WM5YY http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle/ref=cm_cd_fp_ef_tft_tp?_e... Amazon made a similar offer to Macmillan several years ago, and in fact authors did end up being paid an "outage adjustment" as a result: http://www.mhpbooks.com/amazon-macmillan-pay-authors-for-books-that-were-never-sold/ http://www.mhpbooks.com/amazon-macmillan-pay-authors-for-boo...
danudey 12y ago
It really feels like Amazon is the bad guy in this situation though. They've demanded terms from Hachette, then lashed out by slowing, then ceasing entirely, sales of Hachette's books. That doesn't seem like a mature way of dealing with things (at least, not without a little more communication rather than just cutting them off unannounced). Hachette's response makes sense. 'We didn't agree to the terms you tried to dictate to us, and now you're saying it's half our fault that these authors lost revenues as a result of your retaliation?'
- mullingitover 12y ago
  > It really feels like Amazon is the bad guy in this situation though. They've demanded terms from Hachette, then lashed out by slowing, then ceasing entirely, sales of Hachette's books Aren't they doing a standard renegotiation of their contract? If they don't have a contract, Amazon is under no obligation to sell Hachette's products at all. Meanwhile, I wasn't in the room for their contract negotiation, but who's to say that Hachette isn't the one making unreasonable demands?

by panarky 12y ago

nkurz 12y ago

For easy reference, Amazon's full statement is here: http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle/ref=cm_cd_fp_ef_tft_tp?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx1D7SY3BVSESG&cdThread=Tx1UO5T446WM5YY http://www.amazon.com/forum/kindle/ref=cm_cd_fp_ef_tft_tp?_e... Amazon made a similar offer to Macmillan several years ago, and in fact authors did end up being paid an "outage adjustment" as a result: http://www.mhpbooks.com/amazon-macmillan-pay-authors-for-books-that-were-never-sold/ http://www.mhpbooks.com/amazon-macmillan-pay-authors-for-boo...

danudey 12y ago

It really feels like Amazon is the bad guy in this situation though. They've demanded terms from Hachette, then lashed out by slowing, then ceasing entirely, sales of Hachette's books. That doesn't seem like a mature way of dealing with things (at least, not without a little more communication rather than just cutting them off unannounced). Hachette's response makes sense. 'We didn't agree to the terms you tried to dictate to us, and now you're saying it's half our fault that these authors lost revenues as a result of your retaliation?'

mullingitover 12y ago
> It really feels like Amazon is the bad guy in this situation though. They've demanded terms from Hachette, then lashed out by slowing, then ceasing entirely, sales of Hachette's books Aren't they doing a standard renegotiation of their contract? If they don't have a contract, Amazon is under no obligation to sell Hachette's products at all. Meanwhile, I wasn't in the room for their contract negotiation, but who's to say that Hachette isn't the one making unreasonable demands?