Playing with the Big Boys

What an industry! Today's New York Times reports that Judith Regan, former editor at HarperCollins, has filed a huge lawsuit against her former employee for, among other things, mounting what might be called a modern day witch hunt against her for attempting to publish a fictional account of the OJ Simpson murders called, If I Did It. In addition, the article recounts the details of her affair with a high ranking New York City official being vetted for Homeland Security Head (ultimately denied) and alleged instructions to her to lie to federal investigator to protect this candidate's relationship with Giuliani, one of HarperCollins' superstars.

Delightful. Regardless of whether or not any of this is true, we now know a little about the inner workings of the industry. Just the fact that one could allege some of these events took place indicates, at the very least, that all is not what it seems in the world of media giants. Of course, we all probably knew this--after all, everything at a certain level is all about the money--but perhaps being a little closer to it makes me all the more thankful that I am not A) a member of the New York publishing world and B) glad that I have an agent to distance me from some of this.

Scruples? Apparently there are few at a certain echelon of any money manufacturing empire, but that doesn't mean that I need to be close enough to see them all first hand. The trick will be to ultimately play the game enough to be able to benefit from it without getting trampled in the process.

It's no mystery why independent bookstores are a dying breed; independent presses are run on a shoe string and its harder and harder to get a foot in the door without having a media presence. First you create a web site, then you attract a following, then you do the lecture circuit, maybe get a few shots on local talk shows and THEN you write the book. The reverse process no longer exists, unless you are a friend of Oprah.

Forget about cowboys. Don't let your children grow up to be writers.