The Great Amazon Debate

Amazon has been good to me.  As an independent author, Amazon helped me easily, seamlessly, and inexpensively get my work out into the world for others to read.  For that I am eternally grateful.

What I don't like is the predatory impulse seemingly in play in the game of publishing.  (If you haven't heard the uproar about Amazon and Hachette facing off on e-book proceeds, then this may not be a subject of interest to you.  But maybe it should be.)  Some will say this is the way of business not only in America but throughout the world, that the bigger, stronger, richer, perhaps wilier company prevails, and in prevailing, feels the need to stomp and stomp hard on every company in its wide wake on its way to dominance.  Our history is rife with examples.  However, the fact that the examples are plentiful does not make them good.  Random House was no better in its squishing of many smaller, historic, and notable publishing houses and by extension literary agencies and perhaps ultimately authors in its rise to hugeness.

Me, though, I prefer diversity: diversity of ecosystems, diversity of species, diversity of business structures, and diversity of thought.  I am getting my next book ready for publication.  This is exciting but now also troubling, for now I feel the need to explore other options, which may in some small way help to make sure that other options continue to exist.

http://www.kroah.com/log/linux/ols_2006_keynote.html