Is It Really All About Money?

I’ve read this week about two lawsuits currently pending. They both concern the work of authors who have died. And in both cases it’s one part of the family suing another part.

One of the lawsuits concerns the work of John Steinbeck. The other is about Tom Clancy.

What happened to preserving the legacy of authors once they die? So many times lawsuits are filed almost immediately upon the death of an author. I guess this is no different from other types of celebrities who leave their families to fight over large estates. But it’s still a bit disappointing.

I think Robert B. Parker did it best. He left his series in the hands of other authors he knew. Though I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to read a Spenser or Jesse Stone novel written by another author, at least there was no fight when Parker died unexpectedly.

Do you think it immediately becomes all about the money involved once an author dies?

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Breaking A Rule

I have a rule. The rule is that I won’t read multiple series by the same author at the same time. Then Prime Day happened and anew release was available for $8! It’s the first book in a new series by an author I really enjoy. I’ve resisted the urge to pick it up and start reading for about a month I’m just about ready to break my rule and start it. After all, I haven’t finished anything since February. 

Adaptations Everywhere

They’re everywhere. Every time I read a story about a new show or miniseies it appears to have been adapted from a book. I’m trying to figure out if this has been the case for decades or if I’m just more aware of it now.

Think of movies. Think of TV series. Think of what you see created by Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix. So much of their content is adapted from books. Cable networks and streaming services seem more likely to adapt books into something else, but broadcast networks jump into the mix too.

This isn’t meant to be a criticism. Authors are wonderful. But it makes you wonder if there are authors more concerned with the adaptability of their work than the quality of it.

Whoops.

Yesterday I wrote about Amazon largely ignoring readers during its annual Prime Day. I may have been mistaken.

There’s a new book I’m interested in coming out next week. I happened to see a tweet from its author stating that the book was 70% off on Amazon. I checked. It was. A brand new release was $8.40. I decided to buy it. Then noticed that Amazon was (and still is) running a promo on books. $5 off $15. Not exactly the mountain of savings you could have from other items, but it is something. The promo code is primebooks17.

Also, this week is coupon week at my local HPB.

Readers Largely Ignored On Prime Day

Today is Prime Day on Amazon. The site’s Black Friday type day in July. All Amazon devices are marked down, including Kindles. But I already have a Fire tablet. I’m in no need of an ereader.

Last night once I settled in after work I decided to take a look at the deals. There are many. But very few on anything I’d want. Largely absent from the deals? Books.

I understand that books may not be as sexy as other items, but why not I Clyde them when other media is included? There are a few books included, but hardly enough to write about.

I’d like to see $1, $2, and $3 paperback categories. Hardcovers for $5 or $10. That’s my idea of real deals on Prime Day. I’ll be sitting this one out for the third straight year.

Bill O’Reilly Lost More Than A Job

By now you’re aware that Bill O’Reilly is no longer on Fox News. I imagine you’re also aware that he’s one of the most prolific authors writing today. That may soon be changing.

Publishing is like anything else, a business. It’s about money. While at Fox News he had millions of people to promote his books to. He was able to sell a great number of books this way. But that could be changing. After it became publicly known that his employer had paid out millions of dollars to settle sexual harassment allegations made against O’Reilly he was taken off the air.

His book sales saw an immediate downturn. His forthcoming book has not been pulled, though one can only wonder how much longer his publisher will be willing to release new books written by him if the financial numbers are no longer there.

The topic of his publisher standing behind him after the allegations came to light may surprise some, but not me. It’s all about the money.

The Problem With Some Literary Criticism

Have you ever heard someone mutter, “How could someone give _____ a book deal?” I know you have. Or they’ll question why anyone would read a book by ______. But those criticisms all miss the mark.

I have no issue with disagreeing with the views of someone. I have no issue with disagreeing with the content of a book. But once we get into this discussion as to who deserves to have their name on a book we delve into a discussion that really boils down to censorship.

Don’t like Bill O’Reilly? Don’t read his books. Don’t care for Bill Cosby? No one is forcing you to read his work. And this is the same in every case. Politicians, celebrities, whomever. If you feel so strongly about someone having a book, then speak out about it. Tell why you feel the way you do. Heck, write a book of your own. But we tend to criticize countries and governments and societies that censor their books, let’s not mistakenly aim to do the same because we have negative feelings toward someone.