Post B6lN2tJYH2vy4rJRK4 by lilithsaintcrow@raggedfeathers.com
 (DIR) More posts by lilithsaintcrow@raggedfeathers.com
 (DIR) Post #B6lN2sQxY1GVLXlqEK by lilithsaintcrow@raggedfeathers.com
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       Was talking to someone not in publishing this morning, and forced to articulate that the problem isn't tradpubs institutionally being toxic, abusive shitheels--that's nothing new.The problem is that now, as institutions, most tradpubs are not even performing basic business hygiene, and it shows.
       
 (DIR) Post #B6lN2sdimZTPz7k27c by lilithsaintcrow@raggedfeathers.com
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       Things like properly accounting/paying royalties and fulfilling basic contractual obligations are falling by the wayside at a shocking number of tradpubs right now.(The cynic in me thinks publishing higher-ups assumed LLMs would vomit "books" for free, removing pesky human writers from the mix.)
       
 (DIR) Post #B6lN2srXxAX4g0D4fg by lilithsaintcrow@raggedfeathers.com
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       The thing that shocks me the most isn't the refusal to provide contractually required editorial or marketing support, it's the increasing stories of slipshod royalty reporting/payment.This is not the mark of a healthy industry.
       
 (DIR) Post #B6lN2t6n2Uj3RHLFQm by lilithsaintcrow@raggedfeathers.com
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       Given a choice between going indie (having to do all the additional work of publishing, as well as business hygiene myself) and attempting to force a tradpub to perform basic, contractually mandated duties...Well, why would I pay percentages to a business partner who won't abide by contract?
       
 (DIR) Post #B6lN2tJYH2vy4rJRK4 by lilithsaintcrow@raggedfeathers.com
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       Anyway, the big problem in tradpub for a long time has been the institutional abuse of authors--the refusal to treat highly skilled creative labour as worthy of *any*, let alone *proper* remuneration.The "AI" grift simply poured fuel on those flames.
       
 (DIR) Post #B6lN2tZ9L3PWrEbtdQ by mwl@io.mwl.io
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       @lilithsaintcrow It's always been bad. It's gotten worse.I suspect but cannot prove that the trad pubs know they're on the way out.The knew how to business when authors had no choice, and now can't cope, so they're bailing.