Why I Don't Feel Sorry for Hachette

It�s not in my nature to come out in favor of a market-gobbling conglomerate, but in the very public battle between Amazon and the lesser conglomerate Hachette, I�m taking Amazon�s side.

At least for today.

Many have portrayed the fight, which reportedly has to do with how much Amazon can charge for e-books (both sides are mum on the details), as an effort by Amazon to destroy traditional publishing. According to that narrative, by destroying (or harming) traditional publishing, Amazon is silencing not just Hachette but the (sometimes poor and struggling) writers that Hachette publishes.

Of course, Hachette publishes many wonderful, talented, amazing (rich and successful) writers, all of who deserve to have their works for sale in the marketplace. And let�s face it I don�t think anyone thinks Amazon is actually attempting to destroy writers� chances of being published. After all, Amazon makes a lot of money selling books; destroying writers� careers and the marketplace for books would be counterproductive.

I saw one writer post on Facebook, that �Amazon's bullying tactics� affect not just big names like Malcolm Gladwell and James Patterson but �ordinary writers too, small time writers, first-time writers��in fact, �all writers.�

This is where I beg to differ. It seems to be that Amazon�s strategy doesn�t affect those writers who have tried again and again, sending out hundreds of queries, to find a literary agent to represent them to no avail. Nor does it affect those briefly lucky writers who have signed with an agent, but whose books, despite diligent effort on their agents� parts, never get published.

The truth is that Hachette and the other Big Five publishers aren�t willing to take a chance on most writers, especially those representing off-beat or minority voices. Smaller publishers are more likely to take risks, but they lack the marketing power to reach a broad audience. As far as I can see, only one company, with the power to produce bestsellers in a flash, has taken an open mind to the new writer, �the small time writer, first time writer� and that company is Amazon.