On the same week that the New York Times reported he gave up a lavish private office for a 6-foot X 7-foot cube in an open-plan office, Hachette CEO Michael Pietsch announced conclusion of an e-book sales deal with Amazon. He says the deal is “great news for writers,” but he also says he doesn’t miss his office.
Yesterday, November 13, Amazon and Hachette both offered glowing assessments of their new working arrangement, though they didn’t offer specifics. Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer, shared the the latest, hottest details with CCC’s Chris Kenneally.
“Frankly, I don’t much care about the actual terms, because soon enough we will see how that all plays out on quarterly earning statements,” Albanese notes. “I’ve been quite frustrated by the coverage of this negotiation; from the outset, this has been pitched by supporters and opponents on both sides as a high-stakes battle for the future of the book. But it isn’t, and it never was. It was always a negotiation masquerading as a debate. And for all the people who were waving the flag for Hachette, and urging them to stand tall in the fight, what now?”
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Every Friday, CCC’s “Beyond the Book” speaks with the editors and reporters of “Publishers Weekly” for an early look at the news that publishers, editors, authors, agents and librarians will be talking about when they return to work on Monday.