This essay, titled “The Slow Death of the American Author” and just published in The New York Times, is too important for anyone concerned about freedom of expression and diversity of opinion to miss. I am pleased to bring it to the attention of my readers:
I recently wrote, in my blogspot blog, about how the abundance of free content along with certain consolidation of power in a few hands in the e-publishing and publishing world was killing independent authors. Scott Turow, who is at the center of the action, confirms what I wrote there.
He writes: “The idea is that a diverse literary culture, created by authors whose livelihoods, and thus independence, can’t be threatened, is essential to democracy.”