Is This Ethical?

A well-known publisher of public relations information that includes a monthly magazine is requesting submissions for a book on nonprofit communications. Contributors will not be paid for submissions, which will average 1,000 words and must not have appeared anywhere else. And yet, the book will probably sell for the same price as this company's other books: $399. That's right. $399.

Some publishing model, eh? Gather up the free content, format it, print it, and sell it at a price that is 16 times the cover price of a "traditional" book like mine, Publicity for Nonprofits. I don't take issue with the price -- if they can get it from a nonprofit, more power to them. But selling it for that much and not paying contributors a cent for their submissions? That's offensive.

But is it unethical? It is by my standards, but is it unethical by the standards of others, especially those targeted by the publisher? I realize that people won't know how this publisher does business, but if they did, would they think it's wrong? Do you think it's wrong? In my opinion, if you're going to sell a book for $399, the least you can do is pay your contributors a token amount for their intellectual capital -- even $100 each would help eliminate the greedy image I now have of this publisher.

And how ironic is that: A company that makes its living helping companies shape, control, and manage their images is acquiring an image for being greedy. Nice.

So what's your opinion? Is this approach ethical?

Major Publisher & University Bringing Authors to Kids

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing and Ball State University have announced they have partnered to bring S&S authors and illustrators into more than 30,000 schools nationwide through live, interactive Web broadcasts. The upcoming "electronic author visits" (EAV) use BSU's electronic field trips program to let students and teachers interact directly with authors and illustrators through live video, discussion forums, and downloadable learning activities.

S&S has formed an exclusive three-year agreement with BSU; it plans to host three EAVs each year. Andrew Clements, author of FRINDLE and NO TALKING, will kick-off the program in March. D. J. MacHale and MargaretPeterson Haddix will also participate.

Well, hey, how cool is this for the handful of authors selected to participate? It is, after all, all about connecting with your target audience. Will other publishers create similar programs as well? Let's expand the concept to high schools and colleges -- my how-to publicity book for small businesses is used as a publicity textbook in several colleges and I'd love an opportunity to hear from students and answer their questions through a Webcast.

But let's pretend we're little kids again. What author do you wish you could have talked to when you were in elementary school? And what would you have asked via a Webcast? I wrote a fan letter to Louisa May Alcott when I was in third grade. Yeah, that's right, she was dead, but what eight-year-old fan of Little Women, Little Men and Rose in Bloom knows that? She would have been my first choice for a chat. Who would you have picked?