https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/16/books/simon-schuster-distribution-jonathan-mattingly.html
The book distribution company Simon and Schuster recently cancelled their book deal with Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly (one of the officers involved in the shooting of Breonna Taylor) amid public outcry. It took less than 12 hours for the company to announce the cancellation after their initial announcement of the book deal after it was met with sharp outrage, a turnaround almost unheard of in terms of book deals. The publisher Post Hill later announced its support of Sgt. Mattingly’s book, but without a distributor it will be a challenge to sell copies. It should also be noted that a client of Simon and Schuster found that cancellation violated their contract and Simon and Schuster later rolled back their cancellation of the book.
This is not the first time Simon and Schuster have cancelled distribution with conservative authors: they also cancelled a book deal with Senator Josh Hawley, one of the senators blamed with inciting the Jan. 6th Capitol riot.
The New York Times describes it as the latest in a long history of publishers and distributors navigating social and political pressures involved in publishing books from right-wing authors. Most of the time, publishers have dedicated houses for conservative media, but with the Trump administration came increased backlash against publishing these books.
Connection to Econ: Not entirely related to coursework, but a very insightful example of companies using left-wing political statements as advertising. That’s not to say S&S’ intentions were entirely disingenuous, but recently there have been a surge of companies making political statements seemingly in order to inspire outrage, as it has been found to boost sales and stock value. Here’s a good video essay on the topic.
Questions:
1. Do you think publishers and distributors should make moral objections to the books they publish? Discuss.
2. Are politics good for advertising? Discuss.
3 comments:
The worst part about this is that Mattingly is now going to profit off of the pain of his victim and the community. According to NPR, his book will still be published by Post Hill. Interestingly, this publisher has also published books by the likes of Laura Loomer and Matt Gaetz, both of which are quite conservative. That being said, the first amendment exists. Mattingly has already exercised this right, being the only officer involved in the killing to speak out. There have been loads of books in the past that have been extremely controversial but still published, such as the Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie, which critics say is extremely offensive to muslims. However, many of these controversial books are also bestsellers, which is why it’s really sad that Mattingly will probably make a lot of money off this book even though he doesn’t have the support of a large distributor.
Publishers should not publish books of murderers. This isn't a debate of conservative vs. liberal, left vs. right. This is a case of a police officer brutally killing a person. The punishment didn't fit the crime. People should not view this book as a conservative uprising (or whatever they see it to be); it is an attempt to make money off the far right who believe this is somehow an issue of party. The publisher is also responsible for publishing the book in the first case, but it is a risky move. All the negative publicity could impact the longevity of their company. Looking at what Arnav had commented, other controversial titles arise as bestsellers. Hopefully enough people see the backstory of who wrote this book and realize whose mind they are really reading from, backing off from the publisher. Realistically, the publisher is the one taking the risk; the officer has nothing to lose, and the publisher can their reputation. Why they would do this and risk any reputation they have is beyond me, but maybe they see the value of controversy as more valuable than I do. Even if it does come out as a bestseller, it isn't moral for the publisher to publish the book.
I think publishers should be more careful in researching the backgrounds of the authors they publish. In this attempt to make money off of this tragedy, it would be obvious that it would draw backlash and I'm surprised the company did not foresee this happening. Recently, Reddit came under fire for hiring a controversial UK politician, as they did not adequately look into her background. Individuals were deeply angered, as this employee had been suspended from the Green Party due to relations with people involved with sexual assault. In this same manner, publishing companies should be careful of who they choose to represent, as it can bring very negative consequences in a society that is critical of every move. Instead of risking negative publicity for their company, they should think about whether this controversial book will do more good or harm.
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