When does speaking on a private author group get to become public knowledge? As a managing editor for a publisher, I hold a responsibility to the publisher I work for, as well as the authors who write the novels we produce. When something comes to my attention that I may find detrimental to authors, I usually place a post on my "publisher/author group" to warrant further discussion and elaboration. I must add here that no where else were these discussions taking place. When it concerns another publisher or a review house's actions, and I must stress here, "for discussion purposes only", when and how does that information become a free for all to share with others, but more specifically, the same "author(s)" I'm trying to protect takes that information back to the subject in question? Worse, how does one feel when they discover the very person(s) you are attempting to protect is the one stabbing you in the back?
The internet is free press, and I understand that, but when I pose my personal admissions and feelings and they are taken out of context, and I'm labelled as slanderizing, what is the point of these "private author groups"? What is the point of me doing my job in trying to protect an author's rights in giving them a heads up as to questionable practices of others?
I knew a publisher who ranted and raved (literally) on a private author group and those discussions were shared outside the realm of the group. However, in light of those often scolding, scathing messages, they had to be shared because of the content. They were detrimental to the authors under that particular publisher. My posting was to give a heads up to authors to find out more information to protect themselves -- nothing more.
The moral of this blog is that no matter what you say, just be careful saying it -- or don't say anything at all. The knife in my back is removed, but a scar will forever remain. Just another lesson to chalk on my blackboard of life.
