Admittedly that stretches the analogy too far, but it makes for a good headline at least. Hey, you’re here reading this, right?
If you’ve not read Boyd Morrison’s work (and I highly recommend The Ark), he was the first Kindle author to hit the big time with a legacy publishing deal. Therefore he’s been a major influence and inspiration – not to mention he writes really fun books where engineers save the day.
Nerds rule!
Sorry…where was I?
Anyways, I’ve been fortunate enough to correspond with him in the past and found him to be funny and encouraging. Unfortunately (or maybe not – read on), he’s recently been dumped from said publishing deal and is releasing his next U.S. title independently.
He grabbed the brass ring for which we’re all reaching, and found that even they can corrode sometimes. But who could blame him, really? If I’d been in his shoes I’d have taken the same deal.
Here’s the story in Boyd’s own words at HuffPo, and Kris Rusch’s take on the broader issues in legacy publishing. And if you don’t read about this stuff anywhere else, at least hit her site on a regular basis…not to mention her husband, Dean Wesley Smith, on indie vs. legacy income.
I can imagine his disappointment and frustration, but I have a feeling he’ll end up better off in the long run and could end up becoming a tremendous resource to other indie writers. He’s sitting on what sounds like a great book that’s already been developed, edited, and cover-arted (that’s a word, trust me)…all he has to do is convert it to .mobi and mash the “publish” button.
What matters is that he has options that didn’t exist just two scant years ago, and stands a good chance of making an even better living in the bargain.
Thank God for the internet. And Jeff Bezos.
Repeat after me: nerds rule! 
The Chiles Files 