During the last week, Harlequin announced some changes when it comes to royalty rates for digital books. I am not going to go into details about this, or argue for or against any of the changes and I think you will understand why in just a second.
When new changes happen in the publishing world, or for that matter, any thing out there, people immediatly want to dive into the discussions. Yes, it is very important to stay on top of things that matter. We need to know information to make logical and smart decisions. With that said, however, new changes often mean a period of time to sort things out. To make sure that everyone is on board and everyone that the changes apply to understand all of the details.
I bring this up because too often, when we have these changes, we create a panic and mob mentality. Someone says something and soon, that ideas rages like a wildfire and then the problem becomes worse. People make guesses as to the impact of a change. Eventually, those "guesses" become "truth" to many people who are not thinking critically.
We all know why it is not appropriate to "assume" anything. As the old saying goes, you end up making an ASS out of U and ME.
For those of you out there on the loops, in your chat groups, on blogs or posting anywhere, I ask that you all please stop and think before you hit that SUBMIT button. Is what you are saying a verified truth or something you have heard via hearsay? Is what you are posting an assumption based on a limited about of verified facts? Do you even have all of the details?
Just something to be cautious of.
Scott
I definitely agree! People think if they delete a comment later it's gone. Not always the case.
ReplyDeleteOn the other side, it's equally as important for companies to understand once their press release or their change in policy goes out, it's OUT. If changes aren't ironed out, it would be best to say so and address speculation head-on. There isn't much room for poor planning these days.