Comments on: Authors Sue Regnery

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 11:21:34 +0000

Well, if they were true free marketeers and had confidence in the marketability of their products, they wouldn't have signed a contract agreeing to the bulk discount practices of Regnery in the first place.

Selling to book clubs at discount rates is rather standard. Were they being sold to Book of the Month Club, everyone would be ecstatic. The problem here is that they were "sold" to another Eagle property at cut rates, with Eagle getting all the profits but Regnery, the company with whom the authors had the contract, showing no revenue.

By: novakant

novakant — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 11:10:49 +0000

How so?

Well, if they were true free marketeers and had confidence in the marketability of their products, they wouldn't have signed a contract agreeing to the bulk discount practices of Regnery in the first place. Such practices are not uncommon in the publishing world, but have little to do with free market mechanisms.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:27:46 +0000

Please. Where are all of the other authors that Regnery has so successfully published? Where are they and why aren't they coming forward? Why isn't John O'Neill - who wsa the MAIN author of "Unfit for Command" - why isn't he in on the lawsuit..he himself is a lawyer! Corsi rarely even did any interviews for the book. They are just upset they didn't negotiate the best possible way. There are many other authors Regnery has sponsored and the fact that they haven't come forward has me extremely skeptical.

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:46:40 +0000

Apparently the free market is anathema to them.

How so? They're asking that their contract terms be enforced.

Funny how Mr. Miniter changed his views on tort reform when his own panties got in a bunch.

What views have changed? He's not seeking exorbitant punitive damages, merely actual damages for fraud. No tort reform advocate of whom I'm aware is opposed to restitution for actual damages.

By: Repack Rider

Repack Rider — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:43:15 +0000

Regnery seems to have a lot in common with the Washington Times, which loses millions every year but stays in business because it advances the causes of rich conservatives who don't mind picking up the tab.

None of these books could legitimately make a best seller list, so the company unloads them at fertilizer prices and uses the inflated numbers to claim that a lot of people are reading them.

If the authors had anything worthwhile to sell, there might be competition among publishing companies for their work, but that didn't happen, did it? Apparently the free market is anathema to them. Funny how Mr. Miniter changed his views on tort reform when his own panties got in a bunch.

Couldn't have happened to a more deserving bunch.

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:56:30 +0000

Oh, I agree that they're publishing in a niche, just a very large, highly marketable one. Regnery's business model is to publish a handful of inflammatory books a year, mostly with already established polemicists, and then market them heavily.

No doubt the leveraging of their Eagle network inflates the sales numbers. But it's also depriving authors of royalties while still netting Eagle a profit. That's not exactly sporting.

By: Barbara OBrien

Barbara OBrien — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:15:28 +0000

Regnery IS a "niche publisher" because it publishes books focused on a particular topic (conservative politics and ideology) and marketed primarily to a particular audience (conservatives). They don't publish just any nonfiction book that they think might be salable. They aren't aiming for a general audience, but catering to their "base." That's what makes them a "niche" publisher. And their books wouldn't be "national bestsellers" were it not for the volume sales generated by their books clubs and other volume discounting practices.