FREE SPEECH–AT A PRICE
FREE SPEECH–AT A PRICE: The Yankees have fined David Wells $100,000 for some idiotic comments he made in his book. Since Wells has chosen not to fight the penalty, there’s not much argument against it. Still, the amount of the fine is disproportionate, arbitrary, and unprecedented.
(Not that anyone would care, but the information on the sidebar about book royalties is simply misinformed. The percentages listed are typical, but they almost always are of the publisher’s net price for the book, not the cover price. Typically, wholesalers like Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Ingram, and others get discounts of 40% or more; otherwise they couldn’t make any money on the book. Wells and his co-author likely got an advance on royalties that’s paid regardless of actual sales and the listed percentages off the discounted price.)
