New months just keep on happening, don't they? Welcome to August and another Insecure Writer's Support Group post. You can learn more about the IWSG on their website and Facebook page.
Our question for August is an interesting one: What is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry?
I've never published anything with one of the major publishing houses; it's been either zines or small presses/anthologies. It's also been a couple of years since I've had a short story published in an anthology. Nevertheless, from what I remember from the days when I was more involved with indie publishing and publishing blogs, the contracts always struck me as one of the worst parts of dealing with publishing. The rights grab that covers technologies that don't even exist yet seems over-the-top to me. My understanding is also that advances haven't, well, advanced much, if any, in the last couple of decades, so you're handing over more potential income streams for less compensation. That's why I prefer to indie-publish my longer works.
How do you feel about the publishing industry? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
