Thursday, August 21, 2008

What Next? Scarlet Letters?

Link to August 1 Guardian post, "Children's writers, don't misbehave".

Excerpt:
Apparently, a well-established, enormous publishing house has decided to insert the following clause into its standard contract for children's books: "If you act or behave in a way which damages your reputation as a person suitable to work with or be associated with children, and consequently the market for or value of the work is seriously diminished, and we may (at our option) take any of the following actions: Delay publication / Renegotiate advance / Terminate the agreement."

Hmmm. This pronouncement is made at a time when it seems as though everyone -- including Madonna (no gloss needed here) and Laura Bush (who, at a minimum, probably inhaled) -- seems to be writing a children's book?

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