Monday, October 8, 2012

Mergers! Buyouts! Takeovers! by Linda S. Glaz

Seems like every day there’s talk of another merger, buyout, or takeover of one publishing house by another.
It usually means streamlining or reorganization of both houses in some form, but what does all this mean for the writers?
Let’s look at it this way. Perhaps a smaller or mid-size house is doing a respectable amount with relations to sales. Buyout by a larger house can be good news for the authors of house number two. We have two healthy commodities and the house being purchased or merged will have the benefit of the sales numbers with the bigger house. The author, it seems, will benefit.
Make sense? Or have I added to the confusion?
Any authors out there who have experienced this in their careers? Were the benefits worth the shake up, or did the merger create an atmosphere of uncertainty?
As if the industry isn’t already experiencing shakes and tremors, add to it a huge buyout—or two, and you have more turmoil.
Anyone find it chaotic or beneficial to go through a merger?
We’d all love to know.

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