Exploitation Fiction

An interesting article by an old blogging buddy. He’s working on publishing some of his fiction writing, and in the process he contemplates the problems in the publishing industry that stem back to problems in our economic system:

 I’m not just writing abstract economic musings here. Though I’ve been writing fiction for more than a decade, I’m a newcomer to the writing industry. Now, looking at the business side of things, I’m realizing that the publishing industry exemplifies many of the worst features of contemporary capitalism.

The designers of the product — the writers — are not employees of the manufacturer and distributor — the publishing company. The writers aren’t even paid short-term contractors. They are speculators, doing the work on their own time without compensation.

Exploitation Fiction.