The Tor boycott is on

So, in the end, we have a company, Tor (and its holding company, Macmillan) that is/are apparently unwilling to take responsibility for the misdeeds of its employees, their misuse of corporate time and resources during those misdeeds, and their deliberate slander, libel and lying about a large part of the fan base upon which that company depends for its livelihood.  I think that constitutes an indelibly shameful mark on executives at both companies, and makes them complicit in the actions and statements of their employees.  In my days in the corporate world, such behavior would have been regarded as contemptible, and such lack of action in the face of customer anger would have produced at least a compelling case study at a business school, probably titled "How to commit executive career suicide".  However, I doubt very much whether my opinion matters to those involved.  They seem to be clinging to the more 'modern' approach - hunker down, say nothing, deny everything, and hope the problem will go away.  I wonder whether at least some of them understand the meaning of the term 'dishonor'?  If they don't, I suggest they look in the mirror to see a living definition.

Nor are they alone in their dishonor.  The so-called 'Social Justice Warriors' or SJW's who've supported the guilty parties for years have been shrill in their screeching support for their heroes and heroines.  That's continued in the present crisis.  The facts of the situation have been ignored, and those drawing attention to those facts (including yours truly) have become objects of scorn, derision and open attack.  That's not surprising, of course.  Such lack of honesty and unwillingness to face the facts is a hallmark of the left-wing, progressive element in politics and society.  It's been that way for decades, all around the globe.  Facts are not important to such people.  What matters is the narrative, the 'spin' put upon the facts for the faithful to believe and propagate in the face of reality.  It's a classic application of the 'Big Lie' theory - and it still works just as well on blindly loyal 'useful idiots' as it ever did.

(There are those who think that because the 'Big Lie' theory is of Nazi origin, it's therefore right-wing rather than left-wing.  *Facepalm* . . . I should like to point out that the Nazi party's full name was the "National Socialist Democratic Workers' Party".  The Nazi's were left-wing totalitarians.  The 'Big Lie' thus dovetails perfectly with the SJW mentality - and with the Alinsky playbook of which they're so fond.)

I've said all I need to say about the present scandal at Tor.  If you haven't already read about it, there's a vast quantity of material out there.  My articles on the subject may be found in reverse chronological order here, complete with many external links.  If you're interested, I suggest you read them from earliest to latest to see how things developed.

On June 15th I said this.

As I wrote in my earlier, private letter to Tor and Macmillan:

"... please be advised that I look for the following actions from Tor ... :

1. Tor should publicly apologize for the efforts by all, repeat, all of the persons I named ... to demonize, denigrate, slander and lie about the ‘Puppies’ campaigns;
2. Tor should publicly reprimand those individuals for stepping over the line (including misusing company time and computer equipment to do so);
3. Tor should publicly indicate that it is putting in place policies to prevent any recurrence of such issues.

Please note that I am not demanding the dismissal of, or resignations by, the individuals concerned."

I am simply not prepared to allow the lies, slander, libel and open contempt of those named above to continue unchallenged.  Therefore, those expectations still hold.  If they have not been met by noon on Friday, I shall call for a boycott of Tor Books.

Regrettably, due to the apparent lack of action by (and the deafening silence from) Tor and Macmillan, the time has come to do as I promised.  I therefore ask all those who believe, as I do, that the recent statement by Irene Gallo, and the pattern of behavior and statements from others at Tor whom I've previously named, are completely unacceptable, to join me in refusing to buy any of Tor's products from now on.

I support and endorse what Larry Correia said about this yesterday.

... this is between Tor and its readers who feel insulted, not the Sad Puppies campaign or the people who ran it ... To the Sad Puppies supporters, do what you think is right. All I’m asking is that whatever you do, try to be as civil as possible in your disagreements. Stick with the facts.

There's much more at the link.  (Recommended reading for background and more information.)

I am not a member of, and I do not speak for, either the 'Sad Puppies' or 'Rabid Puppies' campaigns (although I support the former).  I don't represent cute puppies, playful puppies, cuddly puppies or hush puppies - only myself.  If you share, in whole or in part, my values and outlook on life, I invite you to join me in this boycott.  Don't do so just because I, or anyone else, is asking you to do so.  Act on the basis of your own informed conscience and reasoned judgment.

There are those who protest that a boycott of Tor will prevent them buying books they want to read, and/or hurt their favorite authors.  I can only point out that used copies of those books are usually available from many sources soon after publication, often in very good to excellent condition, and sometimes at prices much lower than a new copy.  As for your favorite authors, if you buy a used copy of their book(s), why not send them the money they would have made as a royalty if you'd bought it new?  In fact, given that many royalties are a pittance, why not send them more than that?  Many authors have so-called 'tip jars' on their blogs or Web sites, or you can write to them enclosing a check or money order.

There are those who doubt that a boycott can achieve anything.  I can only reply that 'doing the right thing' is important in itself.  It's a matter of honor - and although any mention of honor may be greeted with scorn and derision in these 'modern' times, I was raised to value the concept and live by it.  I still do.  I doubt I'm alone in that.

What's more, in a SF/F market that's increasingly dominated by independent authors, with cratering sales among mainstream publishers and tight financial margins, even a small boycott may have an impact out of all proportion to its size.  I'm certain, on the basis of support already voiced, that we can achieve a short-term six-figure reduction in Tor's annual turnover.  All that'll take is a couple of thousand people not spending their usual $50 per year on Tor books (and many have, until now, spent a lot more than that - for example, see here).  With more supporters and/or bigger spenders involved, the impact will be correspondingly greater.  I believe that over time, as word spreads and more join the boycott, we can grow this into a seven-figure annual impact - particularly when, in markets where we have a strong presence, we start talking to bookstores that carry Tor products.  Given current economic conditions and the present and predicted state of the SF/F market, our boycott may in due course make the difference between a profit and a loss in Tor's annual trading accounts.

Finally, there are some who fear that we can't succeed in the face of what they consider overwhelming support for liberal/progressive/left-wing ideologies in our society.  To them I can only say, never take counsel of your fears.  Stand tall.  Turn Alinsky's own tactics against his followers.  Boycotts are a part of his script.  Use them.  You'll be surprised at what hard work and dedication can achieve.  I've seen that in a country and a continent ripped apart by war (where I learned such tactics by watching the disciples of those who taught Alinsky and his mentors in the first place).  It's a whole lot easier to succeed in a society like ours.

Peter