I Can't Believe I'm Saying This

I'm an American. I believe in free speech and freedom of the press. I'm also a writer, and I believe in supporting other writers and their publishers.

Having said all that, I cannot believe I'm going to make the suggestion that I'm about to make at the end of this post.

Naked greed and blatant arrogance are never attractive. However, they do make for compelling reading.

Judith Regan, the publisher who agreed to publish O.J.'s "hypothetical" book--If I Did It--released a statement this morning. You can read it here on the Drudge Report.

Both Publishers Weekly and Publishers Lunch devoted a fair amount of space to the infamous book in today's editions. Michael Cader of Publishers Lunch directed readers to the Boston's Globe's editorial, titled "Blood Money for O.J." In part, the editorial said:

NORMALLY, we do not comment on books we haven't read, but in the case of O.J. Simpson's "If I Did It," we'll make an exception. This supposed tell-all degrades the publishing business and calls into question the integrity of everyone responsible for putting it into print or arranging the television interviews to publicize its release. No one should buy it, or watch the two-part interview that will precede its release Nov. 30. And advertisers should shun the programs as well. . . "If I Did It" should be left to molder unbought in the remainder bins..

Judith Regan's ReganBooks is a subsidiary of HarperMorrow's General Books Group. HarperMorrow is, of course, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, which will also be televising the television interview with Simpson later this month.

Know that Simpson would not have done this without a way to get paid. Somehow, some way, those dollars are going to him. Please do not put money in his pocket. Don't reward this cold-blooded, offensive act by him and his publisher.

If you MUST read the flipping book, wait and buy it from a used bookstore. At least then you'll know that no dollars went to either ReganBooks or Simpson himself.