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Today’s blacklisted Americans: Any conservative trying to get published by Simon & Schuster

Cancelled Bill of Rights
No longer valid for too many employees
at Simon & Schuster.

Blacklists are back and book publishers want ’em: A petition of about 14% of the workforce at the book publisher Simon & Schuster is demanding that all former Trump administration officials be blacklisted from publication.

The petition demanding the New York publishing conglomerate to stop treating “the Trump administration as a ‘normal’ chapter in American history” collected 216 internal signatures, representing approximately 14% of the company’s workforce, and support from several thousand nonemployees, according to the Wall Street Journal. The petition singled out a planned two-part autobiography to be authored by former Vice President Mike Pence, which the publisher’s employees alleged amounted to support for “racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, anti-Blackness, xenophobia, misogyny, ableism, islamophobia, antisemitism, and violence” in the online petition.

While the publisher has rejected the call to cancel Pence’s autobiography, it still has a track record of blacklisting conservatives. It reneged on its book contract with conservative senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) because of his stance demanding a full investigation of the November election. It also dropped the distribution of a book by one of the police officers involved in the shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, after getting pressure from both in and out of the company.

More indicative however of the company’s intolerant attitude towards any opinions not endorsed by the left is the number of employees — at a book publishing house — who signed this petition, demanding the silencing of Pence and other conservatives for having unclean thoughts. Based on these numbers it will likely be very difficult for any conservative to get a book accepted at Simon & Schuster. And should a person have the public clout — such as Mike Pence — to still get published by them, the editorial process will be a nightmare.

My own experience is illustrative. Not only did different editors at different publishing houses repeatedly try to change my written text to fit their opinions, not mine, I experienced repeated efforts at different publishing houses to either block or slow publication, and if that didn’t work to then sabotage the subsequent campaign.

I expect the same at Simon & Schuster for Pence’s book. Fortunately for him his name-recognition will likely counter such childish but destructive efforts. Unfortunately those who are less famous or have less political clout will quickly find themselves blacklisted at Simon & Schuster.

Nor should anyone expect the remaining 86% who did not sign the petition to speak up in defense of these conservative writers. Too many Americans are now cowed from defending free speech out of fear that this mob of intolerant tyrants will come after them next.

Welcome to the new America, where the editorial departments of book publishers eagerly participate in the silencing of free speech.

Genesis cover

On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.

 

The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.


The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
 

"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News

8 comments

  • Skunk Bucket

    I remember when the late, great Rush Limbaugh would adopt a German “Gestapo” accent when he pronounced “Simon und Schustah.” Even twenty-five years ago he was critical of their treatment of conservative authors, though they did publish his best selling books through their “Pocket Books” division.

  • How many of that 14% have jobs because of the money made from Limbaugh’s books over the years … did that even cross their minds as they signed that petition, in their arrogant, fundamentalist condescension?

    They keep it up, we WILL establish parallel structures to the point that we will no longer need them, will have no need to do business with them, and see the way clear to peacefully (or otherwise, if they #Resist) remove ourselves from their presence and influence.

    Hope they enjoy growing their food from the concrete of their beloved urban bubbles – and can hang enough solar and wind to keep them warm.

  • Ben K

    “And what doe they tell us vainly of new opinions, when this very opinion of theirs, that none must be heard but whom they like, is the worst and newest opinion of all others, and is the chief cause why sects and schisms doe so much abound and true knowledge is kept at distance from us ; besides yet a greater danger which is in it.”

    Milton, Areopagitica

  • Arthur Glunt

    Exactly the “other” 86% didn’t sign it but were standing in the crowd while it happened, cowards. Absolutely no different than when the crowds watched books burned in 30’s Germany!

  • pzatchok

    Let the Cancel culture have their day.
    I want to see them take over everything and think they have won.
    The only next move is every company they can intimidate falls under their power and control.
    Eventually those companies will only survive if they turn over all profits to them and or their agents, only produce what they approve of and those that complain will be shutdown.
    Why keep more than one of anything open?

    Eventually those companies will be forced to approve of wage controls. The bosses will no longer be allowed to make more than the workers.

    Their Democratic leaders will have shut down the cancel culture to take control of the them. Otherwise they themselves will be taken over by them.

    The MSN better realize this quick of be taken over themselves. They gave voice and legitimacy to the Cancel Culture and they will die on that sword. They better speak against them now or forever be their slaves.

  • Cotour

    WANT TO SPECULATE WHAT IS GOING TO BE FOUND IN ARIZONA?

    “HUGE ARIZONA UPDATE: Desired Data Collected from the Voting Machines for Forensic Audit – Machines Are Ready for Handover Back to Maricopa County”

    “The fact that the machines included in the Maricopa County 2020 Election Audit are ready to be returned back to the County is not unexpected and is a good sign indicating likely that copies of the machines have already been gathered. The audit moves forward.”

    “BREAKING: Arizona Officials Increase the Number of Tables at Veterans Memorial Coliseum to Speed Up Forensic Audit… Update: FROM 20 to 46 Overnight!”

    “There were 2.1 million ballots delivered to the center from Maricopa County. Audit Director Ken Bennett said earlier this week that the audit is on pace to be completed by the deadline.”

    The Main Stream Media AND the Democrat party leadership desperately insists that the 2020 presidential election was “The most secure” election in American history! I think we all know that simple logic would indicate that statement is as fraudulent and corrupt as the Main Stream Media and the Democrat party leadership has become.

    The results of this initial ballot examination should be very enlightening. As will the forced examinations in other states that will follow it. Remember, your vote is secret, but the verification that the ballots cast and the election itself was fair and honest is public. And NO ONE should have an issue with ANY examination that accomplishes that.

  • And NO ONE should have an issue with ANY examination that accomplishes that.

    Dang straight.

    And “because we say so” coming from government officials is NOT enough … the burden of proof is upon them to assure this election was free and fair. And the government as an entity does NOT enjoy the presumption of innocence.

    Because the electoral process was significantly compromised in several places in 2020, there is no trust – only verify.

    If they can even verify it now – and if not, those who perverted the process need to be rendered irrelevant for future elections, at the least.

  • “If you love me let me know
    If you don’t then let me go”

    Olivia Newton-John Eponymous Song 1974

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