I didn't look for a link to the thread, but it was the Kiana Davenport thing back in Oct. Or maybe Richard is talking about something different.
Oops. Cross posted with Richard.
MM
Oops. Cross posted with Richard.
MM
As for the noncompete clause, any writer would argue that an e-book of well-regarded stories would enhance a novel, not detract from it.
. . . and Penguin dropped her for self pubbing their rejections, that's a scary precedent.
I find it interesting that her and her agent have parted ways.
In terms of contract we don't know for sure one way or the other. The author argued that the clause referred only to similar work, and a novel in one genre was not similar to a short story collection in another.
If if they were right on the letter of the law, Penguin may not come out on top in terms of PR. They sound to me like being right on facts and still looking stodgy and out of touch on culture. Just IMHO. They could have let it go and would most likely have suffered no real loss.
Why? It's unprofessional behaviour.