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Milo Yiannopoulos Deal Puts Simon & Schuster In Hot Water With Current Authors

By Nick Younker
Published on: 10:09 PST, Jan 15, 2017

Milo Yiannopoulos recently signed a deal with Simon & Schuster that reportedly gives the Breitbart tech editor a whopping $250,000 upfront from the book publishing company. But that might also cost the publishing rights to the works of over 160 authors who have written a letter to Simon & Schuster expressing their sincere dismay with the business deal that lumps them in with the conservative “alt-right” pundit who was recently banned from Twitter for harassing Ghostbusters actress Lesley Jones.

Milo Yiannopoulos is the tech editor for the news platform Breitbart and is responsible for controversial headlines that have targeted feminism and other minority groups. Many times a lot of folks simply aren’t open to hear what he has to say.

A recent report from Publishers Weekly clearly shows that the letter written by the children’s and young adult authors to Simon & Schuster for their decision to fund Milo Yiannopoulos and his new book was in poor taste.

“We, as Simon & Schuster children’s and YA authors and illustrators, have deep respect for our publisher, our editors, and the Simon & Schuster Children’s Division, which we believe strives to publish the strongest, most diverse list it can acquire, for the betterment of literature and children everywhere,” the letter to Simon & Schuster read. “Sadly, we cannot extend this same respect to Simon & Schuster’s Threshold imprint following their decision to lend the legitimacy of this publisher’s venerable brand to hate-monger Milo Yiannopoulos.”

The children’s authors who signed this letter to Simon & Schuster clearly do not want to be associated with Milo Yiannopoulos. They view the signing of Milo Yiannopoulos to the Simon & Schuster imprint as a forceful venture for them to be associated with the Breitbart tech editor.

“Threshold has placed Simon & Schuster’s considerable reputation and weight behind one of the most prominent faces (Milo Yiannopoulos) of the newly repackaged white supremacist/white nationalist movement and financially supported a man who routinely denigrates, verbally attacks, and directs dangerous internet doxxing and hate campaigns against women, minorities, LGBTQ individuals, Muslims, and anyone he chooses to target who supports equality and human decency,” the letter continued.

The letter also calls attention to the fact that Simon & Schuster has contracts with these authors and by proxy, they lump their own involvement with the company to that of Milo Yiannopoulos by publishing under the same company and/or imprint

“As Simon & Schuster authors and illustrators who are already published, with books in the release pipeline, with contracts in place, we do not have to quietly accept or assent to this ‘Gleichschaltung,’ this getting in line with fascism and making it mainstream,” the letter read.

The letter also made clear that these authors are not seeking to silence Milo Yiannopoulos, but rather disassociate their involvement with him in any way, which includes publishing their material with the same company, Simon & Schuster.

“This is not an issue of advocating or suppressing free speech, as Mr. [Milo] Yiannopoulos has a broad internet broadcasting platform and the support of many extremist organizations and publications,” the letter to Simon & Schuster read. “His voice is certainly being heard, and it is a voice of hate that stirs its followers to emotional, verbal, and physical violence directed at anyone who disagrees or speaks to the contrary.”

The letter to Simon & Schuster in protest of Milo Yiannopoulos was signed by the following authors:

Adam Rex

Adrienne Maria Vrettos

Alexandra Diaz

Alexis O’Neill

Alice Faye Duncan

Amber J. Keyser

Amber Smith

Amy Martin

Amy Reed

Amy Schimler-Safford

Ann Whitford Paul

Anne Bustard

Anne Marie Pace

Angela DiTerlizzi

Ariel Bernstein

Arthur Salm

Arun Gandhi

Ashley Wolff

Bagram Ibatoulline

Barbara Bottner

Becky Wallace

Ben Clanton

Beth Kephart

Bethany Hegedus

Betty G. Birney

Bonnie Adamson

Brenda Maier

Brendan Kiely

Brooke Boynton Hughes

Carlyn Beccia

Cassandra Clare

CG Watson

Chelsea Pitcher

Chris Barton

Christian Robinson

Christopher Denise

Colin Jack

Corey Rosen Schwartz

Courtney Pippin-Mathur

Curtis Manley

Cynthia Levinson

Dan Krall

Dan Richards

Dan Santat

Dana Walrath

Dashka Slater

Debbie Ridpath Ohi

Deborah Freedman

Deborah Hopkinson

Debra Frasier

Denise Fleming

Dhonielle Clayton

Diana Sudyka

Doreen Cronin

Elana K. Arnold

Elizabeth Rose Stanton

Elizabeth Schoonmaker

Ellen Hopkins

Ellen Oh

Ellen Wittlinger

Elsie Chapman

Eric Fan

Eric Wight

Erica Silverman

Evan Turk

Geraldine McCaughrean

Greg Foley

Gretchen McLellan

Heidi Stemple

Holly Black

Imogen Howson

Isaiah Campbell

IW Gregorio

Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman

James Dashner

Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow

Jane Yolen

Jason Reynolds

Jim Averbeck

Jim Murphy

Joanne Rocklin

Joe Berger

Joyce Wan

Judith Rossell

Judy Sierra

Karen Romano Young

Kari Anne Holt

Kate Berube

Kathi Appelt

Katy Grant

Kelly DiPucchio

Kevin Sylvester

Kristin L. Gray

Laura Lascarso

Laurel Neme

Lauren Stringer

Laurie Ann Thompson

Laurie Halse Anderson

Lee Gjertsen Malone

Linda Davick

Lisa Congdon

Lisa Mantchev

Lisa Maxwell

Lisa McMann

Lisa Schroeder

Liz Garton Scanlon

Loren Long

Lori Degman

Louise Hawes

Luke Reynolds

Maggie Thrash

Margaret Peterson Haddix

Margery Cuyler

Maria Gianferrari

Marion Dane Bauer

Marla Frazee

Mary Casanova

Mary Lyn Ray

Mary Peterson

Max Brallier

Meg Fleming

Meg Wiviott

Megan Atwood

Melanie Crowder

Nancy Raines Day

Nicole Castroman

Nina Laden

Phil Bildner

Phoebe Wahl

R.J. Anderson

Rachel Renée Russell

Raquel Jaramillo

Rebecca Behrens

Rhonda (Helms) Stapleton

Rob Sanders

Robert Imfeld

Robin Stevens

Sarah Albee

Sarah Aronson

Sarah L. Thomson

Sarah Lariviere

Scott Campbell

Sonya Sones

Stacy DeKeyser

Stephanie Graegin

Steven Henry

Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

Sue Lowell Gallion

Susan Goldman Rubin

Susan Hood

Susan R. Vaught

Tammi Sauer

Tara Lazar

Terry Fan

Terry Pierce

Tim Floreen

Todd Hasak-Lowy

Tom Lichtenheld

Tony DiTerlizzi

Uma Krishnaswami

Vanessa Brantley Newton

[Featured Image by Drew Angerer/Getty Images]

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