Notice the Silence over 'Do Travel Writers Go to Hell?'

The big hub-bub over Thomas Kohnstamm's Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? is finally dying down. Much of the coverage jumped on false claims that Thomas 'plagiarized' text while updating portions of Brazil for Lonely Planet (not true), or his use of a LP business card to get free drinks, meals and hotels (true). It's led to a backlash over the 'ethics' behind all of LP's guidebooks.

Some authors, not including myself, are furious over the link to how everyone works. What I find funny is the silence of a cowering group of publishers -- be it Frommer's, Fodor's, Footprint, Rough Guides -- who haven't spoken out on the subject, and let all the fall-out stay on LP's shoulders. Many of us who write for LP, as I still do, do so because it remains a better deal than writing for even 'more high-end' publishers like Fodor's, who pay far less. Some publishers actively encourage freebies.

I reviewed the book for World Hum a week ago.