GW sightings

matthew.malthouse · 14 Aug 2003, 07:47 · from urth-v0308.mbox · original

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From: matthew.malthouse at guardian.co.uk
Subject: Re: (urth) GW sightings
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 08:47:32 +0100
Message-ID: <urth-v0308-3892 at digest.urth.net>
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On 14/08/2003 03:57:09 Lisa Schaffer-Doggett wrote:

>On Wednesday, August 13, 2003, at 08:43 AM, MBS 808 wrote:
>
>> at the end of the day, even senior editors at one of
>> the largest SF/Fantasy/horror publishing houses find
>> themselves at the mercies of big media accountants and
>> marketing types that insist a book is only as good as
>> its initial six months of sales.
>
>Technology will change this, I think.  Just like with the music
>industry, it is becoming less and less expensive to do things yourself
>with a good degree of quality.  And as the world becomes smaller and
>smaller (barring apocalyptic calamity) marketing becomes cheaper as
>well.  It's only a matter of time before the myth of literature
>existing  only through the graces of a publishing house loses it's
>meaning.  Almost everything prior to the twentieth century was self
>published and I think it will go that way again, with the added benefit
>(or curse depending on your view of the masses) that those of small
>means can find the funds to bring their cherished works to print
>without interference from anyone on high.  Still, I would dearly love
>to see a leather bound, single volume edition of BotNS

<screams>  It's too big!  Two volumes, yes.  But one would be too prone to=20
damage in reading.  (Unread books are not books, even "prestige"=20
editions.)

>                                                       as well as UotNS
>and the rest.  Of course, that's not likely to happen unless GW prints
>them himself.  (I for one would pay the exorbitant price to add those
>to my library.)

Well there was (is?) that Vance complete works.  I was tempted but at the=20
time couldn't guarantee having usd 1,000 or whatever it was available when=20
it would have been needed.

However the idea might be sound: a subscription edition with intended=20
print over-run.  The runs sold on and any consequent profit on the=20
production returned to the author as royalty and initial subscribers as=20
refund.  Copyrights might be a headache though.

Matthew

--=20

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