Gene Wolfe - some spoilers

Kenn Barry · 06 Dec 1984, 21:43 · from net.sf-lovers.1984.mbox

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From: barry at ames.UUCP (Kenn Barry)
Subject: Re: Gene Wolfe - some spoilers
Date: Thu, 6-Dec-84 16:43:18 EST
Message-ID: <682 at ames.UUCP>
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
References: <2231 at stolaf.UUCP>

[]

>                               ...  What's your opinion of Wolfe and Disch
>(among others) publishing unaffordable collectors editions that you'd be afraid
>to read for fear of damaging them, even if you could afford them... I'm not even
>talking about $18 hardbacks ( although those are bad enough ) .  I'm complaining
>about $100 books, and somewhat about Disch's booklets like _Ringtime_ for
>Toothpaste Press...  Opinions?

	Why would you want to complain? You're not required to buy the
expensive collector's editions. These books almost invariably come out
in large trade editions, as well, or in paperback. The only ones that
don't are those which wouldn't have a mass audience. In such cases high
prices are inevitable, since you're unable to prorate the costs of publishing
over a large print run.
	The main reasons these editions are expensive is that they are
limited editions, and they (usually) are better made than trade editions.
The reason they're published at all is that there are collectors who
are willing to pay the high prices for them. I've paid more than $100.00
for some books, and I have no complaints.
	Having roasted you adequately, let me back down a bit. I *have*
seen cases where there has been an unconscionably long delay between the
publishing of the collector's edition, and later publishing of the trade
edition. This seems to be an effort to boost sales of the expensive version
by withholding the affordable copies, and I consider it a low practice.
Lest the libertarians flame me, I should add that publishers have a
right to do it; but I don't have to like it.

-  From the Crow's Nest  -                      Kenn Barry
                                                NASA-Ames Research Center
                                                Moffett Field, CA

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