Reed Andrus (randrus@home.com)
Mon, 04 Oct 1999 04:59:17 -0700
> Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1999 09:51:43 -0400
> From: Kevin Smith <kvnsmith@colba.net>
> Subject: RARA-AVIS: Re: Richard Barre and Midlist
Crises
>
> Reed, speaking about Richard Barre,
wrote:
>
> >Someone said he's been dropped because the chain
stores
> >aren't selling enough of his books, and so his
publishing house is
> >kow-towing to the buyers. Big problem being
widely discussed among
> >writers these days.
>
> Gee, this topic seems familiar. I think I'm having
DorothyL d骠 vu.
Hi Kevin!
Sorry about that! I did not mean to instigate the same kind
of feeding frenzy that occurred in the other listserv.
> But regardless of whether you like Barre or not
(alas, I'm still not
> convinced, although I keep trying, just because
everyone thinks I should be
> a big fan), this is an ominous sign.
I guess you can count me in as a fan. I could criticize a
murky plot point here and there, but I've generally enjoyed
the four Wil Hardesty stories.
> It seems to me publishers have always watched the
bottom line, and
> seemingly popular authors have always been dropped.
But the truth is that
> publishers generally don't drop writers who are
making them money, and
> usually drop those who don't. Perhaps things are a
bit more cutthroat than
> they used to be (although I don't really know), but
it's certainly nothing
> new.
Agreed. My reading bias unfortunately allows the loss of
several cozy writers to wash over the top without creating
too much gnashing of teeth
(except I know one or two of those ladies, and they're nice
people who have bills to pay and children to raise). But when
one of the harder writers loses his audience, I fidgit in my
chair and wonder if all those nifty hardcovers will become
collector's items.
Aside: Had a chance to pick up two John Shannon pbs
yesterday, and failed to do so. Looks like a return trip to
the store is in order.
Best regards,
... Reed
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