No question -- they failed at communication. I have a certain amount of sympathy for them since they're working with a skeleton staff at this point (they had to lay off much of their staff and much of the remainder subsequently quit), but that doesn't change the fact that they handled this extremely poorly.
Regarding the selection of books, I do think they're trying to come up with titles that fans of Hard Case Crime legitimately would enjoy. I don't know this particular Parker book, but I did mention Parker to them as an author we'd have been glad to publish in our line (I had some correspondence with Parker's agent over years, but for one reason or another it never worked out). I also mentioned Block, Westlake, Loren Estleman, and a few others. The selection of individual titles will be up to them (I'm not involved), but I did have a hand in suggesting authors and in some cases individual books. I did this purely as a favor to them -- they're good people and they're going through a very hard time, and I wanted to help if I could.
But I completely understand why you (and others) were pissed off rather than supportive. I just wish they'd handled this better.
--Charles
--- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "trentrey" <trent@...> wrote:
>
>
> I'm also in the book club and am similarly annoyed.
>
> Communication is key, and they failed at that.
>
> I would stay in the book club if I thought that the books were being selected because your readers will really dig them. You've built a great brand, and if they can't supply your brand, they can certainly, as you mention, supply books that lovers of your brand will enjoy. I don't know if _Perish Twice_ is a good book or not, but my sense is that I got it because it was some overstock that was laying around in a warehouse, not because someone thought Hard Case Crime readers would enjoy it.
>
> My previous interactions with Dorchester left me very impressed. This incident annihilated that goodwill instantly.
>
> --Trent
> The Violent World of Parker
> http://violentworldofparker.com/
>
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