| Author | Message | ||
     Steve Jensen (Stevej) Username: Stevej Registered: 07-2009 Posted From: 82.0.77.233 |
How can good new writers be published when the industry is ruled by people who aren't interested in originality? http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/oct/18/robert-mccrum-on-books | ||
| Carolinec (Carolinec) Username: Carolinec Registered: 06-2009 Posted From: 82.38.75.85 |
Interesting article - and oh so true, I'm afraid. This is why, as a reader, I've migrated to the small presses rather than mainstream publishers. Back in the 60s and 70s, I found plenty of interesting horror on the shelves in bookshops, but then it all got so "same-ish" that I got fed up of reading it. Only when I discovered that the really good stuff was still being published, but in the small presses, did I get back into reading horror again. So I say, more power to the small presses, and hopefully some of the more original work will find its way into larger publishing houses some time soon. | ||
| Steve Jensen (Stevej) Username: Stevej Registered: 07-2009 Posted From: 82.0.77.233 |
It struck me as rather funny (but sad) that of all the oh-so rebellious, forward-thinking independent presses listed by 'Bluemoose' in the comments section, not one accepts unsolicited submissions, not one accepts subs by email; agented submissions are no guarantor of writing quality, as agents have at least one eye on that Holy Grail of publishing: marketability. For all the talk of 'fighting back against the celebrity rubbish published by the mainstream press', these independents are all-too often mainstream wannabes, waiting to join the much-derided rat race or for the next lucrative buyout. | ||
| Stephen Walsh (Stephenw) Username: Stephenw Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 82.0.106.15 |
That's just about the most depressing article I ever read and ties in exactly with what has already happened in the world of big studio cinema. J.G. Ballard's dystopian pessimism is looking more profound all the time. We're all going to hell in a hand cart my friends... | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.153.150.170 |
I sidestep it all by just reading old books. | ||
| Joel (Joel) Username: Joel Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 91.110.247.53 |
Steve, Tindal Street Press relies almost entirely on unsolicited and unagented submissions: virtually all of its novels have been first novels by authors with little or no track record. I've worked with them and their remit is fundamentally to bring new writers to the public's attention. They probably don't accept e-mail submissions of books – pretty well no publisher does and frankly none should, or it would be adding thousands of additional sheets of paper to its weekly expenses. | ||
| Protodroid (Protodroid) Username: Protodroid Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 89.19.81.17 |
Just saw an interview with James Lovelock on RTE. He's happily talking about the end of the planet like Ford Prefect. Suppose it's easy to do when you're 90. He used to go walking in the contryside with his own detonator and explosives and if he encountered a gate blocking a right of way, well... | ||
| Steve Jensen (Stevej) Username: Stevej Registered: 07-2009 Posted From: 82.0.77.233 |
My mistake, Joel.  I should research more carefully before ranting.  | ||
| Mark_lynch (Mark_lynch) Username: Mark_lynch Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 217.171.129.69 |
Reports suggest that major publishers are now going after the 'Jordan factor' for sales, celebrity books. All of which rather strengthens the gag: Actress/glamour model to traditional writer: 'I see you've got a book out. Who wrote it for you?' Traditional writer to actress/glamour model: 'I see you have a book out too. Who read it to you?' |