Sarah Weinman assures the Lit-Heads that while certain writers deserve nothing more, it is not wholly shameful to be published in mass market original via Working the paperback ghetto to your advantage.
I say let's welcome them with open arms. Come on, you guys, hop in the lowrider of publishing and we'll take you for a spin through our murky little neighborhood. You will need to leave your fancy book tours, bigass advances and personal publicist pacifiers at home, unless you want to get your face kicked in.
Wait, does this mean I have to change the name of the blog to Ghetto Writer?
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Eh, she's just jealous because we can earn out. ;)
ReplyDelete(btw, my first response was WTF)
I'm a bit puzzled by the reaction, but I suppose I didn't help myself by using "ghetto" in the subject header (and now I'm having visions of PBOs in the South Bronx, which is rather strange...)
ReplyDeleteThat said, since format is essentially all about marketing anyway, it's ideally suited to a lot of subgenres which may not attract as much attention or sales in hardcover. But in some cases, there are major differences between books in hardcover and paperback. (Otherwise why would I hear of some folks -- Michael Prescott comes to mind -- who really, really, really want to break out, keep writing books they think will do so, and don't?)
Even if it's just in the publisher's head...
Sarah wrote: I'm a bit puzzled by the reaction, but I suppose I didn't help myself by using "ghetto" in the subject header...
ReplyDeleteBingo.
Selling anything anywhere today is so difficult that appearing in paperback has become a significant achievement. Look at all the excellent mid-listers who've disappeared in the last few years; nobody will publish them. A NYC editor told me last week: "I have to fight to buy a five grand book the way I used to fight to buy a 50 grand book." --Ed Gorman
ReplyDeleteUnless you want to get your faced kicked in!!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
ReplyDelete