Excellent column! Writers are driven by passion (compulsion). If they are lucky to have sufficient money, time, and health, they can create/produce. Are publishers driven by the same, or slightly different factors?
First, Sir, I am currently reading Tyler Dawson's piece for the latest SQ. So far, so good.
Now to more substance.
Very interesting column, to be sure - but then I say that about ALL of your columns; you should take up writing as a career!
I found this particular aspect of the publishing biz to be, well, fascinating, interesting - all the adjectives. Quite frankly, I was left with a few thoughts that won't go away.
I have been aware for many years that publishing in Canada was pretty much a hand to mouth business. Nay, for many it seems to be a labor of love, a hobby, for I question the appellation of business when it seems that profit is so distant an objective.
Carrying that thought forward, one wonders if you would recommend the publishing industry to one of your offspring. I have my suspicions but, then, I suppose it would depend if that offspring was independently wealthy.
[Old joke: Two old farmers get talking and F1 asks F2 what he would do if he won the lottery. F2 responds that he would keep farming until the money was all gone. Might we substitute publishers in place of farmers?]
I suspect that the development of SQ is, as much as anything else, a way to get names on a mailing list and, with the subscriptions, a guaranteed sale. Sounds pretty wise to me.
Excellent column! Writers are driven by passion (compulsion). If they are lucky to have sufficient money, time, and health, they can create/produce. Are publishers driven by the same, or slightly different factors?
A fantastic writeup, and looking forward to Tyler's forthcoming publication!
Well, this is certainly news. A lot of people have trouble in trad publishing because that first book didn't hit the way the publisher was expecting.
First, Sir, I am currently reading Tyler Dawson's piece for the latest SQ. So far, so good.
Now to more substance.
Very interesting column, to be sure - but then I say that about ALL of your columns; you should take up writing as a career!
I found this particular aspect of the publishing biz to be, well, fascinating, interesting - all the adjectives. Quite frankly, I was left with a few thoughts that won't go away.
I have been aware for many years that publishing in Canada was pretty much a hand to mouth business. Nay, for many it seems to be a labor of love, a hobby, for I question the appellation of business when it seems that profit is so distant an objective.
Carrying that thought forward, one wonders if you would recommend the publishing industry to one of your offspring. I have my suspicions but, then, I suppose it would depend if that offspring was independently wealthy.
[Old joke: Two old farmers get talking and F1 asks F2 what he would do if he won the lottery. F2 responds that he would keep farming until the money was all gone. Might we substitute publishers in place of farmers?]
I suspect that the development of SQ is, as much as anything else, a way to get names on a mailing list and, with the subscriptions, a guaranteed sale. Sounds pretty wise to me.