I posted this on the All Hallows site, causing some discussion:
I have no objection at all to beautiful books, even ones that sometimes seem extravagantly expensive, and I have a number in my collection I would never part with. What I find incomprehensible is when a publisher, as has happened recently, publishes a leather bound version of someone's book when the writing is awful - or, at best, pedestrian, uninteresting and downright awkward. Especially when this is a slim book, padded out with extraneous material that needn't be there. It really makes me wonder what goes through the heads of publishers like this that they would go to such lengths for material that would be lucky to get into even a 4luv publication with a discerning editor. I just pity those who spend hundreds of dollars for something that never merited anything better than a POD paperback at best. Of which there is one also available - and which I now begrudge having bought.
Well hopefully word will get around. But it does make you wonder when some excellent authors have trouble getting published.
ReplyDeleteCan you link to the board, David? I'd be interested in reading the ensuing discussion.
ReplyDeleteOh, good to (briefly) meet you at Fantasycon - shame our team didn't do too well on the quiz, though.
Hi John. Nice to hear from you. Yes, that was a shame our team didn't do better, but I think we enjoyed ourselves though, which is more important.
ReplyDeleteThe link for All hahhlows is: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/All_Hallows/
What amazes me, Shaun, is that this is a publisher which does have an open submissions policy but is by invite only. The last 20 pages of this slim collection is a preview (or ad) for a forthcoming novel by the same author.
ReplyDeleteI hate to say this - and I really, really mean this - but, having read this preview, I certainly would not buy this novel.