Anyone out there read this?

[Talanic]

I'm a student at UW-Oshkosh in Wisconsin, and last year I had a professor named P. C. Hodgell for creative writing. She's been writing since the 1980s, but her books went out of print until a recent re-release.

I snagged one of those books and can not fathom why she went out of print. She rivals any of the other top authors I've read. Anyone else ever read her work?

[ZombieRockStar]

Never read, but I can sympathize. I've picked up books by my creative writing professors and can't believe that they aren't famous.

The problem is that there's too many writers out there and that too many publishers will publish only mildly entertaining fluff.

[Talanic]

The thing is, she's been published for years. She's got a hardcore following, but it's small. Why didn't the books mainstream when they were first published? They were just rereleased now.

[bosssmiley]

The thing is, she's been published for years. She's got a hardcore following, but it's small. Why didn't the books mainstream when they were first published?

You *greatly* over-estimate the taste and independence of sprit of the average reader. A lot of sheeple will read what they're told to read, either by book reviews in the paper, or whatever Amazon.com/Barnes & Noble/Random House is pushing this week. Look at the ridiculous effect on book sales that daytime TV book clubs - Oprah (in the US) or Richard-and-Judy (in the UK) - can have. ::)

Sometimes a good author becomes trendy (China Mieville or early Tom Sharpe for example), other times you get Jilly Cooper or J.K.Rowling, and the Muses weep.
Remember folks: every time an adult reads the Harry Potter books in public, God kills a catgirl! :'(

[Closet_Skeleton]

Yay! Slaughtered catgirls!

The thing is, good writing and popularity have no relation to each other what so ever. The main problem is that few people will risk buying a book that they have never heard of. Most people will therefore read book after book from the same publishing house or author despite whether or not they enjoy reading it. Otherwise they're buy books that their friends liked.

How many times have you walked into a bookshop and bought a book by an author you've never heard of from a small publisher that didn't have a shiny cover?

[Arian]

Remember folks: every time an adult reads the Harry Potter books in public, God kills a catgirl! :'(

Wow, so there's no downside to reading them at all then! :P

[ZombieRockStar]

The thing is, she's been published for years. She's got a hardcore following, but it's small. Why didn't the books mainstream when they were first published? They were just rereleased now.


Is she with large press or small press? Publishing houses like Harper or Random house have the advertisement dollars, but those houses will only purchase what they think will sell. Small presses often puts out better stuff, but it doesn't get advertised or widely distributed. And as boss smiley said, the average reader isn't looking for a thoughtful read, they're looking for television on paper, and not even good television at that.

[bosssmiley]

Wow, so there's no downside to reading them at all then! :P

*stunned into amazed and horrified silence by Arian's needless cruelty and her advocacy of J.K.Rowling growing fat on the slaughter of innocent catgirls*

But...but...that's just mean! :o

edit: yep, I think we done derailed this thread but good Cleetus. 8)

[Serpentine]

It could be worse, you know. My uni's library has a big sell-off of a whole lot of old books every now and then. One guy bought a bunch for maybe $50-100, got them valued, and it turns out that all up they're worth several thousand dollars (AU). Besides the monetary value of them, they're still great for assignments! What is wrong with those people?!