Quote:
Originally Posted by pwalker8
The nature of publishing has changed quite a bit over the last 30 or so years as publishers consolidated under mega corporations. In general, people don't get into publishing for the money, they get into the field because they love books. I think you greatly underestimate how many publishers carried authors who never sold well, but whom they thought wrote worthwhile books. Back then the bean counters were not in charge. Now, the bean counters are in charge and I suspect that the practice is much less common.
In my particular field of interest, history, there are quite a few non academic writers who produce what is considered popular histories. There is a huge difference in the writing style one sees in those books verse the writing style in the academic press. I do think you greatly under estimate the value that advances have for non academic writers.
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I can't speak as to what publishing used to be like. The fact is that the bean counters have now been in charge for a long time. I have little difficulty accepting that many in publishing loved books, Unfortunately, this has had disadvantages as such people have to some extent acted to mask the true character of their masters. So many authors loved working with their teams at the large publishers, which did have many very good dedicated people. But these good dedicated people were not in control, and had to implement the bean counter's decisions. Some of the same decisions which later lead to many of them being let go. I wonder if there are many people who truly love books left at the large publishers.
You could be correct that I greatly underestimate the value of advances for some of the category of authors you name. I really don't know, no specific examples have been given and it is probably not realistic to expect examples or evidence. It doesn't really matter anyway. Groups do suffer because of changes, and if there is disadvantage to this and some other groups of authors it is not going to stop the changes, nor should it. We can only hope that such authors can either find alternate sources of funding or are able to write their books without the need for such funding.
If the large publishers were in fact once philanthropists, they are certainly not now.