tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post8091609680199641662..comments2024-03-22T19:13:05.266-04:00Comments on The Dusty Bookcase: Hard Lessons in PublishingBrian Busbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-30993377888878527862009-12-11T19:40:43.700-05:002009-12-11T19:40:43.700-05:00And the box set looks really nice, too--covered in...And the box set looks really nice, too--covered in big images of pulp dames and guns and clinches...JRSMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430775461763521797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-13987837289616349042009-12-11T12:18:59.876-05:002009-12-11T12:18:59.876-05:00bowdler, perhaps I shouldn't be surprised... y...bowdler, perhaps I shouldn't be surprised... yet, these are editors, presumably fairly bookish types. One would think they'd have had at least a vague idea of what is pulp fiction, whether published by Harlequin or not. And, yes, if you are going to play up your past, homework must be done.<br /><br />It seems obvious that the publisher failed to identify its market. Instead of targeting vintage paperback enthusiasts, the company thought these would be bought by contemporary Harlequin readers, those loyal to the brand. And so, we have some dumbing down, some parenting, and the warning that "they’re not the Harlequin books readers love today."<br /><br />JRSM, as you say "a massively cock-up missed opportunity", but one easily ignored had it not been for the misrepresentation of these titles. Imagine the number of people who bought these in good faith (the box set does sound enticing); imagine how many people will be reading these books in the future believing them to be examples of mid-20th century pulp fiction. It's all so dishonest and damaging.Brian Busbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04120341319506205062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-55314279150711825372009-12-11T02:39:40.458-05:002009-12-11T02:39:40.458-05:00And having said that, a couple of hours later I wa...And having said that, a couple of hours later I walk into a local bookshop and they're selling the six books as a boxed set for $32. There was a huge pile of them.JRSMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430775461763521797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-36433683281490459792009-12-10T23:07:52.714-05:002009-12-10T23:07:52.714-05:00What a massively cock-up missed opportunity this s...What a massively cock-up missed opportunity this sorry saga has been. When you first talked about them, I was planning on ordering a couple of the titles--I'm glad I held off (mainly because I can't find a Canadian online bookseller that doesn't charge vast amounts for postage to Australia). They're hopeless.JRSMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430775461763521797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6747768554703669866.post-64677487409067282512009-12-10T08:12:05.178-05:002009-12-10T08:12:05.178-05:00Harlequin does sound remarkably naive in these pos...Harlequin does sound remarkably naive in these posts. I'm not sure I'd be so willing to advertise that to the world. But I'm not surprised with their ignorance of early Harlequin. <br />My brother had Harlequin as an advertising client for a number of years. He knew of their early books from me and he knew that Harlequin would have been surprised by the books they once published. In Harlequin's defense companies leave their pasts behind very quickly unless its trotted out for marketing. But once you do that you should do your homework.<br />I've compared the first two chapters of I'll Bury My Dead - not a word changed yet.bowdlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09504137974544195250noreply@blogger.com