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Why Dragonlance's Margaret Weis Left TSR: A Slaying the Dragon Excerpt
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<blockquote data-quote="fikuvino" data-source="post: 8702590" data-attributes="member: 7036573"><p>The publishing business is unlike most others. You might be surprised at how little many well-known fiction authors make. It isn't unusual for people with fairly extensive writing credits and names that people would tend to recognize (within genre circles, at least) to have a "day job" or to rely heavily on a spouse who has one. It can also be a lot more lucrative to write for certain genres (particularly romance) versus others (like horror).</p><p></p><p>Keep in mind that "bestseller lists" often don't accurately reflect how well certain books are selling versus similar ones. They are easily manipulated, using a variety of techniques, and frequently are. The sales numbers can be fudged in a number of ways (ex. double-counting books when they go through wholesalers and then again through retail establishments). Even the big lists, like the ones from the New York Times, don't tell you much beyond the fact that the publishers are really working hard to push certain titles. As a librarian, I can also testify to the fact that many "bestseller list" titles get a brief surge of interest, but have little in the way of lasting appeal.</p><p></p><p>Back in the 1960s (and earlier), some fiction writers could make a living just doing short stories for magazines. There were fewer channels on TV and fewer multiplex movie theaters, so people tended to read for entertainment more extensively. By the 1980s, though, the situation was very different. Being a fiction writer was no longer nearly as lucrative. The financial benefits of being a fiction writer just continued to drop over the years.</p><p></p><p>(Note that I kept saying "fiction writer." Things are a little different for non-fiction writers.)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="fikuvino, post: 8702590, member: 7036573"] The publishing business is unlike most others. You might be surprised at how little many well-known fiction authors make. It isn't unusual for people with fairly extensive writing credits and names that people would tend to recognize (within genre circles, at least) to have a "day job" or to rely heavily on a spouse who has one. It can also be a lot more lucrative to write for certain genres (particularly romance) versus others (like horror). Keep in mind that "bestseller lists" often don't accurately reflect how well certain books are selling versus similar ones. They are easily manipulated, using a variety of techniques, and frequently are. The sales numbers can be fudged in a number of ways (ex. double-counting books when they go through wholesalers and then again through retail establishments). Even the big lists, like the ones from the New York Times, don't tell you much beyond the fact that the publishers are really working hard to push certain titles. As a librarian, I can also testify to the fact that many "bestseller list" titles get a brief surge of interest, but have little in the way of lasting appeal. Back in the 1960s (and earlier), some fiction writers could make a living just doing short stories for magazines. There were fewer channels on TV and fewer multiplex movie theaters, so people tended to read for entertainment more extensively. By the 1980s, though, the situation was very different. Being a fiction writer was no longer nearly as lucrative. The financial benefits of being a fiction writer just continued to drop over the years. (Note that I kept saying "fiction writer." Things are a little different for non-fiction writers.) [/QUOTE]
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