Posted by Peter H on July 10, 2002 at 15:49:00 from 213.122.132.210 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Re: Books - publishers posted by Duncan on July 10, 2002 at 09:24:19:
Yes, like Duncan, I have argued with children's publishers about this, but got nowhere. Nevertheless, I am going to say a word for publishers, particularly on the 'Harry Potter' type of success story. OK, yes, 'Potter' was rejected by many publishers. There are other examples of publishers turning down authors who later achieve great success. What does this prove? Nothing. What you have to remember is the number of authors who are accepted by publishers, and their books don't sell. A publisher who rejected 'Harry Potter' may have had half a dozen failures the year before and so be reluctant to take another risk on a newcomer. With respect to Prue Eckett, there is no such thing as 'publishing genius' - it is a matter of backing hunches. There is no quick-fix formula. It's very easy to lose money.
By the way, 'trial reading groups' of children are unreliable as a guide to success - there are too many variables. They have been tried.
I know that publishers can be infuriating at times with their apparently illogical demands, but running a successful publishing house ain't that easy - if you doubt me, try it!
(I had better add that I worked as an editor in the book publishing industry for 33 years before retiring a few years ago.)