Ah, money.\u00a0 Money\u2019s always a problem.\u00a0 But if I had the money, there are tons of things I would do differently with the books I publish.<\/p>\n
First off is publicity.\u00a0 Publicists are idiots and should all be drummed out of the book industry.<\/p>\n
No, not just that\u2026 I should dress up like a Puritan and round them all up and burn them at the stake, with little girls in the front row of the gathered gawkers wailing and pointing at them.<\/p>\n
I would select a publicist who actually does publicity, and cares about the books that she works with.\u00a0 Yes, I have someone in mind… Though she\u2019s kind of doing it under the counter, so, if you\u2019re an interested author, email me at nacho@www.dangerousjoy.com.<\/p>\n
I do plenty of the publicity myself, as well.\u00a0 The two times I\u2019ve hired a publicist, the ordinary levels of support that I give a title \u2013 which are required, unless I\u2019m dead \u2013 have far outstripped what those fools did.<\/p>\n
Next is sales.\u00a0 I\u2019d build a stable of friendly book buyers at the larger bookstores and then fly out and see them.\u00a0 Shake hands, how are you\u2026 Then out comes the gun, which I\u2019ll press to their temple.\u00a0 Go get the catalog\u2026 Get the catalog!\u00a0 Place the order!\u00a0 Ten copies!<\/p>\n
Finally, I\u2019d build a diverse catalog of my own.\u00a0 I\u2019d split the money earmarked for publishing into two funds.\u00a0 One to bring out work from new authors, which is always suicide in this industry, and another to reprint work that should not be out of print.\u00a0 And here\u2019s a quick list, just off the top of my mind, as I sit here at my shitty day job on a Friday morning.\u00a0 Oh, and by the way, more than half the staff are out with a death cold<\/a> today.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to burn my fucking co-worker at the stake, as well.<\/p>\n Repent, devil!<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the quick list:<\/p>\n Wars of Heaven<\/a><\/em>, by Richard Currey.<\/p>\n Codex Seraphinianus<\/a><\/em>, by Luigi Serafini<\/p>\n The Ray Robertson collection:\u00a0 Home Movies<\/a>, Heroes<\/a>, Gently down the Stream<\/a>, What Happened Later<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n