tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656468.post116108271131540436..comments2024-03-28T13:18:28.238+00:00Comments on Grumpy Old Bookman: Thursday thoughtsMichael Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11338398159818400930noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656468.post-1161415781457025272006-10-21T08:29:00.000+01:002006-10-21T08:29:00.000+01:00Of course you can Mark... But don't expect anyone ...Of course you can Mark... But don't expect anyone to believe you... Including snobby B'list celebs such as Ian Hislop...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656468.post-1161335656964273512006-10-20T10:14:00.000+01:002006-10-20T10:14:00.000+01:00In my experince, unsuccessfull products are the re...In my experince, unsuccessfull products are the result of unimagintive Product Mangers or Project Leaders who spend more time enjoying there salary than earning it...<BR/><BR/>Dull but true.<BR/><BR/>In fact there is a risk in launching any product. It can fail for a lot of reasosn; something worldwide happened (earthquake, assination, war breakingout) which has nothing to do with the product and it get swallowed. Or something better might have launched a few days earlier. Or people look at it and see a turkey and steer well clear.<BR/><BR/>Getting people to buy stuff is really not that hard and if you are lucky enough to avoid the above, then you will be a success. Look at Eats leaves... Dan Brown... any number of Hollywood films that you can't even remember what it was about or who was in it despite the fact that you saw it... All crap products, but all making money.<BR/><BR/>I think the difference is, the book publishing world is run by a lot of people who are largely out of touch with the real world - as opposed to book shops themselves who live with its dangers day in and day out...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656468.post-1161280006931074862006-10-19T18:46:00.000+01:002006-10-19T18:46:00.000+01:00"Yes, I dare say there is a lot of marketing ignor..."Yes, I dare say there is a lot of marketing ignorance in publishing houses."<BR/><BR/>Just as there is a lot of marketing ignorance in every business, because marketing is not a scientific process. If it was, and there were empirically tested principles of marketing, there would never be an unsuccessfull product.Peter L. Winklerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16005846686173676213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656468.post-1161273108097355622006-10-19T16:51:00.000+01:002006-10-19T16:51:00.000+01:00"It's the wonderful thing and the agonizing thing”..."It's the wonderful thing and the agonizing thing”<BR/><BR/>“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”<BR/><BR/>Long yawwwn...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656468.post-1161266120873310042006-10-19T14:55:00.000+01:002006-10-19T14:55:00.000+01:00See, could it just be that, on average, the books ...See, could it just be that, on average, the books that sell are just better than the ones that don't sell? Books are like cars: The buyers can test drive before buying. I NEVER buy a book based on a stinkin' ad unless I read 5-10 pages first. In fact, the more glitzy the ad, the less likely I am to buy the book. --Howard GoldowskyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6656468.post-1161258756389441222006-10-19T12:52:00.000+01:002006-10-19T12:52:00.000+01:00[quote]One thing I did learn from this blog is tha...[quote]One thing I did learn from this blog is that Victoria Hislop is the wife of Ian Hislop, editor of Private Eye. How could I have missed knowing that? Victoria's The Island was heavily featured on Richard & Judy's TV show, and rose rapidly to the number one slot on the bestseller charts.[/quote]<BR/><BR/>Surely you are not suggesting that Ian's connections were in some way used to get this book not only past the slush pile but onto TV?<BR/><BR/>I think you would have to be a liar, a thief or a communist to suggest this...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com