Status
Available
Collection
Publication
New York : Dodd, Mead, 1975, c1973.
User reviews
LibraryThing member HeathDAlberts
First: This book is for the rabid bibliophile only. It's essentially a time-capsule; an article from 1973 converted into a tidy book form in 1975. It offers a glimpse into the back-end of what the book world used to (and to some degree, I suppose, still does look like.)
What I found most interesting
Sadly, the things bemoaned in the work - specifically the overlooking of excellent books due to time constraints on the part of reviewers, salespersons, etc. - are still prevalent today. How many amazing books are either never published, or are never 'discovered'? Conversely, how many pablum-spewing authors ARE made household names, a the expense of these potential treasures?
What I found most interesting
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was the statements made about how the industry would not change in the future. Apparently, the author never saw the Internet, print on demand publishing, and Amazon.com coming. Then again, who can fault him for that, in 1973?Sadly, the things bemoaned in the work - specifically the overlooking of excellent books due to time constraints on the part of reviewers, salespersons, etc. - are still prevalent today. How many amazing books are either never published, or are never 'discovered'? Conversely, how many pablum-spewing authors ARE made household names, a the expense of these potential treasures?
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