Re: Authors Who Should Retire

On 2008-03-10 21:44:18 -0700, "Ken from Chicago" 
<kwicker1b_nospam@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> said:

> Okay, really seriously this time, what is the impetus for publishers to
take
> risks on new unsold talent over reliable, proven best-selling authors?

That's a false choice.  Books aren't like TV, where a network has only 
so much room on the schedule.

Proven bestselling authors make them money.  Without those profits, 
they wouldn't be able to publish as much.  With them, they can publish 
more.

Give a publisher the choice between a salable work by a known 
bestselling talent and a salable work by a newcomer, and if both books 
fit the parameters of their "list," whatever they might be -- they 
won't choose between them.

They'll take the bestseller because it's money in the bank, and they'll 
take the newcomer because it's cheap and salable and therefore 
profitable.

All proven bestseller authors were once beginners, after all.

kdb