Comments on: James and the Giant Zombie

By: bitter and twisted

bitter and twisted — Wed, 26 May 2010 20:07:22 +0000

Anon, your right, we're not there.... yet.

Your right again, they will all try to surf the wave, but when there are so many on one wave collision is inevitable. I just find it sad that they don't realise there is another wave coming along and another one after that and if they are the first one on the new wave the ride will be so much more fulfilling.

Surly taking a gamble on something new is not that much more of a risk than punting on something for which the market has already peaked.

As for plenty of other books - sure, next to the 200 titles of girl with her hair in a bun ther are 200 titles space adventure trying to pretend they are science-fiction and next to that 200 titles of mystery that are in reality Sherlock Homes rehashed and next to that... you know how it goes.

And meanwhile there are people walking past the bookstore who used to step inside.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 26 May 2010 17:04:24 +0000

"If all the butchers in the city sold only pork; would there be more or less people eating meat?"

OK ... we're not there. There are plenty of other books being published, too.

A book with a very simple hook that's easy to copy sold very well. Not all the imitators will. But publishers, particularly the smaller ones, are going to try to surf the wave ... as always.

By: Vicki

Vicki — Wed, 26 May 2010 06:24:50 +0000

I actually like and appreciate the trend. I read P&P&Z and enjoyed it, and once I get some of my more pressing reads out of the way, I'm looking forward to S&S&SM. I'd agree that there does seem to be a bit of excess (2 different adaptations of Little Women?) but, honestly, if it's done well, what's the harm? And if you don't like it, don't pick it up.

By: evilphilip

evilphilip — Wed, 26 May 2010 02:56:12 +0000

Who wants to read my query for Mansford Park & Man-Eating Plants?

By: bitter and twisted

bitter and twisted — Wed, 26 May 2010 00:21:11 +0000

Good explanation anon, but you miss the point.
Lets say the market can take 10 of these titles selling better than 100,000 nice money for all involved. Now the other 190 titles that are going to "sustain" have just as much agent and publisher involvement in bringing them to the bookstore. So why not instead of all that effort promoting a work that is bordering on plagiarism, why don't agents and publisher use that energy to promote something more original that has its chance in the market of selling just as big as the book we were fist talking about.

This way, if everyone who brought a copy of the million-seller brought another similar they would sell in the hundreds of thousands. The demand by those who crave this sort of thing would be met and meanwhile a lot more titles would be on offer and some of the book-buying public who don't buy books any more might return to the bookstore. These non-book-buyers wont return if their choice of something to read is take your pick of any of the 200 of lady with her hair in a bun give a flesh eater a blow job to see how he likes having his flesh eaten.

If all the butchers in the city sold only pork; would there be more or less people eating meat?

By: Jessica Peter

Jessica Peter — Tue, 25 May 2010 21:37:09 +0000

P&P&Z was clever, but that's where it ended for me. I was ruined because I'm a big fan of both Jane Austen and zombies. I really didn't like how the bits of Elizabeth that I especially liked got changed into ninja/samurai/martial artist stuff. I couldn't even finish this book, so the other ones just seem silly.

That said, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter seems interesting. . . mostly because it isn't bastardizing a book I already know and love.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 25 May 2010 18:40:00 +0000

"So why all of a sudden dozens of acquisitions?"

Because the first sold a million copies (literally), and most small fantasy and humor imprints are happy with sales of, say, five thousand, particularly when they don't have to write a whole new book, just slip in a few new bits.

Or, to put it another way, if everyone who bought P&P&Z just bought *one* of the follow ups, the market could sustain two hundred titles.

By: Demon Hunter

Demon Hunter — Tue, 25 May 2010 02:50:36 +0000

When I heard of the first book, I rolled my eyes and vowed not to read it because it just didn't appeal to me. I like the classics to be just what they were, IMHO. :-D

I don't use gimmicks in my own writing and I hope my work comes across as such. My WIP has angels and now I see loads of books about angels. **head desk** But I will still rewrite/revise/edit/polish my own work and hope that it stands out.

By: February Grace

February Grace — Tue, 25 May 2010 02:18:37 +0000

Please oh please just tell me nobody's done Anne of Transylvania Gables yet. Gilbert Blythe as vampire would just about be the end of me.

Where did I put my nitro glycerine?

By: bitter and twisted

bitter and twisted — Tue, 25 May 2010 01:12:27 +0000

O-kay the first of these novels was fresh and found a market and I can understand 2 or 3 more making sales, but after that?

So why all of a sudden dozens of acquisitions? Why would agents look to promote a book that is so alike to a book already written? In doing this at the expense of ignoring a manuscript that has an original concept the book buying public are being treated like they are not capable of making a choice. Offering a book just like the last book you read will force the choice of not buying a book.... another nail in the industry's coffin.