Mark Sullivan (AnonymeInc@webtv.net)
Mon, 19 Jul 1999 17:12:35 -0400 (EDT)
In the past, we've discussed how hardboiled fiction has gone
from very tight Gold Medal-type books to the too often padded
books of the present. Mark Monlux included this explanation
in this week's edition of Lurid Paperback of the Week and
said it was okay if I quoted him here:
<<One last thing, take a look at the price of the book.
As more printing presses came under union control, the cost
of printing in the United States increased. No longer could
you get a paperback for under two bits. This price increase
started in the late fifties and increased throughout the
sixties.
<<Because of the unions American literature was about
to change. Before the publishing house would pay the writer
by the word. Lengthy content was edited down so that the
publishers would not have to fork out more dough to the
writers. But as the cost of purchasing a paperback went up
the readers were beginning to feel a little cheated. "I'm
paying 75¢ for this skinny little thing?" Publishers were
quick to pick up on the new marketing strategy of publishing
thicker books. This in turn required that the stories be
longer. A common paperback today will be anywhere from twice
to four times as thick as the majority of those published in
the 40's and 50's. At $6 to $7 per paperback the reader wants
to feel the solid weight of what he or she is
buying.>>
By the way, if you don't know about Mark's list, you might
want to check it out at:
http://www.nwrain.com/~monlux/LuridPaperbackofWeek.html
Each week he sends out an email with paperback cover, plus
his take on its graphic design. He also quotes the jacket
copy.
Mark (different one)
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