Text 1903, 50 rader
Skriven 2006-06-06 11:53:00 av Robert E Starr JR (2349.babylon5)
Ärende: Re: geography not Joethra
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* * * This message was from Joseph DeMartino to rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.m * * *
         * * * and has been forwarded to you by Lord Time * * *         
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Mox Fulder wrote:
> On Mon, 5 Jun 2006 21:42:30 +0000 (UTC), Jan <janmschroeder@aol.com> wrote:
> [...]
> > You were expecting someplace else?
>
> Not necessarily expecting, but it wouldn't hurt for the media to report
> actual news.

A series of 7 books selling a total of 18,000 copies in as many months
isn't exactly front-page material.  Yes, this is very good for
print-on-demand, and yes, for something like these script books the
economics are such that this is a genuine success.  But in the larger
world of publishing, 7 volumes the collective sell 18,000 copies in
more than half a year's time would be a flop of epic proportions.  It
is hardly surprising that the first really successful example of this
kind of publishing is only now showing up on the radar of the general
press, and given the tiny niche market the books are *aimed at* it is
no surprise that they've been mostly discussed among "B5" fans and not
trumpted to people who aren't going to buy them under any
circumstances.

Heck, given the expense and the size of the release, there are a lot of
"B5" fans who aren't buying them.  Not everyone is a completist.  Not
everyone is interested in the writing process, and therefore intrigued
at the chance to compare what's on the page to what ended up on the
screen.  Some people just like to *watch* the show, and aren't at all
interested at the behind the scenes stuff and the "inside baseball"
stories about the TV industry.  Personally, I'm interested in all of
the above, and I'm betting more people will be down the line as new
generations of fans discover the series, so I'm buying *two* complete
sets.  But I'm probably not your typical fan in this respect.

The books are selling to a relatively small subset of the also small
(in comparison to the fan base of older franchises) "B5" fan community
- which is, in turn a subset of the niche SF fan community.  When you
look at it that way it is frankly astounding that USA Today ever
stumbled across this story.  

Regards, 

Joe
                                                         
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