Discussion about the Fantasy Market

[Βάρδος]

Some books can be marketed to non-genre audiences easily. Look at the cover. Surely they had this in mind. Even the title. Good marketing is good manipulation, in a purely non-judgmental sense.

 

It's odd to me that the stigma persists, though I agree that it does. At this point in time, fantasy is being read by more people than ever before. But damn those covers! Is it the publishers who are holding on to the negative images? It's time that they distinguish between literary fantasy and sword and sorcery. There is nothing at all wrong with sword and sorcery. It's terribly entertaining for many readers, just as James Paterson is entertaining or some popular romance authors, but Paterson writes purely for entertainment purposes. Many fantasy authors today are writing for other reasons as well, myself included. And yet, fantasy is all lumped together on the shelves (except for the star trek and star wars sections). It would be hard for a bookseller to make the divisions, granted, but they do it for selected books and authors, like Clarke, Gaiman etc. So, they are starting to realize that there is a mainstream audience for fantasy as long as it's not marketed strictly as fantasy.

 

Who are the millions reading Jordan? Hard core fantasy readers? Salvatore for sure, but what about Gaiman? and Clarke?

 

So you really think the awards make any difference at all? I get the feeling that they are presents in a way. Gifts to the successful, not the hopefuls. As a blurb on a book cover, did an award ever make you buy a book? A pulitzer maybe. A nobel prize maybe. I'm not sure about a Hugo or a Nebula though.

 

Why is it really that the public's perception of fantasy is still so shallow? It is not a shallow genre at all. It can be, just like any other can be, but it is not a necessity. How much more intelligent and provocative can you get than Bakker? Too dense for the fantasy reader? Then market it as mainstream literature, which it really should be. We need publishers with more vision today in a market that is confusing at the least. They need first of all to be able to distinguish themselves between the various facets of the genre. Then maybe they can guide the public.

 

Από εδώ.

 

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[picollomaster]

Εχει καποιο δικιο ο ανθρωπος, πρεπει να αρχισει να περναει η αντιληψη στα βιβλιοπωλεια οτι αλλο fantasy αλλο d&d novels. Πρεπει να υπαρχει ενα ραφι για Kay, ΜΑρτιν. Erikson, Hob, Leguin κτλ και ενα αλλο οπου θα εχουμε τις νουβελες του D&D.

Επισης οντως τα αντιστοιχα βραβεια του χωρου δεν λενε και πολλα στους αναγνωστες, κυριως το mouth to mouth κανει τον αλλο να παει και να αγορασει ενα βιβλιο. Αλλα εδω που τα λεμε συνηθως το ιδιο δεν γινεται με αλλους χωρους στη λογοτεχνια? ο Brown κερδισε κανενα βραβειο?ο King? ο Koontz (ή πως αλλιως τον λενε)

 

Για μενα ο χωρος του Fantasy ειναι ναι μεν πολυ underestimated λογω καποιων ασχημων εντυπωσεων που υπαρχουν για το ειδος στο κοινο. Πιστευω οτι μεχρι πριν απο 7-8 χρονια οι περισσοτεροι οταν ακουγαν για φαντασυ , σκεφτοντουσαν τον Σβαρτσενεγκερ να πετσοκωβει κοσμο. Σιγα σιγα πιστευω οτι αυτο αλλαζει γιατι, απο τη μια η ταινια του λοτρ, εδειξε στο κοσμο οτι fantasy δεν σημαινει απαραιτητα 'παιδικο' παραμυθι, και απο την αλλη νεοι ταλαντουχοι συγγραφεις ξεπιδανε την τελευταια 15ετια που προσελκυουν κοσμο.