Even though I'm not into the HP books myself, my first reaction reading that article was pity for Clive James. To have had the elfin whimsy drummed out of you! How sad and limiting.
I must confess that I received a very wonderful review today, so am feeling magnanimous and full of elfin whimsy. Also I only skimmed the last 80 per cent of the article.
Still, I feel sure that "front list" authors don't have to endure the soul-destroying administrative labyrinths I am constantly forced to negotiate. (I bet Clive James doesn't have to, either.) It's the *indifference* that gets me. Like, for example (not related to the current hassle), last year when I discovered by accident that one of my books was going out of print... and when I queried this, they sent me a postdated letter informing me I could purchase the remaindered books... but I only had 10 days to do it because it was postdated. And then when I did, and the books were returned to the depot without reaching me (presumably because they were, as is customary for Penguin, addressed to Perth Australia rather than Perth Scotland), they couldn't redirect them to me because the purchase deadline had already passed... and actually this story goes on and on, costs me HUNDREDS of dollars in postage, and I STILL haven't received the durned books! And I can't help feeling, at such times, that if I was, say, SOMEONE ELSE, I would get slightly more attentive service. Also, if I was Bill Bryson, I could publish my grumbles and get paid for them.
Bill Bryson is my other hero... Bill Bryson and Biggles.
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Still, I feel sure that "front list" authors don't have to endure the soul-destroying administrative labyrinths I am constantly forced to negotiate. (I bet Clive James doesn't have to, either.) It's the *indifference* that gets me. Like, for example (not related to the current hassle), last year when I discovered by accident that one of my books was going out of print... and when I queried this, they sent me a postdated letter informing me I could purchase the remaindered books... but I only had 10 days to do it because it was postdated. And then when I did, and the books were returned to the depot without reaching me (presumably because they were, as is customary for Penguin, addressed to Perth Australia rather than Perth Scotland), they couldn't redirect them to me because the purchase deadline had already passed... and actually this story goes on and on, costs me HUNDREDS of dollars in postage, and I STILL haven't received the durned books! And I can't help feeling, at such times, that if I was, say, SOMEONE ELSE, I would get slightly more attentive service. Also, if I was Bill Bryson, I could publish my grumbles and get paid for them.
Bill Bryson is my other hero... Bill Bryson and Biggles.