[MD] Review of 'The Truth About Art'.

[Dan Glover]

Arlo,

On Sun, Oct 19, 2014 at 7:59 AM, ARLO JAMES BENSINGER JR <ajb102 at psu.edu> wrote:
> [Arlo]
> "The book is printed on low-quality paper with dense text in double columns, which do not make for pleasant reading." Ouch.
>
> [Dan]
> If I had purchased a book "printed on low-quality paper with dense text in double columns" I would have promptly sent it back for a refund. Not only is this information the reader needs to know before they buy the book (there is no free preview available on Amazon as most books have) but it is something that can (probably) be remedied in the next edition. This is constructive criticism... something the author can use to improve his work.
>
> [Arlo]
> I didn't mean to imply this has no potential impact on the reader, only that I find it out of place in a book review (which should address content).

[Dan]
I tend to disagree. Reading should not be an unpleasant experience. I
recall (and appreciate) reading any number of book reviews that
comment upon font size (too small), font choice (nearly illegible),
and other considerations not linked to content. Often times that is
the reason why the content wasn't addressed... the reader was unable
to make it through the book due to poor formatting.

[Arlo]
I am unsure as to the control an author, especially an author going
through a publisher, has over the hard formatting of her/his work. In
this case, it may be that distribution and marketing (typically
provided through the publisher) was a greater consideration than
self-publishing to ensure desired font-size, etc.

[Dan]
Having consulted with a traditional publisher, in my experience the
'final cut' is a negotiable right. The publisher will of course have a
monetary stake in the book and so will want control. Depending upon
the strength of the author, they may retain the right to be consulted
on the finished product or to even approve it before the book goes to
market.

Self-publishing is an art like anything else. One can delegate the
responsibility of a book to another, sure. To me, that is the easy way
out, especially today. With the resources available to anyone with an
internet connection it is possible to be involved and in control of
all facets of publishing. Is there a learning curve? Sure. Is it
insurmountable? Not in my opinion.

>
> [Dan]
> The point is, there are options out there so that an author does not have to settle for low quality, especially when his book is about reclaiming quality!
>
> [Arlo]
> It's a trade-off, I imagine, between wanting to reach the widest possible audience, through distribution, marketing and (importantly) placement on bookshelves in actual bookstores, and sacrificing control over font and typeface. Years ago, when I stumbled onto "Interview with the Vampire" (shortly after it was first available in paperback), I found the book was made pretty cheap, the ink even smudged my fingers, and the binding started to come apart pretty quickly. Nonetheless, it remains one of my favorite works of recent fiction, and any review I'd give of the book would focus on Rice's content, not the ink/glue-choice of the publisher.

[Dan]
Absolutely. My old mass-market paperback of Lila is held together with
duct tape but that does not detract from its value. On the other hand,
reading it has always been a pleasant experience even when I discover
the pages coming loose in my hands. Conversely, a poorly formatted
book that is nearly unreadable becomes just that: an unread book... a
rare bird, at least around my house.

It is also worth remembering (if a person is an author) that getting
one's books on shelves in actual stores is no guarantee they will
sell. I walk past the bargain bin of books every time I visit Walmart.
Why are those books there? Because they don't sell. It is a last ditch
attempt to unload them before the covers are ripped off and sent back
to the publisher.

Thank you for your comments, Arlo. It is always a pleasure.

Dan

http://www.danglover.com