August 24, 2013
“Buy hardback fiction and poetry. Request hardback fiction and poetry as gifts from everyone you know. Give hardback fiction and poetry as gifts to everyone. No shirt or sweater ever changed a life. Never complain about publishing if you don’t buy hardcover fiction and poetry regularly.”– Annie Dillard, “Notes for Young Writers”
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But why does it have to be hardcover? I totally get believing in the industry with our dollars and cents, but does the *format* really matter? I have little hands and read so much on the bus–I *hate* hardback. I’ll spend the money, for sure, but…trade paper 4ever!
You’ll have to take that up with Annie Dillard (and do they even make hardcover poetry?) but I think her point is that buying books out of bargain bins, and asking your publishing friends to send you copies for free (this happens ALL the time. usually it’s authors asking. I don’t get it. are they allergic to bookstores??) just doesn’t cut it.
Yeah, I get that–paying full price is important. And I guess there’s a few extra bucks in the hardcover version, but to enjoy it so much less…I just can’t. I will try to make up for in volume of purchases what I don’t spend on the hardcover editions.