tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post4203250949334503150..comments2023-07-08T08:33:50.710+01:00Comments on Speculative Horizons: Why the Gemmell award is bad for the fantasy genreJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07763695390241432518noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-69481951316780400702010-07-27T19:38:00.134+01:002010-07-27T19:38:00.134+01:00I have recently been reading many David Gemmell an...I have recently been reading many David Gemmell and Terry Brooks books. I have found a greater loyalty to the writings of <br />Gemmell. Brooks seems to have the same cookie cutter recipe for each of his stories with slight deviations from novel to novel. I am fairly new in the Fantasy categories, and looking for some kick ass writer who is creative with his plotlines, isn't afraid to be bloody and violent, and offers true page turners. Any tips for a new kid on the fantasy block?<br /><br />Thanks! <br /><br />DaveUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14655735775361982384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-55905238617428614002010-05-07T17:04:43.742+01:002010-05-07T17:04:43.742+01:00Am I missing something?
Doesn't this years be...Am I missing something?<br /><br />Doesn't this years best newcomer award cover the critism here of the award just being a base for promoting already popular authors and there cash-backed works ...?<br /><br />As a minimum it weakens the thrust of the knife, no?<br /><br />And ...no one can have a hack at the award for promoting crap books. Weeks's entry last year was shamelessly commercial (I still quite enjoyed it though!) and others listed may share that taint (if that's the right word) a little. However, Joe's books are some of the most refreshing tales I have read in many years. He may well be popular and he deserves to be.<br /><br />I have read fantasy for more than 25 years and have read a lot. For me he's up there with the best.Andrew Guilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09033379715132326702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-77361446182818276892010-04-18T13:02:38.285+01:002010-04-18T13:02:38.285+01:00As poor as the American public educational system ...As poor as the American public educational system has been, I have to feel for the plight of those English grammar teachers in the UK who have to read and edit papers written with the same lack of attention to grammar conventions as the anonymous Anonymous has shown in his last three attempts at analysis and commentary.<br /><br />Putting aside the argument as to the value of placing names to comments, it is very difficult to consider an argument that is rife with spelling errors, failure to use the English subjunctive, among other things. Please edit and try again.Larry Nolenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16001420558511460998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-15321173526348638322010-04-17T10:52:55.131+01:002010-04-17T10:52:55.131+01:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-6059144383413978742010-04-17T10:45:37.149+01:002010-04-17T10:45:37.149+01:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-68518829610148455482010-04-17T07:31:35.139+01:002010-04-17T07:31:35.139+01:00Dear Anonymous, you sound like one of my ex-girlfr...Dear Anonymous, you sound like one of my ex-girlfriends. (Care to share your name?)<br /><br />Well, for honesty's sake (despite the fact that you've not named yourself) - I'm a new author with only a hardcover release in one country. It sold well. But still, that's not enough to generate a fanbase, because mass market novels are where that really kicks in: the print runs are vastly bigger, and the majority of readers buy paperbacks. To get on this shortlist you'll need mass-market novels over a period of years, preferable in several countries. <br /><br />My views come because I have worked in publishing and as a bookseller and know how the industry works on the inside. It isn't pretty. <br /><br />So if you can find it in you, look past that angle at the reality of things. <br /><br />As for popularity - you need to look past the popular is bad issue. James has gone to great depths to explain the mechanisms of what makes something popular, and why that is actually going to have a negative impact on the state of the genre in the long run. <br /><br />It's not about elitism at all - and I'm never quite sure where that passive-agressive defence comes from. The Clark is a brilliant award that rewards the mass market popular novels as much as the small press - the jury changes each year, to avoid nepotism where possible.Mark Charan Newtonhttp://markcnewton.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-18586838594869795322010-04-16T23:22:25.684+01:002010-04-16T23:22:25.684+01:00I get the feeeling that James wanted to cause a st...I get the feeeling that James wanted to cause a stir here and he got it but he admitted that thats his motive rather than actually believing in his agressive thrust.Hmmm yes arent you meant to keep that to yourself rather than admit you brought up the topic for dabte purposes..maybe youwant alot of people to reply on your site without actually doing the hard work of giving a sensible argument.Mark Nweton is just a total hypocrit.enough said on him apart from if he got into the shortlist what would he do .Please tell us all Mark what would you do then would you tell the organisers that you want to pull out? or take the award with the hope that it could increase sales? ohh the dilema .To get heated over a book award that is voted on by THE HIDEOUS THOUGHT OF THE *public* ( spit on the floor and turn around three times), because thats unthinkable isnt it..i mean THE PUBLIC..Haa what do they know..lets give the judgment to 5 literary types far outweighjs the democraticvoting system of the rest of world doesnt it.I am afraid youve chosen the wrong victim with the Gemmell award..youve just made yourselves look elitist to the extreme.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-92085781115542881932010-04-16T18:33:20.399+01:002010-04-16T18:33:20.399+01:00Petulant? Moi? I'm sure we agree a lot more ...Petulant? Moi? I'm sure we agree a lot more than we disagree. Certainly with you that it ain't perfect and the methodology is going to need work. But hopefully that can happen and it will prove to be a good thing for the genre. Or at least not a bad thing. I think I differ with you, as I do with Mr. CN, that the relationship between marketing and popularity is quite so simple as you both imply. But I'm not suggesting you're an arsehole at all. You wanted debate, right?<br /><br />Now I too must go into the garden. Or at least do some work. Later.Joe Abercrombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04096316583998199176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-39436824072981907892010-04-16T17:41:08.273+01:002010-04-16T17:41:08.273+01:00Joe - Right, I'll cut to the chase because it&...Joe - Right, I'll cut to the chase because it's a gorgeous day and I'd far rather be outside drinking beer than hunched over a PC arguing about a book award (plus this debate is in danger of turning into one of those embarrassing, petulant arguments you see married couples having in Sainsbury's).<br /><br />Anyway, you've asserted that my opinion that the award is bad for the genre is 'bollocks' and that my arguments about money/marketing and existing fanbase are 'really thin.' Which is fine. <br /><br />I take it then that you think the books on the shortlist made it there on the basis that they are 'better' than all the others, and that's why people voted for them? So The Gathering Storm made the shortlist on the basis of it being a damned good book, and the fact that the series has millions of fans and the fact that Brandon Sanderson has a big online presence has nothing at all to do with it? <br /><br />I just don't buy that at all. <br /><br />"And you've no real evidence that the voters haven't read all the books and are well informed"<br /><br />There's no evidence to suggest they have, and that they are, either.<br /><br />"Level of online debate is the aim now? I thought we were talking about spreading the faith beyond the faithful? Online debate would be nice, but involvement of publishers and booksellers and, you know, readers, is much more important."<br /><br />I'm talking about a lot of things, and some I've not even got around to yet (we've not even touched on how easy it is to abuse the voting system). Do you not think that it's ironic that as an online award, there's been sod-all serious debate in online forums? How are more readers going to get involved if there's no real debate? This is an issue that <a href="http://markcnewton.com/2010/01/26/serious-fantasy-reviewing/" rel="nofollow">others feel strongly about too</a>. <br /><br />"Have you made any effort to contact the organisers and make any suggestions before putting it out there that their hard work is bad for the genre?"<br /><br />What, so I have to give them a heads-up before I'm allowed to express my opinion? The point is that similar criticisms have been voiced before on Westeros, and the organisers are aware of them. Not that much has changed, as of yet.<br /><br />And in case you're suggesting that I'm being an arsehole for slagging off an award that some folk are working hard to organise, let me say this: by writing this post, I've got people talking. This topic has been picked up on across the blogosphere. People are talking about the Gemmell award. Despite critisizing the award, I've actually given it some pretty decent publicity, I'd say - better publicity than many of its supporters have given it.<br /><br />"You were insisting that the shortlist is just a set of bestsellers. These two authors, I would imagine, outsell most of the shortlist considerably."<br /><br />Maybe this is where quality DOES come in - remember, I wasn't writing it out altogether. I still argued that it was a factor to some extent.<br /><br />"I don't think the two Gemmell shortlists have been a bad sampling considering what they're aiming at."<br /><br />A fair point, but I still think that this is an area that can be improved.<br /><br />"My point is I feel there is a place for an award that has a populist element and is focused on epic/heroic fantasy. Or is that bad for the genre?"<br /><br />No, I agree with you - that idea is great. It's just the execution I have a serious problem with, for the reasons given in my original post. <br /><br />Hmm, that wasn't such a quick response after all. Anyway, the beer garden beckons...Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07763695390241432518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-89597097981533794502010-04-16T11:47:29.635+01:002010-04-16T11:47:29.635+01:00As a slight aside relating to the promotion of tie...As a slight aside relating to the promotion of tie-in material, surely even if a specific tie-in novel has not been heavily promoted, it's still riding the promotional long-tail of a (presumably successful and well established) franchise? Hence big(ger) bucks have gone into its promotion, albeit indirectly.<br /><br />On-topic, I doubt any single award would make publishers toss away their marketing reports and rip up the numbers from bookscan. Such decisions will not be changed to any great extent by the Gemmel Award.<br /><br />"All a popular votes can ever do, for the most part, is reward totems of effective business models, even for the shortlist public vote."<br /><br />I don't believe that your common-or-garden genre reader is quite so eager to fork over their hard-earned cash for a polished turd (even if it's REALLY well polished, with a tasteful dusting of glitter and a smouldering vampirette on the front). :¬)JDPnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-85838628587735685102010-04-15T23:17:55.472+01:002010-04-15T23:17:55.472+01:00"My point is I feel there is a place for an a..."My point is I feel there is a place for an award that has a populist element and is focused on epic/heroic fantasy. Or is that bad for the genre?"<br /><br />I don't want to speak on behalf of James, but I'm guessing his point was all about what contributes to popularity. That bestsellers are supported with financial clout, often internationally, over a period of years. All a popular votes can ever do, for the most part, is reward totems of effective business models, even for the shortlist public vote.<br /><br />As an examination of the industry, I'd love to see a compare and contrast of publisher expenditure on the books on the shortlist (how much each title received for promotion in, say, WH Smith) - though that would never happen.Mark Charan Newtonhttp://markcnewton.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-72661686779038312952010-04-15T22:43:50.126+01:002010-04-15T22:43:50.126+01:00Joe, sounds like you're defending this award j...Joe, sounds like you're defending this award just because you're in it. You kind of have to speak up for it don't you? No offence, but for that reason, I can't really trust what your saying.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-42288125460907716712010-04-15T18:00:58.213+01:002010-04-15T18:00:58.213+01:00"I'm merely suggesting that quality is la..."I'm merely suggesting that quality is largely irrelevant in this case."<br /><br />Why? Surely those who vote do so for the book they thought was best. They may not have read them all but the same's true of the Hugos or any other non-panel based award. And you've no real evidence that the voters haven't read all the books and are well informed. There is no real evidence of any kind for any of these assertions.<br /><br />"for all the pomp and publicity ... there was barely any online debate about the actual books or their qualities."<br /><br />Level of online debate is the aim now? I thought we were talking about spreading the faith beyond the faithful? Online debate would be nice, but involvement of publishers and booksellers and, you know, readers, is much more important.<br /><br />"no one seems to care about trying to improve the award."<br /><br />Have you made any effort to contact the organisers and make any suggestions before putting it out there that their hard work is bad for the genre?<br /><br />"Where is Feist or Hobb? Well, not every book can make the shortlist."<br /><br />You were insisting that the shortlist is just a set of bestsellers. These two authors, I would imagine, outsell most of the shortlist considerably.<br /><br />"I didn't even mention the longlist, which I think is ridiculous and pretty much includes every book published that year - what is the point?"<br /><br />To provide options from which the public can select a shortlist. The terms under which they do so may be vague but that's nothing new - the terms under which, say, the Clarke award judges "best" are vague, but it's the outcomes you need to look at, and I don't think the two Gemmell shortlists have been a bad sampling considering what they're aiming at.<br /><br />"it's an award that isn't based wholly on the quality of a book." <br /><br />You have pushed me into the rare position of agreeing with Larry, in that all awards are subjective judgements of quality, awarding according to the taste of the people deciding the winner. Either you have a panel decision, an academy, or a public vote, all have advantages and disadvantages. A panel at least means that everyone will have read the books in question and be actively comparing, but I don't see a public vote as being any worse an arbiter than the membership of a certain con (Hugo, for example) or a professional body of authors (the nebula, for example, where there tends to be big bias towards popular members of the relevant association). <br /><br />"that makes me wonder what the point of it is."<br /><br />The stated aim, I believe, is to recognise and promote core epic/heroic fantasy which, let's face it, is the elephant in the room when it comes to most genre awards. Ramsey Campbell has won the British Fantasy Award for best novel seven times since '72, so in the period that David Gemmell was writing. Gemmell is probably the most important British epic/heroic fantasy writer of the last twenty to thirty years commercially, loved by many, including yourself. How many times was he even nominated for the British Fantasy Award? I'll give you a clue, it's less than once. Now no offence whatsoever to Campbell, I'm sure he's an excellent horror writer. No offence to the BFS either, they choose who to shortlist and it's entirely proper that it should be up to them. My point is I feel there is a place for an award that has a populist element and is focused on epic/heroic fantasy. Or is that bad for the genre?Joe Abercrombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04096316583998199176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-25583869966469916742010-04-15T17:13:56.232+01:002010-04-15T17:13:56.232+01:00In case anyone's wondering: Larry's last p...In case anyone's wondering: Larry's last post relates to a troll comment that I deleted.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07763695390241432518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-58640842458191379412010-04-15T17:10:01.434+01:002010-04-15T17:10:01.434+01:00Larry - a good point. I guess it's partly frus...Larry - a good point. I guess it's partly frustration on my part as I feel the award could be better than it is, and that it's not really achieving what it seems to be trying to do (and maybe claiming to do). <br /><br />Neth - clearly you know things the rest of us bloggers don't. ;)<br /><br />Martin - I'm not totally sure I'm getting the point you're trying to make. I've never read any Harry Potter books though.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07763695390241432518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-77059265722112906402010-04-15T17:06:06.979+01:002010-04-15T17:06:06.979+01:00I'm left waited with not-so-bated breath for t...I'm left waited with not-so-bated breath for the naming of these "good review blogs." Always did want to expand my horizons. But why do I doubt any will be named, especially by an Anonymous poster whose spelling and grammar leave much to be desired?Larry Nolenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16001420558511460998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-49335056955116117362010-04-15T15:57:28.130+01:002010-04-15T15:57:28.130+01:00"Large cash prize"
Where? WHERE?!?! I..."Large cash prize"<br /><br />Where? WHERE?!?! Is the check in my mailbox? When do I get said prize? Damn, I'm getting screwed.<br /><br />Interesting generalizations considering the awards are in the second year... not a lot of data to draw on for making such a definite and broad summation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-26151745680592121992010-04-15T15:42:32.611+01:002010-04-15T15:42:32.611+01:00Ok read all you have to say and ill contradict eve...Ok read all you have to say and ill contradict everything you just said by saying these words.J.K.ROWLING. she was marketed well and you wouldnt say her books were great literature but you all read them ..you have to get out of this closed circle you move in and realise that most top books in any genre are hyped to get to where they are.Twilight?? top for months if not years now as best seller.from the back off the film?Wake up and smell the coffee.How can Gemmell awards be bad/? everything is subjective..you like books I cant stand and vise versa..so who are you to spout off about * popularity*.Your just another reader.You dont cry about the book awards being judged by a handful of people ..id prefer anyday an award to be judged by thousands not 5.Theres your democracy. <br /><br />MartinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-37082268750696177952010-04-15T15:29:47.666+01:002010-04-15T15:29:47.666+01:00well, James, you did indeed get some good discussi...well, James, you did indeed get some good discussion going, so kudos for that. I still can't bring myself to care all that much.<br /><br />Oh, and becuase I need to fit into the arrogant blogger stereotype from time to time - <a href="http://nethspace.blogspot.com/2009/04/david-gemmell-legend-award-shortlist.html" rel="nofollow">I picked Sapkowski to win last year</a>.Nethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16963540055415924510noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-46696582925965591292010-04-15T14:02:13.781+01:002010-04-15T14:02:13.781+01:00Why so passionate about an award that apparently d...Why so passionate about an award that apparently doesn't fit your value system? Just ignore it and hope others of like mind will ignore and perhaps it'll die a slow (or quick) death due to it not being a reflection of certain other readers. Or maybe it'll flourish precisely because it'll meet the desires of others.<br /><br />It is just one more subjective list, after all, and the weight of subjective value depends upon who is evaluating it, no?Larry Nolenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16001420558511460998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-63305611419631001832010-04-15T13:26:49.627+01:002010-04-15T13:26:49.627+01:00Thanks all for your comments, some good debate her...Thanks all for your comments, some good debate here - which is exactly what I was hoping to create. <br /><br />Some of you think my sense of 'outrage' is far too extreme, and that's fair enough. But look at it from a blogging perspective - I wanted to create some serious debate here, and the best way of doing that is to really throw down the gauntlet and be rather agressive - I think that sparks passion in other people more readily, and creates a better debate. Controversy is a brilliant agent for engineering debate and discussion. <br /><br />I'd also like to emphasise that I'm not suggesting the quality of the books on the shortlist is necessarily poor. I'm merely suggesting that quality is largely irrelevant in this case. I'm not at all trying to put down the books that made the shortlist.<br /><br />Some individual points: <br /><br />Seak - "I think promoting epic fantasy, stirring debate, etc. gets more people thinking and hence supporting (by buying books, etc.) the genre and that can't be bad." <br /><br />You're right - the problem is, for all the pomp and publicity generated by the first Gemmell award, there was barely any online debate about the actual books or their qualities. If the award HAD created a big debate and people were really analsying the books, I'd be inclined to look far more favourably on it.<br /><br />Neth: If we don't challenge these things, how can we kickstart change? The reason I wrote this article is because no one else would, and no one seems to care about trying to improve the award. Because that's why I wrote this - to try and get some debate about the flaws of this award, and maybe discuss how things can be improved. <br /><br />Joe: I agree about the panel idea, while not a perfect solution (is there even one anyway?) I think it would be better than a flat-out vote. <br /><br />Where is Feist or Hobb? Well, not every book can make the shortlist.<br /><br />Yeah, admittedly Sapkowski took most of us by surprise last year. But when you look into his background and career, suddenly it makes sense. <br /><br />Sure, of course publishers have better ways of working out what's selling. But I still think that if the Gemmell award grew quite big over the next few years - to the extent that publishers started putting "Shortlist nominee for the Gemmell award" on the front of books, that it would perhaps act as an extra encouragement to publishers to focus even more on supporting similar books. Then again, maybe it wouldn't. <br /><br />Perhaps you're right - maybe we need to give the award time. But I do think changes need to be made. I didn't even mention the longlist, which I think is ridiculous and pretty much includes every book published that year - what is the point? <br /><br />As for your last point - no offence taken, by the way - I don't think it is bollocks. Perhaps I've placed too much emphasis on certain aspects, but I think the main point stands up - it's an award that isn't based wholly on the quality of a book, and that makes me wonder what the point of it is. And maybe you're right, maybe it's not 'bad' for the genre - but I don't see it doing much good either.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07763695390241432518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-21085827024193339282010-04-15T11:57:44.712+01:002010-04-15T11:57:44.712+01:00The chief criticism of other awards is that it'...<i>The chief criticism of other awards is that it's based almost entirely around genre-snobbery.</i><br /><br />The DGLA is indeed an award for people who think that other awards are based around genre-snobbery. The problem is that those people are idiots.<br /><br /><i>I don't know which other awards let anyone on the planet nominate, but I'm sure there are some--but not the Hugos.</i><br /><br />The Tiptree Award is another. There is a blog post <a href="http://bigother.com/2010/04/08/gender-is-not-sex/" rel="nofollow">here</a> where one of the judges discusses the issues this presents.Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01345781894610597191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-38249376574456044152010-04-15T07:06:10.098+01:002010-04-15T07:06:10.098+01:00Yo, Gareth P - I won't speak of the details, b...Yo, Gareth P - I won't speak of the details, because it's bad ju-ju, but I believe the technical term is that Pan Mac spend a f*ckload more. I don't even know their details, but I was heavily promoted on Amazon, for a good while, and I know that costs a fortune. Is it fair? Probably not. I sold a lot of books on Amazon (coupled with solid online coverage, of course). <br /><br />It's another reason I want Graham to win - tie-in fiction is popular (and doesn't get that kind of financial clout), he's a popular author. The books do well even in Waterstone's. This is a 'popular' award, and it's about time people stood up and took notice, but I bet any money in the world if it does win, they'll change the voting rules. <br /><br />And few people have noticed there are in fact two tie-in books on the shortlist. Sanderson is writing in a world that is not his creation. It's the same thing.Mark Charan Newtonhttp://markcnewton.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-84948762283312874962010-04-15T01:22:13.063+01:002010-04-15T01:22:13.063+01:00Hmmm, I'd not actually thought about it but wh...Hmmm, I'd not actually thought about it but what you've written make a whole lot of sense.<br /><br />That being said, I really don't give a flying f**k about the reasons behind it or what t does to the genre or anything like that, so long as GirlBoy Abercrombie doesn't win, I'll be happy.<br /><br />Hugh, probably shouldn't have voted for him then, doh!<br /><br />Anyway, it's a popular award, not a critical one. If the Oscars were a popular award then Avatar and Miley Cyrus would have cleaned up, thankfully they're not but that doesn't mean that the MTV Movie Awards are shit, they're just less...<br /><br />And all that being said, I've never once in my life paid any attention to Hugo, Nebula, Saturn or any awards that are out there and whether a book or author has one and no one I know ever has either, so maybe awards are rather pointless all 'round.Jebushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00985667608602099242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5411517893000706576.post-70786545752416398582010-04-14T23:29:33.847+01:002010-04-14T23:29:33.847+01:00I have written post as response to explore the awa...I have written post as response to explore the awards themselves a little more:<br /><br /><a href="http://nextread.co.uk/2010/04/14/thoughts-not-very-rewarding-is-the-gemmell-award-bad-for-the-genre/" rel="nofollow">Thoughts: Not Very Rewarding? Is the Gemmell Award Bad for the Genre?</a><br /><br />I'd consider it a showcase of what's popular rather than a critical award - it needs a judging panel at the shortlist stage. <br /><br />But I'm not with you on the money. I wouldn't want that pressure as an author. You have to pay back every pound in marketing budget in sales. I'd rather a quiet profitable novel thank you.Gav (NextRead.co.uk)http://www.nextread.co.uknoreply@blogger.com