Sci-fi/fantasy author criticizes book store for stocking dead guys

[Silver]

Sci-fi and Fantasy author Fonda Lee, who's best known for her Green Bone Saga, criticized Barnes & Noble for stocking books by popular fantasy authors J.R.R. Tolkien and Robert Jordan.

Over on Twitter, she shared a photo of Barnes & Noble Fantasy & Science Fiction shelves with the caption: “This is what modern fantasy writers are up against. In my local B&N, most authors are lucky to find a copy of their book, super lucky if its face out. There are 3.5 shelves for Tolkien. 1.5 for Jordan. Here’s who we compete against for shelf space: not each other, but dead guys.”

http://epicstream.com/news/JakeVyper/Sci...r725cNAz8E

[vulcanlogician]

She really wouldn't like the philosophy section.

[Amarok]

Sci-fi and Fantasy author Fonda Lee, who's best known for her Green Bone Saga, criticized Barnes & Noble for stocking books by popular fantasy authors J.R.R. Tolkien and Robert Jordan.

Over on Twitter, she shared a photo of Barnes & Noble Fantasy & Science Fiction shelves with the caption: “This is what modern fantasy writers are up against. In my local B&N, most authors are lucky to find a copy of their book, super lucky if its face out. There are 3.5 shelves for Tolkien. 1.5 for Jordan. Here’s who we compete against for shelf space: not each other, but dead guys.”

http://epicstream.com/news/JakeVyper/Sci...r725cNAz8E

That's kind of bullshit we wouldn't have serious fantasy if it wasn't for Tolkien. This person sounds like their jealous .

[The Valkyrie]

Never heard of her.

Won't be reading any of it now.

[Fireball]

3.5 shelves of Tolkein? What are they, 3" wide!? [ducks] And Jordan's jaw literally fell when he found out he had 1.5 shelves.

[vulcanlogician]

3.5 shelves of Tolkein? What are they, 3" wide!? [ducks] And Jordan's jaw literally fell when he found out he had 1.5 shelves.

I used to work in a bookstore. "Books-a-Million" which I affectionately called "Sucks-a-Million." Lol! I hated that job when they didn't have me being the barista.

Anyway, Fireball, how it works is this: if an author is popular, his/her books are put on the shelf "front faced." Since you are going to sell tons of Tolkien, you are going to have three copies of Fellowship of the Ring facing forward, then around 10 copies spine facing out, then 3 more front faced copies and 10 more spine facing out. Then, Two Towers and Return in the same fashion.

By contrast, the lesser known authors are wedged in as tight as they will go. All their shit is with the spine facing out.

Popular authors are "displayed" and everyone else is "wedged in there." And when the space gets too tight, the lessers-knowns are the first to have their books pulled, even if there are 20 copies of Tolkien displayed front faced, taking up the whole goddamn shelf. That's the biz though. You stock the stuff that sells.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Sci-fi and Fantasy author Fonda Lee, who's best known for her Green Bone Saga, criticized Barnes & Noble for stocking books by popular fantasy authors J.R.R. Tolkien and Robert Jordan.

Over on Twitter, she shared a photo of Barnes & Noble Fantasy & Science Fiction shelves with the caption: “This is what modern fantasy writers are up against. In my local B&N, most authors are lucky to find a copy of their book, super lucky if its face out. There are 3.5 shelves for Tolkien. 1.5 for Jordan. Here’s who we compete against for shelf space: not each other, but dead guys.”

http://epicstream.com/news/JakeVyper/Sci...r725cNAz8E

This is why I can't get any of my plays published.  People are hung up on all those dead guys, like Shakespeare and O'Neill.

Boru

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Jule Verne asked H. G. "what the fuck?"

[brewer]

Sounds like she needs to make some purchases from the "self help" section. Maybe "Whining is for Babies"?

[Gwaithmir]

I never heard of Lee Fonda or her Green Bone Saga and, quite frankly, I don't give a shit. It probably took Tolkien three decades to rise to prominence. Lee Fonda will just have to deal with the challenge like any other author.