So you pick whatever names think will get you the largest defineable audience and the best chance of crossover appeal. You're not trying to appeal to everybody, you're trying to appeal to as many people as you can. :-p
That works--but that's a definable audience, is what I'm saying. The audience defined by that list of five names is different than it would be if you mixed it up a bit.
I find it hard to believe the marketing department didn't think of that--in fact, I'm quite sure they did.
We appear to be vigorously agreeing with one another. The question, if you like, is whether the five names they chose will get them the biggest possible defineable audience, compared to another five names they could have chosen.
OTOH, thinking about it, I wonder if it's in the long run a poor strategy.
If I'm someone who geeks out over the presence of Sterling and Shepherd and Ford on the cover (and the cover art), and buys the collection--and then I read it, and I find Wilce and Gunn and McHugh and Lanagan not to my taste--do I buy the next one? Or do I piss off, disgruntled?
Possibly, but I suppose the real hope is that you've never heard of McHugh, Gunn, or Lanagan and it turns out you like them just as much as Ford and Shepard.
In my case, Ford and Shepard are the two names that sell the anthology, Beagle is an important name I know, and the rest are either "I've heard of her" or "Who?" and Maybe, just maybe I'll like them. As it stands, I know Ford's work and he is hugely hit or miss with me. Botch Town, a current World Fantasy Award nominee for Novella did not work at all, but "The Way He Does It" was fantastic. Lucius Shepard is the real selling point for me.
As such, my vote went like this: Beagle, Shepard, Ford, Sterling, McHugh
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coalescent) wrote2007-08-29 10:18 am
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I find it hard to believe the marketing department didn't think of that--in fact, I'm quite sure they did.
no subject
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If I'm someone who geeks out over the presence of Sterling and Shepherd and Ford on the cover (and the cover art), and buys the collection--and then I read it, and I find Wilce and Gunn and McHugh and Lanagan not to my taste--do I buy the next one? Or do I piss off, disgruntled?
no subject
In my case, Ford and Shepard are the two names that sell the anthology, Beagle is an important name I know, and the rest are either "I've heard of her" or "Who?" and Maybe, just maybe I'll like them. As it stands, I know Ford's work and he is hugely hit or miss with me. Botch Town, a current World Fantasy Award nominee for Novella did not work at all, but "The Way He Does It" was fantastic. Lucius Shepard is the real selling point for me.
As such, my vote went like this: Beagle, Shepard, Ford, Sterling, McHugh