Who's missing?

[coalescent]

[Poll #1046886]

Actual answer here. Vote before you click.

EDIT: See also jlassen's two entries, and Andrew Wheeler here.

FURTHER EDIT: Commentary from rosefox here and cristalia here.

Comments

[jonathanstrahan.livejournal.com]

I had no input into what names did or didn't go on the cover, though I have no objection to the ones they've chosen. The first thing to remember, when you look at things like this, is that this book is only being published in the United States. The only reason to put names on the cover is to sell the book. Nix is the biggest selling author in the book, both in the US and the UK, and by some order of magnitude, so he was always going to make the cover. Beagle and Sterling are both well-established, enormously respected authors. They too are something of no-brainers for the cover. After that, it could have gone either way.

As to the gender breakdown: I know I'm likely to get into trouble for this, but I never considered it. Not when I was soliciting stories, not when I was buying and editing them, and not when I was assembling the final book. It's really only now that it's been pointed out that it's clearly that it's close to 50/50, which is nice, but coincidental.

Glad to see the discussion of the book, btw. I hope you guys like it when it comes out.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the comment and yes, I knew the selection of names would be a marketing decision. It just struck me because as I went through my blog-reading this morning I saw the contents first and got excited about new stories by McHugh, Jones, Lanagan, and Sterling -- in that order. So, even knowing that I am very far from a typical bookstore browser, and that I am not in the country where the book is being marketed, to then see that the cover only mentioned one of the authors I was most interested in was a bit of a surprise.

[jonathanstrahan.livejournal.com]

I think that would might be in something of a minority. Lanagan is definitely arguable, given the buzz surrounding her name.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

(To be even more blunt about it, if I'd only ever seen the cover, I wouldn't be planning to buy the book.)

[jonathanstrahan.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear that. I guess the bet the publisher is taking is that more people would respond to the list they've chosen, rather than to your list. It's beyond me, though. I just edit the book.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

As I say, I freely acknowledge I'm not a typical reader and I don't think marketing decisions should be based on my taste. Actually, it's not really about taste -- I like Ford and Shepard as much as the next. But I can get new Ford and Shepard stories multiple times a year. New McHugh and Jones is rarer. (Well, Jones seems to be having a particularly productive year. But usually it's rarer.)

And to be fair, saying "If I'd only ever seen the cover" is a bit misleading, since realistically I was never one of the people who was going to base their decision on the cover. :)

[pigeonhed.livejournal.com]

I appreciate you have no power on this matter Jonathan, but perhaps you have the contacts to feedback to the people who decide these things?

I would say that whilst the names on the cover might boost sales in some areas, the glaring absence of women might reduce sales in other areas, and I doubt that this was ever considered.

[jonathanstrahan.livejournal.com]

I'll certainly point out this discussion to the publishers. And as to the glaring absence of women - while they're not listed on the cover, I hope that people who are interested in such things will look deeper and see the breadth and quality of contributions that the women in Eclipse have made to the book.

[jamiam.livejournal.com]

I would like to second seajules's comment.

[i-ate-my-crusts.livejournal.com]

Ditto.

[seajules]

Absolutely same here, and to be even more blunt, I'm often inclined not to buy anthologies that don't have at least one female author's name on the cover, even if the contents are 50/50 or slanted toward more female contributors. I don't care what a market's excuse is, the end result pisses me off regardless.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

Nix is the biggest selling author in the book, both in the US and the UK, and by some order of magnitude, so he was always going to make the cover.

Question: does Nix write adult fantasy as well, or do his books have a big cross-over appeal? My perception over here is that he's read as a YA writer -- in which case, isn't he selling to people who aren't very likely to be picking up Eclipse?

[justinelavaworm.livejournal.com]

He's published as YA but he crosses over HUGELY. A vast number of his fans are adults. As Jonathan says Garth outsells everyone on that list by a big big margin. I'm pretty sure he's the only regular NYT bestseller in the book.

[bluetyson.livejournal.com]

His books are kids books as far as I know, but he do has some adult stories, in a collection, and in JBU.