One wonders, however briefly, if publishers have a monster board that not only details the upcoming year’s production schedule by title, but also by subject matter. And then one wonders if those same publishers have their competition, title/subject, matter on the same monster board.
Movie studios do it, so one would hope publishing houses do it. You do have to wonder sometimes because, as the New York Times points out, there’s a lot of competition for reading dollars in this market. And a slew of titles on the same topic can be either good or…confusing.
Do you buy this book on Barry Bonds or that one? Which book on the Boston mob is the best? Why do they need so many, anyway? What’s the difference? Which the best? Why should you bother?
Perhaps it’s not surprising that the authors of the Boston mob books, three of whom are convicted gangsters, are in a verbal slugfest.
We suppose that “verbal” is a sign of maturity.
