Date: Fri, 02 May 2003 11:12:11 -0400
From: "Michael Walsh" <MJW at mail.press.jhu.edu>
To: <wsfalist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Maybe I'll write an elves in space epic trilogy . . .
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

>From a publishing email service:

Harper Plans to Split Fantasy and Sci-Fi; Envisions "Huge Opportunity"
Market research from HarperCollins UK has concluded that fantasy
should be displayed and sold as a separate genre from science fiction, =
and
found that 86 percent of general fiction readers surveyed had also read =
a
fantasy book in the last year. (Helped, of course, by the immense
popularity of JRR Tolkien, Philip Pullman, J K Rowling, and others =
riding
on their heels.)

As well as aiming for new display and different shelf space, they'll =
alter
their packaging strategy, too. Managing director Amanda Ridout says,
"The key thing is to simplify the jackets, and not to ghettoise them =
into
what used to be traditional fantasy. What we want to do is to make sure
that people who have enjoyed a wide variety of fiction aren't put off =
by
the traditional fantasy look." The payoff, as publishing director Jane
Johnson says, is, "A huge opportunity for the trade. It's a hidden
audience, and that's what we're all looking for."
PN on Harper study
http://click.email-publisher.com/maaa20FaaXKKia4fqn8b/