Alexey SVIRIDOV
TREATISE ON THE UGLY ESSENCE OF THE CLIENT,
or REFLECTIONS OF A TRADE FEN
THEOREM: Clients are freaks.
PROOF: They are freaks.
EXPLANATION:
As A.M. Stolyarov said in his famous report on Inter-
presscon"... Oh, sorry, it went wrong by accident. I'd better start like this:
If you read a magazine named "Two Hundred", as well as any
another publication that pays attention to the fiction of the former. USSR,
one can notice the following: both to the science fiction writers themselves and to the sympathizers
living/feeding around, it dawned on me: Russians are poorly bought. Owl
Such an epiphany was completely unexpected, like “oh, winter has come!” How
always - “who is to blame?”, “what to do?” - classic.
True, upon closer examination, it turns out that under "Russian"
skies who are bought poorly" meaning representatives of non-
a very narrow, but still limited circle of characters accepted
for being respected in the fandom in general, and in St. Petersburg in particular. Strange
some picture emerges: the writers are restrained (and also not
very restrained) make it clear that everyone is their first boyfriend
village, the whole shirt is covered in roosters, if not in a row, then through one.
Critics too: this one is good, and this one is great, and I’m not a guy myself
miss. Again, moral support, bonuses out of buckets: on oneThere are so many Interpresses that you can’t even count them right away: four of them,
four this, four that, four special, and some more
were going to add. Sixteen awards, and each one is the “most prestigious”
"tight". Cool, right? These are some giants of thought gathered together! In a word,
a completely rosy landscape, but the question of who is to blame remains open
tym.
At first, the dastardly publishers were to blame. Harrison, bastards, pe-
chatted. This has become so commonplace that even now, by inertia,
continue to persuade: “Come on, you have the US Kings!
Kharkov (St. Petersburg, Moscow, Verkhnezatychkinsk) in any queue for
Soak up sour cream - both Kings and Moorcocks with baskets! Nemeryanykh
you'll make money!" (I can’t vouch for the accuracy of the quote, but that’s the meaning).
But, to be honest, in these times, blaming publishers for their language is already
somehow it doesn't turn. They publish, and not so little. Now new
trend: it turns out that our science fiction writers have lame professionalism -
et. He's good, but for some reason he's lame.
Hence the organizational conclusion “what to do”: now we are writing, of course, healthy
Rovo, but we should write more healthily, then we will finally bury
all sorts of Zilazni-Everywhere-Plazni and Jose-José-Felipe-Multi-tiered-
nykh.
And so the leading science fiction writers are trying, the computers are even smoking.
go-planning is created, turbocharged realism is used, style
are improving...In short, tireless work is underway to further
promotion and improvement. And at the end - in the sensecommercial success
Ha books - still zero. Or the value is different from zero, but not
much. Of course, you can write without expecting publication, for three
with half of my friends, but that’s not what we’re talking about now.
Do you think that I will now prove that in fact everything
our writers are incompetent, and they receive, that is, they do not receive, according to their
meadows? Not at all. On the side of the showdown, “leading science fiction writers” write about real-life
decently, even Stolyarov, despite all his brightly expressive
cherished genius. Commercial failures make them nervous, and they are
they try to make the best out of the good, and I say: guys, relax
hang on. You are fighting the wrong mill. For some reason, none of you
I haven’t understood yet, and if I did understand, I didn’t say it out loud: artistic
The book's features are interesting to the reader, but the reader does not buy the book.
The book is bought by the Client. Even if these are two forms of one and the same
same person, no matter. He is a Client first, and a reader only later.
And the Client is a very specific creature, and to be honest, very
unpleasant.
1. Sorry, the client doesn’t give a damn about the beauty of style and flight of thought.
Based on my three years of experience in the book market in Moscow, I
I can say with confidence: the client is interested in the content, but
not really. And his criteria for assessing content are different than those of the Cree-
Tika comes from fandom.
Example A. Who, where, when, said at least one kind word about the series
ale Yu. Nikitin? (except for Nikitin himself, of course). Ahis clients
they take books. And they accompany this with the words: “He’s having fun!
And interesting!" And they take it like Mama Mia! It costs twelve grand
"Prince Vladimir", this is not on a tray, I repeat, this is a small-scale fish-
nok - leaves in batches! This means that they will take them from the tray for twenty. A
Lazarchuk, hung with awards for four thousand, is nearby - well, at least
who took it in hand.
Example B. "Labyrinth of Death", the most perfect kitsch, starting
with the phrase “Sergey drove the glider with all his might, but the plasma was of poor quality-
va..." turned out to be so popular with the Client that it was made
additional circulation.
2. In addition, the Client loves the series. Collect the series so that all
was - this is sacred. Twelve volumes of the Strugatskys are very well distributed -
were popular not only because of the big name, but also because they
They have numbers on the spines. Let the Client already have three editions at home
“It’s hard to be a god,” but he’ll still buy the numbered volume. Just
so that everything is beautiful on the shelf. For the sake of the series, the Client will buy
any crap, and if you missed it, then for any money.
Example B. I personally saw the same “Three from the Forest” six months ago
sold it for thirty grand. Freak, I don't argue. But I want to eat.
Example G. Nik. Perumov’s novel, as you know, came out with a small
at wide intervals in Stavropol as a separate publication, and in St. Petersburg in
super series "North-West". I testify: if there is a manager,
healing inscription "Tolkien's continuation",Stavropol book
They took it very so-so. But when the St. Petersburg one appeared... Without looking:
"Is this the new North-West? How many are there in the pack?"
3. The appearance of the publication and the quality of production are of concern to the Client.
that's extremely.
Example E. Dialogue at the counter when trying to sell "Darling"
Oldie:
- So it’s not sewn? And on newsprint...
- This is not a newspaper, but a second offset. Well, the book itself is
roshaya! And for three and a half thousand you can’t type in Finnish
there will be.
- And the cover is soft...
- Dear! This is one of the few really good
original things in the fantasy style that have come out recently
me...
- And some kind of format...
- So should you read, or decorate the shelf?
The client proudly turns in profile, takes a step to the right, and
buys "The First Wars of the Desert" for almost a chervonets.
4. The client is extremely suspicious of new, unfamiliar people
names with Slavic endings. And vice versa, I am ready to buy without
analysis of promoted authors. I am ready to cover up for any amount that
If you take some crap, label it “A. and B. Strugatsky.”
From the unreleased", then it will go off with a bang. And if you also do it
both volume thirteen, additional, and “two to one” are ready
clog.
Example E. The magnificent “Multi-Armed God of Dalain” by Loginov about
was very weak, and sold mainly because
This is the series, "The Golden Shelf". Attemptspersuade the client to buy
this book came up with the question: who exactly is he, this
Loginov, and if he is so smart, then why not rich? I mean no
famous.
5. But even such a Client is slowly dying out. Fashion for books
passed approximately simultaneously with the fashion for intelligence. Here and
no examples are needed.
Now let's think about writers and publishers. Writer ho-
even to write cleverly and difficultly - as a result the Client, having glanced briefly
book, puts it back on the counter. The publisher wants to publish
faster and cheaper (serious money for a guy from the sour cream line
it’s a pity!), and the result is a nondescript incomprehensible-what’s in the fire-
a cardboard cover and a tacky super that will be cluttered
to fill the warehouses of the offices that have taken up the implementation. Remember your father's soap
Fedora? “Then they threw him into a cesspool...”
Creative individuals can argue with each other until they are hoarse,
who is more talented than whom - the client is neither hot nor cold. He
he will simply vote in rubles for what meets his needs,
and I described his requests. Thus, it turns out this: all sorts of
Chinese conversations about artistic quality and writing skills
useful and interesting in themselves. Discussions are no less useful
affairs in publishing and bookselling. But mixing these
I don’t recommend two topics, much less tying one to the other,
meh, I don’t recommend it. They won't eat
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