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Publishing is for Professionals

October 1, 2009 By Mark 3 Comments

Publishing is a time-honored profession lovingly cared for and protected by people who believe in culture, books, and ideas.

Or…not. From Andrew Sullivan:

We are asked to believe that [Palin] wrote a 400-page autobiography in two months. Although no one ever believed Harper Collins’ Jonathan Burnham was actually interested in the content of books, this new contract and its absurd delivery date closes the case.
…
(Full disclosure: Burnham published my last book, The Conservative Soul. I know whereof I speak.)

Ouch.

Update: more on Burnham, and why amateurs are not qualified to decide who gets published.

(Hint: professionals are rigorously trained to put money ahead of everything else, including their own self-respect.)

— Mark Barrett

Filed Under: Publishing Tagged With: HarperCollins, Jonathan Burnham, professionals, Publishing

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Comments

  1. Scanlon says

    October 2, 2009 at 7:49 am

    The truth hurts. Ouch, indeed.

    Reply

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Trackbacks

  1. Palin’s Profit (or Loss) | Ditchwalk says:
    November 11, 2009 at 1:05 am

    […] HarperCollins’ deal for Palin’s book, it looks like all the high-flying cynicism displayed in the production and […]

    Reply
  2. Publishing is for Professionals says:
    March 11, 2015 at 9:22 pm

    […] why I’m thrilled — thrilled — to see HarperCollins’ Jonathan Burnham taking such good care of Harper Lee and her recently discovered long-lost novel, Go Set A Watchman, […]

    Reply

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