Title: Trek Novels Scaled Back
Crichton Kicks - February 23, 2005 12:03 AM (GMT)
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Beginning in June, Pocket Books will publish one mass-market Star Trek title rather than two each month.
Editor Marco Palmieri posted this news yesterday at the Psi Phi Star Trek bulletin board, saying, "We've been discussing such a change internally for over a year. Our feeling is that we can do a better job, both editorially and sales-wise, by putting greater energy and effort into fewer and more carefully chosen projects, making the line leaner, meaner, and stronger." He stated that the "respite" from Star Trek films and television shows reinforces the strategy.
In comments at the Trek BBS, several writers for Pocket Books stressed that they expected no reduction in trade paperbacks, including the Strange New Worlds contest for fan writers. "I see it more as a streamlining," wrote Christopher Bennett. "There's no end in sight for Trek publishing." He noted that many fans had said they don't have time to read all the current series. In comments at Psi Phi, Palmieri noted that some of the books series in the pipeline might take longer to be released than originally planned. He said that readers would have to be patient.
In his LiveJournal, Star Trek: S.C.E. editor Keith R.A. DeCandido said he felt that cutting back the mass market paperbacks was a good move, "as it allows the editorial staff to focus more and make each individual book stronger." However, he lamented that there would be fewer spots in the line for individual writers to publish.
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Phillip Culley - February 23, 2005 12:30 AM (GMT)
To be honest I've lost track of the books recently - it seems there are so many different series going on these days, not counting the actual 5 Trek series themselves!
One thing I do miss though, is books set in the series' past - it seems all the TNG books are post Insurrection/ Nemesis, and the DS9/Voyager books are all set after the end of the series. Wouldn't it be nice to have some books set during the series itself?
Crichton Kicks - February 23, 2005 12:51 AM (GMT)
With the success of the DS9 relaunch novels, I'm surprised they didn't continue them into a 'ninth season'.
I haven't read any TNG novels in years. Got a stack of them on the shelf, but they just don't appeal as much as the DS9 or TOS ones for some reason.
ken1701e - February 23, 2005 07:37 AM (GMT)
Bought all the "A time to" novels, started the first one but then found something else I wanted to read instead. Despite my love of TREK with the exception of SHATNER's novels I find myself struggling to want to read any.
I do think it is sad though that they are going to cut down on the releases.
jamiearmour - February 23, 2005 01:01 PM (GMT)
As long as they keep publishing Peter David's "New Frontier" series of books I can't say I'm all that bothered by this news. They were flooding the market, causing oversaturation (and in many cases, overdraft) A scaling back is great news, just make sure they don't scale back the good stuff.