Might sell more than 100 just to other authors that like it?

I mean, I have a friend who vanity published an ordinary poetry collection who sold more than that.

Such tiny numbers do seem a bit like vanity publishing, although with getting paid something, presumably. Beer money?

Is this common for Australian small press type books to print countable-on-the-digits-of-your-average-household type numbers? (if you include the pets).

Sounds like it may as well be POD, bound to end up selling more than 300 like that eventually you would think?

there’s no excuses these days for no backlist (except lack of time)

Anyone wants to do it, I have a few pieces of advice born in experience.

That said, I didn’t find either of them moved me or left me thinking much. I definitely felt there were better stories published this year (imho of course)

As for whether he’s taken for granted, I think probably most authors are taken for granted once they reach a certain level… if a newcomer had published Cheat Light they probably would have been lauded as a hot new talent… but then the same could be said of any other story by a “name” author, Simon Brown or Lucy Sussex for instance.

My personal theory is probably a simple one. Compared to authors of his timespan (roughly) like Dedman, Sussex, or Brown, Dowling published less, and while it’s good quality, I can’t think of a story that’s blown my socks off in recent years by Dowling, the way Leviathan, for instance, did.

All just my opinion, mind. I still hear a lot of people praising Dowling so I don’t think he’s quite as forgotten as you might think…

i do agree, though, that the book wasn’t well promoted in this country, or anywhere. it came and went with little fuss. i suspect that most of the copies went into libraries in the US because of the PW review, and to collectible book dealers, which is kind of a pity.

however, i think the thing that might be the case is that a large portion of it was reprinted from BLACKWATER DAYS and AN INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF THE NIGHT. it’s kinda unfair to argue that such reprints are overlooked here when they were acknowledged when the original books were released. (and it’s a real shame that BLACKWATER DAYS isn’t readily available for people, since i think it’s dowling’s strongest work.)

If it has indeed sold out, and by the feel of things mostly to an American market, there’s definitely a window for one of the Australian small presses to do a reprint.

That said, I stand by my basic point, which is that Dowling’s stuff is taken for granted and gets overlooked these days, not just for awards, but for general acclaim. Not many people seem to be talking about him the way they were ten years ago.

I was on one of the judging panels (the Aurealis Award for Best Horror) that was apparently snoozing when we read Terry’s stories. The decision we came to reflects our considered opinion on the subject and was not made lightly. There was better work out there, in our opinion, and that’s the honest bottom line. It would be unfair of us to have come up with a shortlist any other way. Are you really suggesting we did otherwise?

Vive la difference, and all that, right?

Apart from that, I agree with you on every point. Terry is a major Australian writer deserving more exposure and respect. The book should be available in airport lounges.

Sean

I do stand by the statement that Dowling gets taken for granted a bit here at home, these days. Assumptions are made about the work, and it gets overlooked. Doesn’t make it deliberate, or any less real.