What follows is just an observation but it was important to me at the time and continues to be.
When the original hard cover version of A Favor Returned was published with the help of “patrons of the arts” who wanted to see the book in print, the publisher, Peter E. Randall of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, made the statement at our first meeting that “you must have a book.” His meaning became clearer when he said his reputation was at stake whenever he put his name on a book; therefore, the book had to meet certain standards before he would agree to publish it, even in the “subsidy published” category. In addition, any book he published would be distributed by the University Press of New England and would appear in their national catalog, placing even more importance on the “you must have a book” statement.
Things have changed somewhat since May, 2000, when A Favor Returned first came out. I wonder if one of those changes has occurred in the “you must have a book” area. Perhaps levels of self-publishing exist, ranging from the “we publish anything” school of subsidy publishers to the more demanding who say “I want a polished product” before my name goes on that book. Just wondering . . .
Duke
