ABSTRACT

This book grew out of a series of articles about paperback distribution which I wrote and which Publishers Weekly pub-lished in March and April of 1975. The idea for the series came from Lila Freilicher, assistant editor of P~ and to her I wish to express special thanks. Other PW colleagues offered help, criticism and encouragement when my enthusiasm was flagging; among them Arnold W. Ehrlich, Chandler B. Grannis, Jean Norrington and Miriam Phelps. Many people in the paperback industry, in granting me inter-views and behind-the-scenes scenarios, were generous with their time and their counsel. I want to thank particularly Stanley Budner, Ronald Busch, Edward L. Butler, Joe Byrne, Ross Claiborne, Alun Davies, Robert Fair de Graff, John Dessauer, Robert G. Diforio, Oscar Dystel, Sidney Graedon, Dr. Donald Hauss, Howard Kaminski, Abe Koppleman, Freeman Lewis, Esther Margolis, Peter M. Mayer, Helen Meyer, John Meszaros, David Moscow, Patrick O'Connor, Ed Pendergast, Russell Reynolds, Gerald Rubinsky, Louis Satz, Herbert K. Schnall, Leon Shimkin, Roysce Smith, Richard Snyder, Carl W. Tobey, George Wright and Francis Zinni. Whatever collective wisdom is in this book is theirs. The mistakes, of course, are mine.

chapter Chapter 1|5 pages

Paperback Parnassus

chapter Chapter 2|4 pages

Two Paperback Worlds: Mass Market and Trade

chapter Chapter 3|3 pages

How the Books Arrive

chapter Chapter 4|9 pages

Distribution Comes of Age, or Atrophy

chapter Chapter 5|7 pages

The Anatomy of Waste

chapter Chapter 6|6 pages

IDs: A Composite Portrait

chapter Chapter 7|10 pages

What Future for Export?

chapter Chapter 8|12 pages

Birth, Life and Death in the Mass Market

chapter Chapter 9|4 pages

Quick History of an "Extra"

chapter Chapter 10|12 pages

Boom and Bust and Boom and ...

chapter Chapter 11|5 pages

Trade Paperbacks: To Academe and Beyond

chapter Chapter 12|4 pages

The News of the Month in Review

chapter Chapter 13|3 pages

Neurosis and the Crisis of 1974-75

chapter Chapter 14|10 pages

The Cloudy Crystal Ball