Kind of sad.

[Jedieb]

I just read this over at Yakface about author Michael Stackpole. He's basically asking readers to help him out. It's kind of sad that a published author has to resort to this. Here's a link to his plea:

http://www.stormwolf.com/essays/appeal.html

[imported_QuiGonJ]

Agreed, I'm suprised Lucas hasn't paid him more over the years, specially considering how Lucas felt cheated from not getting paid much for his earlier works.

[Champion of the Force]

That's pretty sad. :(

[Jedieb]

I think that's just the way it works when you write something for an established franchise. First of all, there are probably hundreds of writers who are standing in line behind Stackpole to take his place so he doesn't have a strong barganing position. I'm sure he makes significantly more for his non Battletech/Star Wars work. But even that isn't much to brag about. In his letter I think he said for every $30 you spend on his "original" work he brings in about $2. I imagine he gets paid much less for his SW/Battletech work. I'd wager that 99% of the people who walk into Waldenbooks have never heard of Stackpole so he can't command the profits that a Grisham or King can. Anyway you look at it, Stackpole, KJA, & company are working for the man and he's not giving them much. :(

By the man I mean big business, not necessarily GL himself.

[JMK]

Does this sound like someone who is afraid of getting a "real job", or someone who truly loves writing and really wants to continue. Either way, it is really sad. For so many reasons...

[Hart]

I'm sad that Stackpole is in the position that he's in, but this thing he's doing isn't classy at all. It makes me almost dislike him.

[Jedieb]

I'm curious Hart, what is it that you dislike about this? Is it that it seems as if he's practically begging or that he's trying to guilt SW fans into buying something they normally wouldn't be interested in reading?

[Hart]

well, I feel he's trying to accomplish the second with the first. I've never been a Stackpole fan, so maybe it's just that I wouldn't mind if he didn't write any more Star Wars novels, but if he's not making the money he wants from the Star Wars titles, he can simply write about something else and try to sell that instead. If he's not a good enough writer to pull that off, than he doesn't deserve the money that he wants from being a writer.

[Champion of the Force]

The way I'm reading it is that there's a lot of fans out there for him but they've only ever read his SW novels and don't know much about his other work. I think he's just trying to say "Hey, I don't just do SW - I write other stuff too". He's just trying to raise some awareness for his other work.