trp biz/earning out

[ruudsaurins at aol.com]

Hoy! Hoy!
        And let us not forget "Pinch & Swallow" medication spoons and 
tongue depressors, or "Keep Cool Butt Care" topical hemorrhoidal 
emollient and analgesic ( I dare say it puts the "anal" in 
"analgesic").   Further product endorsements and "branding" (Hi, Doug!) 
to follow.
                                                                         
       truly,
                                                                         
       ruud


-----Original Message-----
From: Carvill, John <john.carvill at sap.com>
To: Michael Bailey <michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com>; P-list 
<pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Thu, Jul 23, 2009 2:16 am
Subject: RE: trp biz/earning out



Heh. Well, I'm not suggesting Pynchon should do some conventional
publicity (although what kind of a buzz would it be to see him do an
interveiw after all these years?), just that his publisher should do
something, please, for the love of....

If they think they can rely on most of the Pynchon faithful to buy each
book, they're probably right. If they think that will be enough they
must be outta their gourds. I know nowt about publishing, but as I
understand it, this is a shrinking market, and Pynchon is no Philip
Roth, let alone John Grisham, in the public awareness stakes.

If Pynchon has written an unusually accessible book, which in IV I think
he by and large has done, how will people who would not normally read
him but might find this one to their taste *become aware* that it might
be for them? In the absence of any percibtable marketing campaign, maybe
this will only potentially happen if/when the film of IV comes out and
is a big hit. Which is a big if.

The only other big wave of publicity he could potentially hitch his
board to would be if the Nobel people finally took their collective
heads out of their collective asses and gave him his due. But if they
didn't do that for M&D, or ATD, then logic dictates they sure won't come
across for IV.

Meanwhile, I'm sure M Jackson does right by him, she has a pretty good
reputation, I think. I don't get the feeling he's scabbling around
trying to make ends meet...

Ps. My pick for an endorsment would be Pynchon-brand zig-zag papers,
with 'you never did the kenosha kid' written on them in an iceland
spar/ATD cover style.

<< only his reclusiveness stands between us and

Pynchon mugs (emblazoned with his mug)  - for that cuppa Joe when
you're writing at night and words are only delta t from the things
they stand for
Pynchon writing instruments, and graph paper, and notebooks -
obviously a good tie-in
Pynchon kazoos and mouth harps - ditto, although he may already be
getting a kickback for Hohner product placement (despite slightly
unflattering words in AtD, IIRC)

personally I'd buy at least one of each...
>>