News travels fast on the interwebs, but if you haven’t read about Dorchester’s decision to stop producing mass market paperbacks, you can do so here or here.
Hard Case Honcho Charles Ardai had this to say about it on Bill Crider’s blog:
“This does affect all of Dorchester’s lines; fortunately, I own Hard Case Crime and can take it elsewhere. It does mean that there will be a delay in the publication of the next two titles (currently planned for this October and next March), but they will come out, and not as ebooks, as book books. Not that I’m against ebooks — I’m no luddite. But Hard Case Crime is not an ebook line. The whole point of Hard Case Crime, in some sense, is that it’s not an ebook line. In any event: It will take a bit of time for the smoke to clear, but when it does I will let everyone know when and where they can expect to see our new titles.”
Yes, that title due out next March is my new Angel Dare novel Choke Hold. But don’t panic, Faustketeers. I have faith in Ardai’s ability to make this book happen one way or another. That tenacious commitment to his authors and his vision for the Hard Case line is what brought me back to his stable even though I could have gotten more money elsewhere. It’s why I have the Hard Case logo tattooed on my wrist. Because I don’t trust easy, but I trust Ardai. And you should too.
We are living in interesting times, kids. Everything is up for grabs. It seems like content delivery mechanisms and the ways in which people evaluate and select entertainment options have changed more in the past ten years than in the previous hundred. My only choice is to stay flexible and roll with the punches. It’s not gonna be easy, but it’s a little easier knowing somebody like Ardai’s got my back.