Postscript

I should clarify that what I say below does not apply to the people working in the publishing houses, but rather their corporate owners who strive to bloat, discount, mass produce, and commercialise what to them is a "product" (once known as a book). Throughout my writing career, I have enjoyed working with publishing directors, editors, publicists, and sales people all of whom generally are also overworked and underpaid. With more and more books being produced at breakneck speed and everyone rushing to meet the next season's deadlines (there used to be two seasons, now there are four) and editors weighed down with more than double their old work load, it's sheer stress and madness. What used to be mission is now work. Generations have trod, have trod, have trod; And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil. (Gerard Manley Hopkins)