NY Times (Again!)

[plinsenmayer]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C3289
From: plinsenmayer
Subject: NY Times (Again!)
Date: 7/4/00 8:54 am  (ET)

Hi:

Arawa - I liked your letter alot. I decided to do an email letter to
them as well (even though I sent one by snail mail a couple of weeks ago).

I thought I was doing a much shorter letter, but when I did the wordcount,
it's still double the length they'll actually consider publishing in
the "Letters to the Editor" section. That's okay -- I don't want to be
published so much as communicate my point to the editorial staff.

I'm encouraging others to write as well! Here's what my most recent
letter said (for those interested!):

I wrote a letter on this subject that was sent via regular mail a
couple of weeks ago. Since then, I've learned that the decision has
been definitely made to create a separate children's bestseller list
in order to "free up" the slots on the main bestseller list currently
held by J.K. Rowlings' Harry Potter books. I am very disappointed by
this decision.

A bestseller is just that -- a bestseller. The book's intended audience
shouldn't have any affect on its status as a bestseller. The central
character in J.K. Rowling's series, Harry Potter, is getting older. By the
time the final book in the series is released, he will be nearly 18 years
old. Will that book be classified as "adult" enough to garner a coveted
spot on the main bestseller list? What about Book 5 when he'll be 15/16?

When you made this decision, did you consider the large numbers of adults
who are reading the books
for themselves and giving them as gifts to other adults (i.e., not reading
them to their children or so they can approve or disapprove them for
their children)? I was lured into buying these books this past Christmas
based almost solely on their long-standing run on the NY Times Bestseller
List. I am saddened to learn other adults will not have this opportunity.

I am the founder of the Yahoo club "Harry Potter for Grown Ups." Would it
surprise you to know it is currently the 2nd-largest Yahoo club devoted
to Harry Potter discussions in terms of membership (and it is the fastest
growing)? Seems to me quite a number of those 3.8 million copies won't
be sold just to children.