Playing devils advocate, the recession already the worst since 1974, before S&S took up Star Trek publishing, and is expected to continue to worsen.
Simon and Schuster cuts 35 jobs
- Thread starter Jim Johnson
- Start date
Playing devils advocate, the recession already the worst since 1974, before S&S took up Star Trek publishing, and is expected to continue to worsen.
Sorry to hear about tthe layoffs, especially at this time of year. 
I'm sorry to hear about this
I wish everyone affected good luck for the future.
I wish everyone affected good luck for the future.
Unfortunately, this is generally the season for layoffs, in pretty much any industry. I've never liked it, but it's been that way for as long as I can remember. If a company is going to do the layoffs, Q4 is when they're going to do it.
As for the recession, the 'decline' (as in, the RATE of decrease) is worse than any point since 1974, but please keep in mind that we're declining from the highest points our economy has ever had. Our actual economic situation is actually only back down to the later Clinton years at the moment - hardly a call for jumping out of New York skyscrapers and fearing the end.
"Actual economic situation" does not equal "the Dow Jones Industrial Average." To claim that what we're seeing happening now is no worse than 1999-2000 is... well, not accurate.
Not even remotely accurate.
This makes 1999/2000 look like a walk in the park.
Plus, y'know, we're talking about people rather than ledgers.
Point taken.
I am very sad to hear this news. Marco was a great editor and I wish him all the best.
I guess it was his DS9 relaunch is what got me back into reading books again. The stories were awesome and they had that Star Trek feel to them. I enjoyed his comments and just knowing that he talked to us readers made me feel special.
To this day I still read paperback books.
Thank you Marco for your years of great work.
I guess it was his DS9 relaunch is what got me back into reading books again. The stories were awesome and they had that Star Trek feel to them. I enjoyed his comments and just knowing that he talked to us readers made me feel special.
To this day I still read paperback books.
Thank you Marco for your years of great work.
Me 3... tho I'm thinking since the Soul Key is scheduled already, it will go ahead as planned (so everyone buy it so the PTB don't get any funny ideas!!) and if its good, then I'd imagine they'll keep going, both for resolution of the current problems and because there are interesting things going on, and that can happen, with neat characters... they may need to pull it together well for the transitional phase so we don't throw up our hands and say "they ruined it"
but... it'll survive... 
There are other people involved- people who have worked with MP, and after all these years probably have a good "sense" of where the DS9R must go, and how it must get there to hold interest... Naturally, if there are problems, my solution is to add more Jem'Hadar...
First of all, we don't know the franchise is about to experience a renaissance, though we all hope it does. I mean, people were expecting a Godzilla renaissance in early 1998, too....I hear what KRAD is saying about beans, but I have to echo Christopher in my befuddlement (even from an impersonal business perspective) at why a celebrated Trek editor would be let go just as the franchise is about to experience a renaissance.
Second of all, Star Trek was only a portion of what Marco was responsible for.
Third of all, the people who made this decision neither know nor care how "celebrated" Marco might be by a few people on internet bulletin boards. And there's no reason why they should. Right now, they're hemhorraging money, and they needed to stop the bleeding. This was one of the tourniquets.
This is not to say it doesn't suck, but Marco's work, his pride in his work, his work ethic, and the quality of his work were all completely irrelevant criteria to this decision.
Exactly. I lived through several dramatic restructures when I was seconded into a government admin/editor role - and staff cutbacks are usually recommended to the execs by an outsider, someone who is not going to be swayed on how professional certain workers are, or even who'll pick up the reigns when those staff members depart.
First of all, we don't know the franchise is about to experience a renaissance, though we all hope it does. I mean, people were expecting a Godzilla renaissance in early 1998, too....I hear what KRAD is saying about beans, but I have to echo Christopher in my befuddlement (even from an impersonal business perspective) at why a celebrated Trek editor would be let go just as the franchise is about to experience a renaissance.
Second of all, Star Trek was only a portion of what Marco was responsible for.
Third of all, the people who made this decision neither know nor care how "celebrated" Marco might be by a few people on internet bulletin boards. And there's no reason why they should. Right now, they're hemhorraging money, and they needed to stop the bleeding. This was one of the tourniquets.
This is not to say it doesn't suck, but Marco's work, his pride in his work, his work ethic, and the quality of his work were all completely irrelevant criteria to this decision.
And to be fair to S&S, I'm sure that they wouldn't have made these cuts if they did not absolutely have to in order to survive as a business. Better that we continue to be able to purchase high-quality books from one of America's biggest publishers than that the entire business go under -- poor Marco would just lose his job anyway, only under that scenario, along with everyone else at S&S.
It is still my hope that, somehow, S&S's profits will pick up and they'll be able to re-hire Marco -- and that Marco will be both willing and able to do so. (I could certainly understand an unwillingness to go back to the job after having been laid off, of course.)
KRAD or anybody else in the position to know:
I'm not the first or likely the last to wonder about the future of the DS9R in the absence of Marco, who I always had the impression was the showrunner of that series so to speak with an overall view, storyline, and vision. Obviously the life, career and family of Marco and the others laid off are the chief concern and should be first and foremost on everyone's mind... but I wondered if anybody in the know could comment on where things go for what I see as the jewel of the Trek line, the DS9R now that the man behind the curtain is missing?
I'm not the first or likely the last to wonder about the future of the DS9R in the absence of Marco, who I always had the impression was the showrunner of that series so to speak with an overall view, storyline, and vision. Obviously the life, career and family of Marco and the others laid off are the chief concern and should be first and foremost on everyone's mind... but I wondered if anybody in the know could comment on where things go for what I see as the jewel of the Trek line, the DS9R now that the man behind the curtain is missing?
It's only been - what? a few days...
It's my understanding there is some kind of loose writers' bible for the DS9 Relaunch, so it's not as if one man is required forever to lead the direction of the firm and/or possible directions of various plots. TNG survived quite well after the departures of the people who contributed to its writers' bibles.
There is no answer to that question yet because, as Ian said, it's only been a couple of days, and the dust hasn't even begun to settle yet. These decisions will be made over the course of the next few weeks, if not months. Right now, the priority is to keep the projects Marco had in progress moving through the mills, as it were.
Something to keep in mind: Marco's influence will still hold over the Trek line for quite a while. Of all the projects started by John J. Ordover in his tenure here, they won't all be done and published until later this month when the third Errand of Fury book will be released, even though John left Pocket five years ago.
Let me add my sorrow that Marco is no longer running the Trek books. The DS9 Relaunch was one of the best ideas, in conception and execution, I've ever seen in Trek novels over the past 30 years.
I guess Shore Leave might not be as much fun from here on...
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