The great tie-in fiction debate

[Nuytsia]

You know, I missed an opportunity there. I could have typed: " However, I've recently heard good things about Dan Abnett's Warhammer 40k novels, and because what I've seen of the setting is awesome, I will be giving his books a go in the near future (As opposed to THE GRIM DARK FUTURE IN WHICH THERE IS ONLY WAR!)."

All I know is about Warhammer is it's got space marines.... oh yes and I had heard that in the grim dark future there is only war too now that you mention it.

I must also admit that, despite what I have stated above, the sight of authors who write only tie-ins tends to sadden me sometimes. I check their bibliography and it sometimes turns out that they hop from RPG tie-in to tv tie-in to videogame tie-in and it gives me this feeling of "You're just in it for the money, right?"

Yep I'm sure that would be true for a lot of these things. Then again a lot of people are 'just in it for the money' in a whole range of careers! If that's what they are happy doing, fair enough. But it wouldn't make me expect great things of the books!
I was thinking just the other day that authors really must not make a lot of money ...... I am not sure how much it varies in different countries, or from author to author (presumably as you get more successful you get better deals), but I was just looking at how MANY books an author had written and was marvelling at it, but I am pretty sure she's not living the high life!
So I could kind of understand why some authors might do SOME writing that might not take too much of their time (?) if it pays well enough, as an income supplement. I guess it's that or waitressing .... or something!

I must admit one of the reasons I didn't buy those books based on the computer game is that they are written by the guy that I think was head writer on the game, and I think geeees these books are the same price as something by Robin Hobb and this guy isn't even a 'real' writer!