[ChuckFrank]

Big advances kill houses. That's the way it's been, and that's the way it's going to be. But in an increasing winner take-all, buyers won't care. They need the win and they'll lose their shirts trying to get it.

The success of The Windup Girl killed Night Shade Books, because it upped their advances in an attempt to replicate its success.

You can see the same thing happening with the studio summer blockbusters. Everyone appears to be voting to bet-it-all, with losses almost crushing the studios.

I'm not sure what the moral here is except, don't do it. Don't buy into it. Big bets don't make big wins. Wins make wins. And fate is fickle as to where they come from.