Writers of novels and romances in general bring a double loss on
their readers, they rob them both of their time and money; representing
men, manners, and things that never have been, nor are likely to
be; either confounding or perverting history or truth, inflating
the mind, or committing violence upon the understanding.
-- Lady Montague
The following was taken from a guide for aspiring writers.
"New writers usually cannot convince large, prestigious publishers that their work is marketable, so they must first publish with smaller, less well-known presses to establish a sales record....