"West admirably and lucidly stalks an important theoretical point-the relationship between aesthetic and commercial factors in the production of serious American literature."-American Literature "The first systematic, scholarly examination of authorship in our own time... A valuable and stimulating book."-Library Quarterly "An absorbing account of the mechanics and economics of American writing."-Encounter "[West] bulids a convincing case for the way market forces shape a writer's career, subject matter, and narrative form."-Review in American Studies