Books Quote by George Bernard Shaw
“It is clear that a novel cannot be too bad to be worth publishing. . . . It certainly is possible for a novel to be too good to be worth publishing.”
About This Quote
Source Play: Man and Superman, 1905
A novel can be so poorly written that it lacks merit, yet a work can be so brilliant it becomes unpublishable due to high expectations.
In simple terms: Both bad and overly good books can fail publishing.
Key Takeaway
Seek balance in quality and marketability.
Themes
literature
quality
publishing
expectations
artistic merit
Mood
analytical
balanced
Type
critical
thoughtful
When to use this quote
- Manuscript editing
- literary awards
- publisher decisions
- author self‑assessment
Key Concepts
Critique
market dynamics
creative perfection
Questions to Reflect On
- What defines “too good” for publishing?
- How to gauge market readiness?
A Different Perspective
Excessive perfectionism may hinder release.
