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As usual, Old Hack is right:
Anent which:
Publishers should promote their books, or at least tell prospective authors up front that they don't do promotion. However, taking out ads is all cost and no benefit when you're promoting unknown books by unknown authors.
Publishing tends to have narrow profit margins, so what an author ought to be able to expect from their publisher is always a matter of what's cost-effective. For example, attractive, informative covers and well-written copy are much more effective at selling books than consumer advertising, so publishers invest in those features.
For the record, good editing and text production are also cost-effective investments. You may not be able to judge the quality of the work at the time you buy the book, but if you find you've bought a seriously substandard book, you'll never again buy a book by that author, and quite possibly won't buy another book from that publisher.
Since when did "cost effective" for the publisher determine what an author should expect?
If the publishing house can't afford to promote the number of authors they are contracting, does that really speak well about their business practices?
Anent which:
I notice that JRT is not able to respond here at the moment: but this is a really important point.
If something isn't cost-effective for a publisher, then the authors that publisher has signed up should be glad that the publisher isn't indulging in it.
Advertising is usually one of those things. Most ads for books are placed in trade magazines only, to encourage bookshops to stock the books; they're not focussed on readers. You can see the problem here for DD, which is (as I understand it) an e-publisher.
Publishers should promote their books, or at least tell prospective authors up front that they don't do promotion. However, taking out ads is all cost and no benefit when you're promoting unknown books by unknown authors.
Publishing tends to have narrow profit margins, so what an author ought to be able to expect from their publisher is always a matter of what's cost-effective. For example, attractive, informative covers and well-written copy are much more effective at selling books than consumer advertising, so publishers invest in those features.
For the record, good editing and text production are also cost-effective investments. You may not be able to judge the quality of the work at the time you buy the book, but if you find you've bought a seriously substandard book, you'll never again buy a book by that author, and quite possibly won't buy another book from that publisher.