Out of print, out of mind

We all know that it's tough to become a published author. But it turns out that it's also tough to stay one. Citing the Bookfinder Report, Britain's Telegraph newspaper says an estimated 98 to 99 percent of books that have been published are out of print. American readers would most like to snare these almost-lost titles: "The Bed Book" by Sylvia Plath, "The Mint" by T.E. Lawrence, "The Gremlins" by Roald Dahl, "Myra Breckenridge" by Gore Vidal, and "The Science of Life" by H.G. Wells.

So even sterling writers on the order of Dahl, Wells, Plath, and Vidal have trouble staying in print. If you're an author, try to resist the temptation to heave your keyboard out the window.