As of today, we are fifty days away from the official release of A Local Habitation [Amazon]|[Mysterious Galaxy]. (Of course, if Rosemary and Rue is anything to go by, we're actually about thirty-five days away from my hysterical meltdown in the Borders near my office.) If I had a penny for every day remaining before the official release, I wouldn't have enough to buy myself a cup of coffee. I would have enough to make a penny roll, though, which is always soothing. I like penny rolls.
Rosemary and Rue [Amazon]|[Mysterious Galaxy] was my first book. It taught me a lot about marketing, pre-release crazy, post-release crazy, going crazy from good reviews, going crazy from bad reviews, living by my own rules regarding engaging reviewers and trying to explain myself, hyperventilating when I see my book on shelves, and trying to look nonchalant when I really just want to be screaming "I WROTE A BOOK OH MY GOD YOU GUYS LOOK LOOK LOOK YOU CAN TRADE MONEY FOR GOODS AND SERVICES AND THE GOODS AND SERVICES ARE MY BOOK!!!" while jumping up and down and providing expository hand gestures. It was, in short, a learning experience, and while I'd like to claim that it has left me a calm and mature author, prepared for anything, the fact of the matter is this:
I am so totally going to cry the first time I see A Local Habitation on the bookshelf. And then I'm going to call Vixy and make shrieky bat-noises until she talks me down from my happy hysteria. Because that's just how we roll around here.
I only have one convention between now and book release—Conflikt, in Seattle—and unlike last year, I'm not the Guest of Honor, which means that I have time to breathe. Of course, I have a convention immediately after the book is released (Consonance, in Santa Clara), but again, not Guest of Honor, just Head of Programming, so I'll be able to stop and stick my head between my knees every once in a while. This is A Very Good Thing, especially since, once A Local Habitation is safely out, I'm going to be putting on my Mira-pants and going immediately into freaking out over Feed.
Fifty days. A year ago, I was worried that no one would like Toby, that she'd just disappear into the urban fantasy jungle and never be seen again. Now I'm worried about not letting people down, and whether they'll still like Toby now that she's a little more comfortable with her new apartment.
Fifty days.
Wow.
January 11 2010, 20:51:41 UTC 7 years ago
January 11 2010, 21:04:21 UTC 7 years ago
7 years ago
January 11 2010, 20:53:08 UTC 7 years ago
Here's an author question for you - does it make any difference to you as an author if someone buys your book as a paperback or on Kindle? Does it affect your numbers, your royalties, etc?
January 11 2010, 21:08:39 UTC 7 years ago
Kindle saves my publisher the cost of producing a book, but also means the physical book isn't produced, which reduces the size of the print run. It's so confusing. I spend a lot of time confused.
In conclusion: OMG KITTY!
7 years ago
7 years ago
January 11 2010, 20:54:32 UTC 7 years ago
January 11 2010, 21:08:51 UTC 7 years ago
January 11 2010, 20:56:23 UTC 7 years ago
:)
January 11 2010, 21:09:35 UTC 7 years ago
Otherwise, a book is a book.
January 11 2010, 21:01:39 UTC 7 years ago
Which is better for how your sales show - buying a physical copy of the book, or buying the e-book?
Most of what I buy is on the iphone kindle these days, as I don't have a local bookstore that stocks the books I want that has hours where they are open when I can get to them, and I hate waiting for books to arrive when I buy them on Amazon (not impatient at ALL, no not me). But if physical sales mean more than electronic sales, will just get hard copy.
January 11 2010, 21:11:55 UTC 7 years ago
7 years ago
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January 11 2010, 21:27:41 UTC 7 years ago
I will be heading to a brick-and-mortar store in your honor to get ALH...and try not to gush to EVERYONE IN THE STORE that "I know this author personally...errrr...well kinda personally...online...but not stalkerish online...I mean online in a good way...."
Penny rolls remind me of my grandmother from Superior, WI, who used to bring my sisters and me two penny rolls each when she came to Phoenix, AZ for Christmas. She was the first person I ever heard use the term "rubbers" too...but she meant those rubber overshoes she wore to keep her real shoes clean and dry.
January 12 2010, 15:47:58 UTC 7 years ago
January 11 2010, 21:33:05 UTC 7 years ago
January 12 2010, 15:48:08 UTC 7 years ago
January 11 2010, 21:58:50 UTC 7 years ago
redacted for spoilers! I mean ... book 2!January 11 2010, 22:13:21 UTC 7 years ago
AngelVixen :-)
January 12 2010, 16:47:11 UTC 7 years ago
7 years ago
January 11 2010, 23:57:29 UTC 7 years ago
January 12 2010, 16:47:19 UTC 7 years ago
January 12 2010, 00:06:19 UTC 7 years ago
January 12 2010, 16:47:33 UTC 7 years ago
7 years ago
January 12 2010, 01:43:20 UTC 7 years ago
Rock. :D
Also, remembering to breathe is good. Ambulance trips are bad, unless you're the one who gets to drive. ;)
January 12 2010, 16:47:48 UTC 7 years ago
January 12 2010, 01:50:49 UTC 7 years ago
January 12 2010, 16:47:59 UTC 7 years ago
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January 12 2010, 02:50:24 UTC 7 years ago
People will be pleased.
I have faith.
January 12 2010, 16:48:22 UTC 7 years ago
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January 12 2010, 03:01:23 UTC 7 years ago
January 12 2010, 16:48:39 UTC 7 years ago
Flying WHAT in Australia?!
January 12 2010, 04:24:20 UTC 7 years ago
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/992
Re: Flying WHAT in Australia?!
January 12 2010, 16:49:03 UTC 7 years ago
Great Pumpkin bless Australia.
January 12 2010, 13:59:23 UTC 7 years ago
January 12 2010, 16:49:45 UTC 7 years ago
I don't do direct sales of any of my books, because if I attempted to do so, I might actually catch fire. They can be purchased at bookstores, and I'm happy to do signings, but I won't have any for sale-by-me.