Check out this blog post by a guy who just got his first book deal. There’s so much in there that he did right that any aspiring author could revisit it several times over the months and learn something new from it.
publishing
The agency model
StandardSo, Random House has switched over to agency pricing for its ebooks. I can’t say I’m surprised but I am sorry to see that the price of my ebooks has been raised to the price of the physical books.
I understand why RH is doing this, but I think it’s too bad. It’s also not something I have any control over; if I’d knows this was coming, I’d have suggested folks buy ahead of the price change. Sorry, guys.
Hit a roadblock on the new project
StandardIt was unexpected, but unavoidable. I’m trying to figure out how to fix it within pre-established parameters, and I think I just about have it handled.
It’s funny, though. I used tear my hair out over this stuff, but today it looks to me like a pleasant little puzzle (more fun than the Minecraft obstacle course my son designed for me, at least) and I know it’ll be stronger for being fixed.
Anyway, I put up a couple of posts over the weekend. I suspect you guys saw my joke post about Pat Rothfuss (I’m just trying to help the guy get his name out there), but I’m surprised no one wanted to talk about the super-low pricing on ebook backlist titles–prices set by a publisher, not an author who’ve had their rights reverted.
I think it’s potentially a great thing for midlist authors and may cement price windowing as a professional publishing business model. It could also hit very hard against indie authors who have been hoovering up all the ultra-low priced impulse-buy ebook sales.
If you are writing a series, would you ask your publisher to release an ebook of book one for $0.99 to help promote book four?
Patrick Rothfuss lights a cigar with a $20 bill
StandardA few days ago, Patrick Rothfuss posted an open letter to Nathan Fillion, in which he points out that he’s a new author but also an international best seller, and that with his new book about to come out, he’s liable to be coming in to a good bit of money.
That’s why he, as a guy with his second book about to come out, wanted to chip in to help Fillion buy the rights to the Firefly TV series.
My first reaction: 0.0
My second: “wut?”
I’m not sure what my third was because things got fuzzy after that. I do remember the nice people helping off the floor of the Starbucks, wiping away my tears with their post-consumer waste paper napkins. They seemed quite worried about me until I assured them that I wasn’t sick at all, it’s just that someone very dear to me had suddenly died.
Anyway, I think it’s great that he’s so successful that he’s considering a time share on a Hollywood property. It’s funny; I’ve always heard that money and success can’t make a person happy, but the only way I’ll believe it is to test it out personally.
So! what else might Mr. Rothfuss’s new-found wealth bring?
1. NASA will launch geostationary satellite magnifying glass that will keep his home at a comfy 76F all winter long. (During the summer, the glass will be angled to shine that heat at Raymond E. Feist.)
2. Just in case book 3 (The Doors of Stone) is delayed, time-traveling historians have convinced the Mayans to extend their calendar to December 2012.
3. Inspired by Charlie Sheen, Pat Rothfuss has hired a team of Swiss surgeons to give him real “fire-breathing fists.”
4. Saudi Princes have booked tours of Pat Rothfuss’s house for decorating tips.
5. In the future, Pat Rothfuss will do all his grocery shopping in a sedan chair carried by fans.
6. If you have to ask about number six, you can’t afford it.
7. Starting March, 2011, Pat Rothfuss’s face will be on the $1 million bill. Might as well, right?
8. Boring garden statues that never change positions will be replaced by fans assuming poses assigned by Pat Rothfuss. Woe to the fan unable to pee in continuous stream while Mr. Rothfuss walks by.
In all seriousness, good for Pat Rothfuss. I hope his next book is million-seller. (Note to readers: I’d be happy with half that, and would gladly join a campaign to purchase the rights to HOLMES AND YOYO.)
World Fantasy Con
StandardIs all booked up. It’s not happening until the last weekend in October, but all the memberships have been sold and they’re putting people on a waiting list.
Just thought you ought to know.
The heavily-discounted backlist
StandardCheck out this article about a best-selling backlist title.
I know authors are already doing this with titles that have reverted to them. The interesting thing here is that it’s the publisher who’s pricing a backlist title like an app and surprising the hell out of themselves by hitting the NYT Bestseller list.
Obviously, this is not going to work as well as the practice becomes more common, but a surprise like this (and I’m certain that it is a surprise to everyone involved) will almost certainly cement teh idea of windowed ebook pricing: Full(ish) price when it’s a new release and a heavy discount (mumble mumble) months later.
I like it.
Will guest-blogging for a popular author make me popular too?
StandardMy last post at antipope.org went up overnight (well, it was overnight for me, morning GMT) and it examines the question of whether guest-blogging on his site, which gets over 10K visitors a day, resulted in a lot of sales of my books..
Randomness for
Standard1) Now this is a brilliant film trailer: Baby trashes bar. Video.
2) Wildly successful self-published author Amanda Hocking on What It Takes.
3) An appreciation for a show I’ve been watching: The Adventures of Pete and Pete.
4) Samurai fights his own shadow. Video. This is really beautiful and well done.
5) The 50 worst band photos ever. I haven’t looked at all of these yet, but yikes.
6) Facebook ads in a superhero universe. The last one is priceless. I’m tempted to do this for urban fantasy universes.
7) I love this: What happened to the bullies at the end of THE NEVERENDING STORY? Video. Via Matt Staggs at Suvudu.
Once again, an antipope.org post
StandardI annoy the locals by embedding a Malcolm Gladwell TED Talk, and talk about the proliferation of subgenres.
Randomness for 2/12
Standard1) What it costs for a best-selling ebook.
2) Screwed-up versions of the Star Spangled Banner down the years.
3) The Malcolm Gladwell Book Generator. Just click “Generate New Bestseller.”
4) The Rocky Horror Batman Show. Heh.
5) You know what party cat likes? Parties.