Well, that's interesting.

[erastes]

I'm always very interested and excited when I find a new gay historical (as you all know!) because it's great to see someone else breaking into the genre.  So when I saw that someone called Jamie Craig had written a gay poets novel - which looked like it might be historical, although it wasn't terribly clear by the blurb - I wrote to Samhain and asked them if I could possibly see a copy for review on Speak its Name.  I so rarely do this, as 1. I'm too embarrassed and 2. I can afford the measly £2 the book was costing (!) but in this case I couldn't get hold of a copy - on fictionwise it's not available in a format I can read, and on Samhain I can't pay other than by credit card. So I was well and truly scuppered.

Imagine my shame when Samhain replied, but only to ask me how many hits I had on Speak its Name a month.  I felt the ground swallow me up. I mumbled that it was on or over 2k a month, but as we WERE the only dedicated gay historical review site anywhere (that I know of) I sort of thought they'd like us to showcase it. So - sorry Jamie - I'd love to review your book, but at the moment I can't get hold of a copy in Acrobat! I'm working on other formats, so .. hopefully.

Frost Fair: Things I found out I know nothing about today:

Fog in 1814 (and mistaking 1814 with 'the year of no summer')
Price of paper in ditto
How to walk on icy snowy cobbles

Other than that it's been a good, flowing day over 1500 words and we have hit over 5k.

Comments

[rbm00.livejournal.com]

I'll see if I can buy you a gift certificate to you for this! I love Jamie Craig's books and would love to see you review them.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

If it was more than it is, I'd be making a big fuss, but I'll accept gracefully. I didn't mean it to sound like a plea for charity (other than perhaps to the publisher :) ) and it's kind of you.

[rbm00.livejournal.com]

No problem :)

I didn't take it as a plea for charity. I've been frustrated by not being able to pay by the provided methods of payment too so I understand the pain.

I will just send it to the email address listed on your profile.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

is that erastes@erastes.com? I'm having problems with that.. if it's not too late, please send to erastesdotcom@gmail.com!

[rbm00.livejournal.com]

I got your comment in my mailbox literally seconds after I sent it (to erastes@erastes.com).

Will you see if you received it? If not, I have the confirmation code and will email support and let them know to send it to erastesdotcom@gmail.com.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I got it, thanks - the logjam must be resolved! Thank you so much!

[haydenthorne.livejournal.com]

I never realized that there was a minimum hit requirement for us to review the book.

¬_¬

I've got a wee stack of obscure historical stuff that I'm going to read as soon as all my edits and critiques are done (not till early May, though, unless a miracle happens). Am looking forward to eating up those books.

How to walk on icy snowy cobbles

Very carefully.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I was surprised too. I know that 2k isn't a huge amount, but we are talking a very specific genre here (as you know) and a potential new exposure of 2K? That's surely a good thing. Plus of course the gay historical crowd tend to buy everything that hits the ether - particularly ebooks due to the cheapness and accessibility.

No worries my dear. Writing ALWAYS comes first - nearly all of my reviewers are writers, and so that's fine. quality over quantity.

I've been reading "A Single Man" by Isherwood over the last couple of days and so far it's taken over three days. Surprising that it's SUCH a small book, but it's like concentrated chocolate, you know? I can only bear to read about 20 pages at a time because its so bloody good I want to kill myself.

[shiawmeimei.livejournal.com]

2k is a buttload in my book. I get about 1300 unique visitors a month. I'd love to see mine kick up to 2k. If I wrote historical, you bet I'd send an ARC to you!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thanks hun. We aren't Romantic Times, but we do have a steady stream. I hope you try one one day!

[shiawmeimei.livejournal.com]

Romantic Times won't review my stuff! Advertised The Cost of Eternity in the mag but was told they couldn't review the book I sent because it was gay erotic. *shrug*

Historical scares me. So many facts to get wrong! I'd be so OCD about fact checking, I'd never get it written! LOL I've been driving myself crazy with a single flashback in book 4 of my Eternity series because it's set in 1920's Marseille. Exactly how much was a male prostitue paid back then? I still haven't found an answer but I stopped worrying about it for now. Need to finish the book.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

RT are very famous for not shifting in this regard. They will take your welcome bucks but even though their advert+review contract says that they will review they refuse to do so for gay romance. Drop 'em. Affaire de Coeur however, are now breaking the mould.

There are many places to check your facts, many groups that will help you with research. I have been known to stop myself for weeks over the smallest of details.

Thanks, hun
xxx

[mzcalypso.livejournal.com]

I think it's incredibly cheesy of Samhain to hold you up over a download when you are a very focused showcase for their target audience. Did you ask the author?

[erastes.livejournal.com]

No, I'm too chicken to do that - but Jamie Craig heard about this discussion and offered me one, which was nice of her. Samhain have gone down in my estimation, though.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

and - that's true. With ashes strewn liberally (which there was luckily a surfeit of)

[megleigh.livejournal.com]

How rude to ask you about your hit rate. Hmph! If it was my book, I would not be pleased.

Oh and talking about holding yourself up for weeks over small details, I can soo relate. I was doing this with to colt, holding myself up over the care of a neo-nate foal with septicemia until a beta kindly reminded me the story is not about the horse, the horse is a metaphor and I should concentrate on other things. LOL!

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I see you have resolved your problem, if not let me now, I would be happy to help you. Elisa

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Aw thanks, Elisa - I have the best flist on the net.

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

Yeesh! I could wish to be doing so well that I can afford to turn down 2000 hits a month!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

And it's the audience that SiN reaches, also - people who come to the site are specifically looking for gay historical romance, whereas browsing publishers' sites and fictionwise - sometimes that particular genre is not so easy to find. It's getting easier - you get a good return if you type "gay historical" into fictionwise now, but it was not always so, and some other sites you have to wade through hundreds of het historicals on the off-chance you might find a gay one.

I was surprised, and I won't ask them again, once was enough for my courage.

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

Well that's right. Such a lot of promotion is scattershot, hoping to find *someone* in those x thousand people who is interested in what you've got. The bigger the list the more potential hits, but also the more potential misses and chances for the thing to get lost in the noise. You're far better off, IMO, concentrating on places where you already know people are interested.

Their loss! But if you want to point me at a link I'd be happy to buy it and review it for the site.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I got a copy, thanks - if you have the time, I'd love you to review it (only if you have the time, though)

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

*g* I think I actually have too much time at the moment, and having lots of things to do might help me get round to doing *something* as opposed to procrastinating and achieving nothing :)

Later - Got it, thanks! I'll get on to it as soon as possible.

[jgraeme2007.livejournal.com]

This is so very odd. Very indicative of how differently epublishing operates from mainstream publishing where ARCs are sent out routinely to anyone who might remotely be interested in reviewing. Granted, you have mainstream publishers who choke at sending review copies at the weirdest times (Penguin and NoseinaBook is case in point). The bottom line for ebooks is the promotion all needs to be on the web, and the more a book is discussed on the 'net, good, bad or indifferently, the better it is for sales of the book. That's just the way it is.

Web silence equals death to an ebook.

[pepperlandgirl4.livejournal.com]

Samhain does send out ARCs to a variety of review sites/blogs. I certainly don't send out review copies, and yet our Samhain titles get decent exposure

It is my understanding that they have a cap on their list, and I would bet money it's because there are a lot of unscrupulous people out there who think they can request ARCs just because they write the occasional review. I know it is a growing problem. Also, from experience, I don't think the question automatically means she would have been denied. I know somebody who requested ARCs, was asked about the number of hits, and then was politely told that their review list was full---but the person I know probably doesn't get 2k a month yet. Either way, erastes will probably get a formal response.

Anywho, as 1/2 of the Jamie Craig writing team, I have to say I'm not annoyed by Samhain's policy. I understand why it's in place, and I think it's reasonable (and I would have sent the book myself if erastes couldn't get a hold of it through other means since I'm familiar with her blog and I know she's not one of the aforementioned unscrupulous people).

I'm more annoyed by the fact that there isn't a variety of formats available on FW and that erastes has difficulty buying from their website--I think both of those things are pretty crappy. Actually, I'm very annoyed that people who want to purchase the book could face this sort of difficulty.

[jgraeme2007.livejournal.com]

It is my understanding that they have a cap on their list, and I would bet money it's because there are a lot of unscrupulous people out there who think they can request ARCs just because they write the occasional review.

I'll just say as someone who's been successfully publishing in various venues for over a decade, I've never refused a reviewer a book -- regardless of how many or how few reviews the reviewer/blogger does. I make it a practice to always give a certain number of free books away. But that's just me. There's no right or wrong answer, I just know what has worked for me.

I know it is a growing problem.

Interesting. I can't imagine how that would be. Can you maybe share your thoughts on this?

Also, from experience, I don't think the question automatically means she would have been denied. I know somebody who requested ARCs, was asked about the number of hits, and then was politely told that their review list was full---but the person I know probably doesn't get 2k a month yet. Either way, erastes will probably get a formal response.

Sure, I'd be astonished if she didn't. I can't imagine Samhain got to be the respected company they are if they didn't do the obvious things.

Anywho, as 1/2 of the Jamie Craig writing team, I have to say I'm not annoyed by Samhain's policy. I understand why it's in place, and I think it's reasonable (and I would have sent the book myself if erastes couldn't get a hold of it through other means since I'm familiar with her blog and I know she's not one of the aforementioned unscrupulous people).

Again, it's not a matter of right or wrong -- it's simply yet another way that epublishing differs from mainstream publishing. What works in one doesn't necessarily work in the other. But it's interesting to compare and analyze.

I'm more annoyed by the fact that there isn't a variety of formats available on FW and that erastes has difficulty buying from their website--I think both of those things are pretty crappy. Actually, I'm very annoyed that people who want to purchase the book could face this sort of difficulty.

I've noticed this limited format in a couple of Fictionwise books I wanted to buy too. Is it Fictionwise's decision or the publisher's? Is it a new trend perhaps? Either way, yes, very disappointing not to be able to buy a book because of format reasons. It would be one thing if the books are in print, but in the two cases I came across, they weren't.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Sadly, no, I didn't get a response. Perhaps my reply, quoting the hit rate (which I was scrupulously truthful about, and didn't factor in the 7000 extra hits we got last month due to the "Hidden Passion" wank hitting the LOTRs fandom consciousness) and the fact that I said "no worries, I'm going to buy a copy" answered them. I won't ask them again, I'd be too embarrassed.

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

Which 'hidden passion' wank was this? I wish I'd known about that - a good wank is a great spectator sport :)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

This post has it all, I think - there are other posts here and there, but these were the main ones

http://misscam.livejournal.com/308109.html

Our hits went through the roof, but we got no wank which was nice. I had no idea that it was original a RPS Orli/Viggo thing. *shudder*

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

Oh, I didn't realize that had any connection to fandom either! But how shocking that caras_galadhon should get grief for just mentioning it. I can see how readers might have liked an LotRRps version of Jane Eyre, and to think that all the hue and cry could have been avoided if she'd only said 'this is Jane Eyre with the main characters played by Viggo and Orli'. But then she would have had to have been honest enough not to try and pass it off as her own original work.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Which she is still denying...