Happy Monday!

[erastes]

I don’t understand WHY so many publishers can’t manage a simultaneous ebook and print release. I’ve just read on another site:

“We've put all of our novel-length titles into paperback and released them simultaneously along with their e-book counterparts (albeit with a 1-2 week delay based on the schedule of our printer)”

And I’ve seen this kind of thing repeated with most publishers.  If there’s going to be a delay between ebook and print release, why not just delay the ebook release until the print is ready?  Or is that too obvious???  I’d like to know, so if anyone’s got any insight, please share!  I for one am annoyed with constantly having to make a note in my diary to keep checking back to see if the book I like is out in print yet.

Well, I’m all caught up with KINGS.  I suppose some people will be avoiding it because of the Biblical connotations, and I had no idea it WAS based on the Saul-David-Jonathan story until Gehayi pointed it out, although even I might have had the penny drop when Jake’s real name was revealed as Jonathan in this last episode.  I wouldn’t say I was DIM….I’m not, really – it’s just that I tend to watch things as they are.  It’s the reason I can manage to watch LOTRs and the Potter films without combusting, because I just take them for what they are.  And in fact, it wouldn’t offend anyone’s Biblical view, because there’s no hint that it’s “your” God they are talking about, no Bible quotes.  So if that’s why you are staying away, don’t – it’s a GREAT political thriller in its own right.

And talking of being offended—

I saw an Australian comic yesterday on tv and he was talking about being offended, and saying “so what?  what happens after you get offended? Your legs don’t drop off, and you don’t develop leprosy – you just get offended! Grow up and get over it!”  I think that’s what many of us have been thinking for a long time. We are too bloody sensitive about offending other people (well, not me obviously, but then I’m a whingeing Pom and have pretty much always laughed at name-calling, and pretty much say what I mean most of the time.)  There are times when I consider the publishing world—and the corner I inhabit especially—as some clone of American High School.  There’s the Nerds, which I’m pretty sure I would be a member of, hanging around the after school history classes, the Star Wars club, and suffering the swishies and wedgies of outrageous fortune.  Then there’s the Emos or Goths who spend most of their time whining about poor poor them, and how no-one understands their GEEEENIUS.  There’s the Preppies, who work hard, and are Pretty Good Guys, and the Jocks who get where they get because they have muscle and their family knows someone and they don’t have to be good in school, after all, because they are Jocks.  And the Mean Girls, of course, everyone knows who they are.

And the conferences are the Prom.

OK – back to History 101…

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Comments

[crawling-angel.livejournal.com]

*sings You're Unbelievable*

Right now, I be over the moon at a delay in any publishing, lol. Just sent to Dorchester Publishing *crosses legs* I is waiting for a few others too. Pahhh.

You find all the programmes I know absolutely nothing about, lol!

[liriaen.livejournal.com]

Ah, if you liked KINGS, you migh enjoy this book here,
http://www.amazon.com/King-David-Report-European-Classics/dp/0810115379
Quite the tour de force. Awe-inspiring language, too.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Ah - well I trawl the American tv channels to see what i'm missing.

That reminds me - TRUE BLOOD! EEEK! Runs to watch last night's episode...

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Oh - cool! thanks!

[vashtan.livejournal.com]

One reason to delay print is to get money in from the "OH I NEED I NOW" crowd - to possibly finance the printing. I know some roleplaying publishers do it like that - the ebook becomes half marketing tool half cash cow.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I can't see how a couple of weeks, when the book would have already been sent to the printer, would be of any use in that case. I can see that would be the case with Samhain, where they wait as much as a YEAR before releasing in print, but not a couple of weeks.

[vashtan.livejournal.com]

There's a spike in interest just after release... from what I understand. In that spike, you'll sell more than in a much longer period afterwards. In addition, I assume for the printer these books are "filler" (small jobs done in between large jobs), and they slot them in when the machines have a few hours empty time - which makes production cheaper/more efficient.

Of course, if it's a POD publisher, that might be totally different, but that's what little insight I have.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

I do understand your question. I still think that publisher's schedule is much more reasonable than the 1-2 year/never delays that most other e-pubs have.

There's accidentally offending and then there's just being offensive because you can. My rule is simple: Don't be an asshole. An honest, inadvertant offense can be apologized for. Something like having every character use racial and sexual slurs and using them in the narration part, when it contributes to neither character-building nor world-building...that's being an asshole.

[sleveen.livejournal.com]

suffering the swishies and wedgies of outrageous fortune

I want this on a t-shirt. :)

[jshillingford.livejournal.com]

Heck, I'd be happy if most only had a delay of 1-2 weeks! Of course, I'm speaking of Samhain and their interminable 8 months to a year wait.

But I agree with Vashtan, it's to sucker the people who want it now into buying both (I have a couple Samhain books I am barely managing to keep myself from buying until the print comes out). I can't see any other reason why they don't just wait and release them at the same time.