Liaden Universe® InfoDump # 61: The Really Long Edition

[rolanni]

In This Issue
Meisha Merlin Closing
Where to Find Liaden Universe® Books
Lee & Miller on Live Talk Show, Sunday, April 29
Baen Buys Lee & Miller Fantasy Duology
Fledgling
Liaden Universe® Companion, Volume One
Liaden Universe® Companion, Volume Two
Upcoming Story in JBU
Blogs of Note
Disclaimer

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Meisha Merlin Closing Its Doors
As reported on SFScope and elsewhere, Meisha Merlin Publishing is closing in May. The following unsigned message appears Meisha Merlin website (if you happen to run a browser that will show you the marquee message on the first page):

LATEST NEWS:

Dear Fans,

I am sorry to say that due to major distribution problems Meisha Merlin Publishing, Inc. will be closing their doors in May 2007. Both Kevin and I along with the entire staff here at Meisha Merlin want to thank all our fans, customers, authors, & artist for your support over the past eleven years. We are sorry to have to do this, but events beyond our control have forced us to make this decision.


ATTN: For those of you who have purchased The Virginia Edition. The Robert A. & Virginia Heinlein Prize Trust has worked out an agreement to continue publishing The Virginia Edition. You can expect a letter from them within the very near future & volume seven will be arriving to you in late May or early June.
* * *
Among other things, this means that Web of the Trident, at one point scheduled for hardcover release by Meisha Merlin on March 15, Will Not Appear. Also consider as canceled the scheduled follow on to Balance of Trade. We are not necessarily giving up on these projects, but all novel length Lee & Miller work is currently marketed by our agent, Jennifer Jackson of Donald Maass Agency, and new arrangements for any or all of our novels previously published by Meisha Merlin will be made by her. Watch for news as it develops.


Where to Find Liaden Universe® Books
As we are ...unlikely... to ever see royalties from bookstore sales of *Meisha Merlin books*, and since we have this Big Pile of Books in the basement, we'd ask that folks please consider buying from us first. If you want the money from your purchase to support and encourage the authors, this is the Numero Uno Very Best Way to be sure this happens.

Next best venues are the independent bookstores*. While money spent there will, as above, likely not trickle down to the authors, you will be benefiting and supporting the store -- which is A Good Thing.

Note: The above is relevant to Meisha Merlin editions ONLY. By all means feel free to purchase electronic copies via Baen Webscriptions and mass market editions from Ace.

*Independent Bookstores we know and love:

Uncle Hugo's

University Bookstore

Pandemonium Books

Missing Volume

Borderlands

Dream Haven

Flights of Fantasy

All of the above folks do mail order and take want lists

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller on Live Call-In Show
Sunday, April 29, 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
From Biblio File host Chris Meadows: "I am delighted to announce that Sunday, April 29th at 1 p.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Pacific, I will be conducting a second live call-in talk radio interview with Sharon Lee and Steve Miller on my book-related talk show, The Biblio File. The interview will focus primarily on their Fledgling project, about which I first interviewed them in December, as well as the release of the entire Liaden series as Baen Webscription e-books and their contract with Baen for two fantasy novels in a brand new setting. (Note that December's interview can currently be downloaded or streamed as an MP3.
After I finish my prepared questions, Sharon and Steve will take questions from the audience.

"Here's how to call in. Also, you can download the interview as an MP3 afterward.

"Anyone who wishes to call into the show to listen or participate will be welcome to do so. If you will not be able to participate live but would still like to submit questions, email me via my contact form: http://terrania.us/emailme.htm

"I can't promise I'll ask all questions that are submitted, but I will try to ask any good ones. Also let me know if you would like me to add you to my invitation mailing list for future Biblio File interviews. "

Fantasy Duology Sold to Baen
Sharon Lee and Steve Miller have sold romantic fantasy Duainfey and an untitled sequel to Toni Weiskopff at Baen, through their agent Jennifer Jackson of the Maass Agency.

Fledgling
Excellent response to Fledgling continues. Thank you all! We hope you're having as much fun as we are in discovering young Theo. Chapter 13 will be posted on Monday, April 30, at and released as a simultaneous podcast from Fireheart Foundry.

Donations have guaranteed installments through Chapter 36, projected for a November 12 publication. From this point onward, the authors guarantee publication of a chapter a week until the draft is, in their professional opinions, completed. The authors shall be the sole judge of when the draft is complete.

Yes, you may still donate!

Those readers donating a total of $25 will receive a trade paper edition of the book when it is published. Other monies will go into a fund to offset art and postage costs.

We remain extremely grateful to Sam Chupp of Fireheart Foundry for taking on the work of reading and producing the podcast edition.

Liaden Universe® Companion, Volume One Near Sellout -- Again!
A book dealer returned several unopened cases of Liaden Universe® Companion, Volume One to SRM Publisher and we're again down to about a case and a half. Due to recent events our plans on future printings are not firm.

Liaden Universe® Companion, Volume Two
Advance subscriptions are now being taking for Liaden Universe® Companion, Volume Two, scheduled for an August release from SRM Publisher, Ltd. As of this writing, advance subscriptions have funded about 2/3 of the amount needed to go to press.

This project collects Changeling, Phoenix, Heirloom, Naratha's Shadow, Veil of the Dancer, Quiet Knives, This House, Lord of the Dance, Sweet Waters... in one full-size hardcover/trade paper volume due this summer.

The success of the project depends on you. Pre-subscribers will not only get their books signed, they ought to have them long before local used bookstores see them.

Oh! Almost Forgot!
Jim Baen's Universe has commissioned a Liaden Universe® story about the weatherman and what befell him. That story is scheduled for the October 2007 edition.

Blogs of Note
theo_waitley is the discussion group for readers of Fledgling

Steve Miller's blog, Journeyman

Sharon Lee's blog, Eagles over the Kennebec


Disclaimer Stuff
This InfoDump is a product of the Liaden Universe®, accept no imitations. You have received this message because you asked for it. If you wish to subscribe to the Liaden Universe® email list, go here.

Comments

[elbales]

The weatherman! Squee!

*ahem*

That is to say, that's a story I've wondered about. I shall look forward to reading it.

This is as good a time and place as any (apropos of nothing) to mention how lucky I feel at being able to contribute to the continued success of the Liaden Universe, even if it's only in the smallest of ways. It's great to have this kind of contact with you and kinzel. Thank you.

*steps down off drooling fangirl soapbox, kicks box back under the bed*

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

The weatherman! Squee!

Aha. Someone who remembers the weatherman! Good attention to detail *g*

And, thank you for sticking with us and being a positive force. It's All Too Easy, with the various Stuff lately coming down, to feel and utter failure and a fool. Knowing that people appreciate what we're doing is a Big Help.

[reedrover]

I'm slow to respond... Thank you for the news update, as unhappy as part of it is.

But really, I have to echo elbales's excitement about the weatherman. There is a story I look forward to reading with anticipation. I'm not sure if it is undiluted happy anticipation, but there is a person whose story should be told.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

A bookstore that is always pushing smaller presses with great delight is Edge Books (http://www.edgebooks.com/). I see them at conventions all over Texas and Oklahoma, and they have a great mix of stuff on their tables. Zane and partner Jo are good people and wonderful, courteous book pushers! In fact, Zane has made up a sheet of paper that shows where each chapbook fits into the Liaden Universe, stand-alones, non-Liaden stuff, etc. and gives it as a bookmark to people who buy Liaden tales.

Now you have me wondering if I bought Volume Two. I am 90% sure I ordered Fledgling.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

n fact, Zane has made up a sheet of paper that shows where each chapbook fits into the Liaden Universe, stand-alones, non-Liaden stuff, etc. and gives it as a bookmark to people who buy Liaden tales.

Good heavens. I had no idea he went to so much trouble.

Now you have me wondering if I bought Volume Two. I am 90% sure I ordered Fledgling.

I'm 90% you supported Fledgling, too (thank you!). Let me check the subscription list for Volume Two after I'm caffeinated. I'll email you.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

Good heavens. I had no idea he went to so much trouble.

Zane has the day job, but he takes the book biz very seriously, both because of loving books and (I suspect) planning for retirement. He's also someone whom I'd talk with about a new path for publishing. The old path is clearly falling apart, and we need a new one...

For example, he pulled out a hardback by Wen Spencer, back when her first non-Ukiah book came out -- and asked me why the publisher started a new series in HB? People would have paid for a new Ukiah hb, but since the Dot com crash, people are being quite cautious about discretionary income. He didn't know if it was doing well at B&N, but smaller booksellers were having trouble getting people to try it.

I also had to tell him that the Gilman Wren books were good, because he'd been burned on the romantic vampire/Luna books. Some move, some do not. (I think Jo usually vets them now.) Edge takes good books seriously.

And there's never any doubt that Miller & Lee are good stuff! Don't start doubting that -- I know it's been a long twelve months, but we're both due for some good news.

[(Anonymous)]

"paper that shows where each chapbook fits into the Liaden Universe, stand-alones, non-Liaden stuff, etc. and gives it as a bookmark to people who buy Liaden tales"


I am so lazy want one.....

[noiseinmyhead.livejournal.com]

that was me :P

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

I think I still have it -- but there's a chronology in back of one of the books...one of the crystal books? Edge's sheet even showed guesses for non-Liaden stories.