Am I one of the persnickety sorts who is bothered by the fact that Amazon has a product description for Longeye which kinda contains some spoilers for Duainfey, which isn't even out yet? I mean, apparently I now know that at least certain characters survive the first book, since they are now mentioned in the sequel's summary. Grr!
It's so Day-After-Christmas now.
So spoiler alert for anyone else who doesn't want to be disappointed - don't look at the description!
Mine all pops up on one page, so I've already seen it by the time I've looked at the cover picture.
Am I one of the persnickety sorts who is bothered by the fact that Amazon has a product description for Longeye which kinda contains some spoilers for Duainfey, which isn't even out yet?
Dunno. However, complaining to the author cannot fix this problem. Complain to Amazon.com in feedback and you have a better (not good, mind) chance of getting it fixed.
What happens is that Amazon feels that it has the right to publish the publishers "sell copy" -- i.e., what Editorial tells Marketing -- as a "book synopsis" and apparently can't get it through their punkinhaid that Marketing needs and wants to know Different Stuff than prospective readers.
When these books come out, where would you prefer that we buy them? The Korval store? Amazon? Somewhere else? What is most advantageous to you? I know a lot of these mass-market deals get lots of exposure, but they don't always favor the authors.
If I'm going to buy the books anyway, I want to see that you get paid for your effort.
Goodness gracious! Now I recall why I don't often post to message boards, no context in which to convey emotions.
This was not meant as a complaint to the authors, sheesh! Just more of a general..."don't you hate it when" type of thing. Now I'm sorry I mentioned it. Amazon is fine for buying books, I'd just rather that common sense was used when constructing summaries.
I mean, this is not the first set of books when amazon's summaries have given away vital plot details of sequels before the previous book has been published. Maybe no one else notices stuff like that or it doesn't bother them. If I were an author, it would vex me a bit. Suppose it's best that I remain a reader and not an author :)
(Note smiley to indicate that this is mostly all in fun and not a serious curmudgeonly complaint)
Um... My comment had NOTHING to do with your comment. If it had been, I would have replied to your comment, not to Rolanni's post.
I've bought tonnes of books from Amazon. And I've bought books direct from the authors. I just asked which method gets them paid the most for their effort. Has nothing to do with commentaries on Amazon.
I just want to help out a pair of my favorite authors. I'm not complaining about anyone.
When these books come out, where would you prefer that we buy them? The Korval store? Amazon? Somewhere else? What is most advantageous to you? I know a lot of these mass-market deals get lots of exposure, but they don't always favor the authors.
Thanks for asking, Doc.
Duainfey and Longeye are being published by Baen Books, so the SRM (Korval) store won't be carrying them.
The books will, however, be widely available at brick-and-mortar stores and on the internet. The author's cut is the same on all books sold, so no one vendor gives us more advantage. It would do my heart good, if you have a local indie bookstore, to buy the books from them. It would be a Good Thing if Amazon is not the only entity in the world selling books.
I know you folks have little (actually probably none) control over cover art but this has always bothered me. Why is it that when a male and female character are shown in a forest setting the male is always at least reasonably dressed for the occasion. The female character is always dressed for a close encounter of the unpleasant kind with the nearest equivalent to poison ivy, thorn bushes or a horde of blood sucking insects? Inquiring minds would like to know.
If I'm remembering correctly it's because the majority of readership (or how they're perceived) are still male. It's getting bet-tah! No, really!!! Look at this cover for instance. She's only got arms and some thigh exposed. It's a little clingy, yeah. And you do have the whole, cute girl/ugly brute thing going. But when I look back to the covers I read during the '60s and then during the '70s, the '80s, the '90s, and now you see a marked improvement. Now when you begin comparing them to the actual story, that's a different can of worms altogether. Publishers have gotten a bit better there as well, and probably as a result of readers writing to them (never the authors, authors rarely rarely rarely... did I say rarely? it hardly every happens... have anything to do with the cover art) about the atrocious cover art. In point of fact, I have done this myself. It goes like this.
Dear Publisher X,
I am writing to you today about Wonderful Book Y by Incredible Author. This was a fantastic book and I loved every minute I spent reading it. I just wanted to let you know one thing. I almost didn't buy it. You see, the cover threw me off. It had FITB on it. Because of this, I thought FITB about this book. I hate FITB. I read the back blurb but even that didn't quite convince me because of that cover. It was only because of Incredible Author's reputation that I ended up buying the book anyway. I'm glad that I did. Of course, now that I've read the book, I know that the cover has absolutely nothing to do with the book. I would like you to know that this bugs the heck out of me. I'm serious. I get really annoyed when covers don't have at least a passing resemblance to the book they are about. I realize that the artist doesn't have time to read the book but at least give them an accurate synopsis or have the person vetting it have read the book to check for errors. It's things like this that make readers like me less likely to buy books from your company. Thank you for your time and attention,
Sincerely,
A Voracious Reader
and yes, this is pretty much what I have written to a publisher about a book cover that torqued me SO much that I was compelled to write... within the last five years.
Please don't get me started on cover art matching content. I can get pretty ugly on the subject. I'm laboring under a serious handicap here, I'm male. Yes I notice pretty girls on the covers of books (I'm not dead yet,) but I don't buy books because of the covers. I do get irritated by cover art that defies common sense. Inappropriate clothing is just one example. Not having read either book yet I do have to admit it is remotely possible that the cover denotes an actual scene from the book. There may be a perfectly logical reason she's dressed like that. More likely the book is about flying pigs.
Why is it that when a male and female character are shown in a forest setting the male is always at least reasonably dressed for the occasion. The female character is always dressed for a close encounter of the unpleasant kind with the nearest equivalent to poison ivy, thorn bushes or a horde of blood sucking insects?
I think the covers are getting better with regard to appropriate dress.
In the case of Longeye, that scene is actually appropriate, if we agree that Becca is wearing a nightdress.
I guess that means no flying pigs. Just my luck the cover of your book would be atypical. On another note, I just finished re-reading. and enjoying, Barnburner and Gunshy. Any more Whimsy in my future.
Well, actually, a kind of, um, leaping, boar-like thing. And a zombie wood. I'm rather fond of the zombie wood.
enjoying, Barnburner and Gunshy. Any more Whimsy in my future.
I had always intended to write three Wimsey novels, and my editor at SRM Publisher has been Making Noises about my starting to write the third. Unfortunately, I've been pretty busy, what with novels under contract, Theo, and the day job, so White Sheep has languished. Maybe soon. Maybe after I retire from the day-job.
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Check out the cover, but beware the summary for spoilers
Date: 2008-07-16 08:59 pm (UTC)It's so Day-After-Christmas now.
So spoiler alert for anyone else who doesn't want to be disappointed - don't look at the description!
Mine all pops up on one page, so I've already seen it by the time I've looked at the cover picture.
-hellchild
Re: Check out the cover, but beware the summary for spoilers
Date: 2008-07-16 09:07 pm (UTC)Dunno. However, complaining to the author cannot fix this problem. Complain to Amazon.com in feedback and you have a better (not good, mind) chance of getting it fixed.
What happens is that Amazon feels that it has the right to publish the publishers "sell copy" -- i.e., what Editorial tells Marketing -- as a "book synopsis" and apparently can't get it through their punkinhaid that Marketing needs and wants to know Different Stuff than prospective readers.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-16 09:32 pm (UTC)If I'm going to buy the books anyway, I want to see that you get paid for your effort.
Doc
no subject
Date: 2008-07-16 11:56 pm (UTC)This was not meant as a complaint to the authors, sheesh!
Just more of a general..."don't you hate it when" type of thing. Now I'm sorry I mentioned it. Amazon is fine for buying books, I'd just rather that common sense was used when constructing summaries.
I mean, this is not the first set of books when amazon's summaries have given away vital plot details of sequels before the previous book has been published. Maybe no one else notices stuff like that or it doesn't bother them. If I were an author, it would vex me a bit. Suppose it's best that I remain a reader and not an author :)
(Note smiley to indicate that this is mostly all in fun and not a serious curmudgeonly complaint)
-hellchild
no subject
Date: 2008-07-17 12:36 am (UTC)I've bought tonnes of books from Amazon. And I've bought books direct from the authors. I just asked which method gets them paid the most for their effort. Has nothing to do with commentaries on Amazon.
I just want to help out a pair of my favorite authors. I'm not complaining about anyone.
Doc
no subject
Date: 2008-07-17 12:32 pm (UTC)Thanks for asking, Doc.
Duainfey and Longeye are being published by Baen Books, so the SRM (Korval) store won't be carrying them.
The books will, however, be widely available at brick-and-mortar stores and on the internet. The author's cut is the same on all books sold, so no one vendor gives us more advantage. It would do my heart good, if you have a local indie bookstore, to buy the books from them. It would be a Good Thing if Amazon is not the only entity in the world selling books.
Speaking of being covered
Date: 2008-07-17 01:05 am (UTC)Why is it that when a male and female character are shown in a forest setting the male is always at least reasonably dressed for the occasion. The female character is always dressed for a close encounter of the unpleasant kind with the nearest equivalent to poison ivy, thorn bushes or a horde of blood sucking insects?
Inquiring minds would like to know.
[length warning]Re: Speaking of being covered
Date: 2008-07-17 02:02 am (UTC)Dear Publisher X,
I am writing to you today about Wonderful Book Y by Incredible Author. This was a fantastic book and I loved every minute I spent reading it. I just wanted to let you know one thing. I almost didn't buy it. You see, the cover threw me off. It had FITB on it. Because of this, I thought FITB about this book. I hate FITB. I read the back blurb but even that didn't quite convince me because of that cover. It was only because of Incredible Author's reputation that I ended up buying the book anyway. I'm glad that I did. Of course, now that I've read the book, I know that the cover has absolutely nothing to do with the book. I would like you to know that this bugs the heck out of me. I'm serious. I get really annoyed when covers don't have at least a passing resemblance to the book they are about. I realize that the artist doesn't have time to read the book but at least give them an accurate synopsis or have the person vetting it have read the book to check for errors. It's things like this that make readers like me less likely to buy books from your company. Thank you for your time and attention,
Sincerely,
A Voracious Reader
and yes, this is pretty much what I have written to a publisher about a book cover that torqued me SO much that I was compelled to write... within the last five years.
Re: [length warning]Re: Speaking of being covered
Date: 2008-07-17 04:03 am (UTC)I'm laboring under a serious handicap here, I'm male. Yes I notice pretty girls on the covers of books (I'm not dead yet,) but I don't buy books because of the covers.
I do get irritated by cover art that defies common sense. Inappropriate clothing is just one example.
Not having read either book yet I do have to admit it is remotely possible that the cover denotes an actual scene from the book. There may be a perfectly logical reason she's dressed like that. More likely the book is about flying pigs.
Re: [length warning]Re: Speaking of being covered
Date: 2008-07-17 03:07 pm (UTC)Re: Speaking of being covered
Date: 2008-07-17 12:39 pm (UTC)I think the covers are getting better with regard to appropriate dress.
In the case of Longeye, that scene is actually appropriate, if we agree that Becca is wearing a nightdress.
Re: Speaking of being covered
Date: 2008-07-17 03:28 pm (UTC)On another note, I just finished re-reading. and enjoying, Barnburner and Gunshy. Any more Whimsy in my future.
Re: Speaking of being covered
Date: 2008-07-17 04:36 pm (UTC)Well, actually, a kind of, um, leaping, boar-like thing. And a zombie wood. I'm rather fond of the zombie wood.
enjoying, Barnburner and Gunshy. Any more Whimsy in my future.
I had always intended to write three Wimsey novels, and my editor at SRM Publisher has been Making Noises about my starting to write the third. Unfortunately, I've been pretty busy, what with novels under contract, Theo, and the day job, so White Sheep has languished. Maybe soon. Maybe after I retire from the day-job.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-17 05:12 pm (UTC)Any word on when it will be available to buy as an eARC?