Liaden Universe® InfoDump #78

[rolanni]

Pre-supporters of Fledgling Take Note!
Those who donated $25 or more toward the Fledgling online project and are therefore eligible to receive a thank-you book from the authors should have received an email from Scott Raun, long-time list-master for the Liaden Universe® News and the Friends of Liad mailing lists. Scott is verifying the addresses in the subscriber database, so that we can be...as certain as possible that everyone who should get a book, will.

If you received a message from Scott, but put it aside, please do take a moment to answer him now. If you haven't received a message but think that you should be on the list, please go here: http://community.livejournal.com/theo_waitley/ to check the list of Lost Souls.

Corrected information should be sent to Scott(1), by e-mail at sraun@fireopal.org, OR by phone at 612-822-0451. If you prefer to phone, please note this message from Scott: Phone calls preferably between 8:00-10:00pm CDT, but we'll let the answering machine answer if we're not ready to answer the phone.

Thank you all for your interest in and support of our work. If the Baen delivery system works as it should, and Steve and Sharon sign and pack fast, everyone should have their books by the first week in October.

------
(1) because one database is better than two


SRM Publisher "WorldCon Special" Sale Extended!
We had a good Worldcon, and, due to the fact that many traveling fans at Worldcon were unable to get reliably to the net during the convention to order, SRM Publisher is pleased to announce an extension on the "WorldCon Wow" special offer outlined in our last online update. That means the 20% discount is now good through end of day August 23, 2009! This is a great time to get your fall and winter- gift-giving in gear, so, use the code. That secret code is "Worldcon Wow" .... and you need to go to http://www.srmpublisher.com/ to see what's available.


Lytaxin Irregulars Bookstore Advance Corps Accepting Recruits
We have learned of a new, doubtless improved, corporate rule for ordering books in to Barnes and Noble's box stores across the country. Staff may not order a book into the store on their own initiative (as the gentleman who cares for the SFF section in our local B&N has been doing). In order to be stocked, a book must meet the following conditions:

1. It must ALREADY be in the distribution network (no more pre-ordering scheduled books)
2. It must BE REQUESTED by a customer

What this means is that many books, which may not have readers to advocate for it, will never Actually Appear on the shelves of Barnes and Noble.

We would very much like Fledgling to NOT be one of those books -- and we know you feel the same way. Here's what you can do to help.

The "street date" for Fledgling is September 8. That is the date that it is *certain* to be found in the distribution network accessed through the Barnes and Noble computers. On that date or after it (but NOT before), if you are in or near a B&N, please go to the customer information desk and request that Fledgling by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, ISBN-10: 1439132879/ISBN-13: 978-1439132876 be stocked.

That's all. You don't have to buy the book. All you have to do is request that it be stocked.

To those who choose to take up this bold challenge: We thank you most sincerely for your aid.


MISFITS
The Liaden Universe® novella MISFITS, previously available only electronically from Jim Baen's Universe, will be coming out in
paper format from SRM Publisher Ltd. in September, 2009. Subscriptions are available online. See WORLDCON WOW, above.


Friends of Liad at NASFiC in 2010
Several dozen Friends of Liad found each other for breakfast at WorldCon in Montreal, and we met a few individually for dinner as time permitted, this despite the fact that there was no central place for Friends of Liad to meet -- no fan table, no Liaden Lounge, not even a publisher's table to act as a central news and meeting spot for FoL. Since Fledglng will be eligible for next year's Hugo Awards (in theory, anyway!) and both Fledgling and Saltation will be out, with Mouse and Dragon on the way -- and with potential dates and news for the reissue of the first 10 novels as well! -- we'd like to facilitate FoL events at ReConStruction (http://www.reconstructionsf.org/ ) if we can. In addition to the long-standing Friends of Liad mailing list we've now set up an address for people wanting to volunteer or share ideas with us directly about events for conventions (like NASFIC, Oasis, and DuckCon) that we'll be attending. That address is fol@korval.com ... and we'll see what we can do to get potential FoL events in gear.


Watch the Skies: Carpe Diem Ebay Auction
For those who have been following the fate of the contents of Sharon's file drawer, the ephemera associated with Agent of Change and with Conflict of Honors were auctioned off in July. Now, we're ready to get rid of Carpe Diem. This auction will go live during the week of August 16, and a message will be sent to this list at that time, to alert Interested Parties.
As a reminder, this is what will be on offer:

Carpe Diem
NEARLY 10 INCHES HIGH, AN ESTIMATED TWO THOUSAND SHEETS OF PAPER, A STAND-ON-THE-BATHROOM-SCALE-
WITH-YOUR-ARMS-FULL-OF-PAPER GUESSTIMATE IS BETWEEN 18 AND 20 *POUNDS* OF PAPER
1. Typescript (starts on Page 2) and letter dated September 19, 1988
2. Another full copy, with extensive revision notes, and sections
that had to be moved paper-clipped together
3. Several pages of notes from telephone conversations, in Sharon's hand
4. Notes for eliminated plotlines
5. Editorial Christmas card
6. Photocopy of the copy-edited manuscript
7. Proof
8. Photocopy of cover concept by Stephen Hickman, with handwritten
notes by the artist
9. Cover flat of actual cover


OTHER TRAVEL NEWS
Steve Miller and Sharon Lee will be literary Guests of Honor at the following upcoming science fiction and fantasy conventions:
Oasis 23, May 28 -- 30, 2010, Orlando, Florida ( http://oasfis.org/oasis/ )
DucKon 19, June 18 -- 20, 2010, Naperville, Illinois ( http://www.duckon.org/ )

Sharon and Steve will also be attending ReConStruction, the 10th Occasional North American Science Fiction Convention, August 5 -- 8, 2010, Raleigh, North Carolina (http://reconstructionsf.org/)

Support Your Local Bookstore
Uncle Hugo's: http://www.unclehugo.com/
University Bookstore: http://www.bookstore.washington.edu/services.taf?dept=about&category=loca
Pandemonium Books: http://www.pandemoniumbooks.com/
Missing Volume: http://www.themissingvolume.com/
Borderlands: http://www.borderlands-books.com/
Dream Haven: http://www.dreamhavenbooks.com/
Flights of Fantasy: http://www.fof.net/
Mysterious Galaxy: http://mysteriousgalaxy.booksense.com/
Constellation Books: http://www.constellationbooks.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp

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

BLOGS OF NOTE
Theo_Waitley is the discussion group for readers of Fledgling and
Saltation: http://community.livejournal.com/theo_waitley/
Where Dragons Rest: http://community.livejournal.com/liaden_readers/
Steve Miller's blog, Journeyman: http://kinzel.livejournal.com/
Sharon Lee's blog, Eagles over the Kennebec: http://rolanni.livejournal.com/
SRM Publisher blog: http://srmpublisher.livejournal.com/
Sharon Lee's "Professional" blog, Look Up, the Stars are Dancing: http://sharon-lee.dreamwidth.org/

Facebook Connections -- please feel free to add us!
http://facebook.com/kinzel -- Steve Miller
http://facebook.com/rolanni -- Sharon Lee

Liaden interest groups on FACEBOOK

Clan Korval: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=38719490864&ref=ts

Friends of Liad: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=16280839259&ref=ts

Flaran chamenthi: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=2213414696&ref=ts

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: http://www.fireopal.org/cgi-b

Comments

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

Please remind us again on September 8th?

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Note on calendar.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

You know, that B&N attitude sucks?

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I do know it. I don't even want to think about what this means for first novels.

[darcy807.livejournal.com]

About the B&N policy, it's not new. In my years with the company, there's been a back and forth every few years whether stores can do their own local ordering or whether the buyers in NYC will control everything going into a store. For the past 3-4 years it's been buyer controlled but recently control has gotten stricter. The real trick is to get the bookseller to 'shortlist' the title (done by customer requesting the book), then management will review when e-shopping. That doesn't guarantee the book will get ordered. The thing to do is get the customer to order and PURCHASE the book. That will usually get it on the shortlist and it will show sales so management is more likely to order it (provided the buyers haven't coded it as a non-replenishment title). This is what I did in my store. :) I'll see if I can get the name of the SF/F buyer for you, although it would get you more if you could get Baen to do some arm-twisting.

[slweippert.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the Worldcon special. I ordered "Cat's Job" and can't wait for it to get here. :)

[seanmoon.livejournal.com]

I'll go one better and buy the book via my local B&N at that date. Does that work, too? ;)

Are you going to post a reminder on the day?