Stackpole, Talion:Revenant, sequels, and the future of publishing...
Phelix Send a noteboard - 01/08/2010 11:44:08 AM
A friend gave/lent me a copy of Michael Stackpole's Talion:Revenant the other week, and I just got around to reading it. After finishing it 44 minutes ago, I went online to see if there was a sequel or other books set in the same world... and oddly, there aren't. Yet.
Apparently, Stackpole has received continuous requests from fans to write a sequel, and he even has an outline and four finished chapters... but his publishers aren't interested in picking up the new book (or the promise of more to come). So, Stackpole put it out to the fans. He made the book available as an ebook in a variety of formats, and told the fans (through his website) that he would write, and make available online, the new book if he was able to sell 10,000 digital copies of the first book.
He is entirely cutting out the publisher and simply selling the book himself to his fans. That is, assuming 10k copies are purchased of the first book.
Are other authors doing the same thing? Is this where ebooks are going to end up? Do you think it's a wise move?
Personally, I think we will see some authors do this type of thing, especially the younger generation. Maybe I've missed it, and other authors have already done it. I doubt we'll see the older generations doing it for a while, and when we do, it will be their publishers trying to keep them cutting edge... after the publishers have found a way to keep their slice of the pie.
Honestly, my first worry is that one of my authors might do something like this, and I'll miss it because I don't follow their website, and instead wait for their books to hit shelves. There's something fantastic and wonderful about finding a new book sitting on the shelf waiting to be loved... and I miss that when I read books in digital format.
My second worry was that without the publishing houses barring the door, there would be floods of mediocre (or worse) writers throwing their things up on the web as fast as they could, demanding to be paid for it, and then lashing out because A. people don't like them, or B. reading is obviously dead because no one buys their books.
Neither worry are major concerns... just my worries.
When I saw what he'd done, I couldn't think of a better place to discuss this than RAFO... so I came to visit.
Apparently, Stackpole has received continuous requests from fans to write a sequel, and he even has an outline and four finished chapters... but his publishers aren't interested in picking up the new book (or the promise of more to come). So, Stackpole put it out to the fans. He made the book available as an ebook in a variety of formats, and told the fans (through his website) that he would write, and make available online, the new book if he was able to sell 10,000 digital copies of the first book.
He is entirely cutting out the publisher and simply selling the book himself to his fans. That is, assuming 10k copies are purchased of the first book.
Are other authors doing the same thing? Is this where ebooks are going to end up? Do you think it's a wise move?
Personally, I think we will see some authors do this type of thing, especially the younger generation. Maybe I've missed it, and other authors have already done it. I doubt we'll see the older generations doing it for a while, and when we do, it will be their publishers trying to keep them cutting edge... after the publishers have found a way to keep their slice of the pie.
Honestly, my first worry is that one of my authors might do something like this, and I'll miss it because I don't follow their website, and instead wait for their books to hit shelves. There's something fantastic and wonderful about finding a new book sitting on the shelf waiting to be loved... and I miss that when I read books in digital format.
My second worry was that without the publishing houses barring the door, there would be floods of mediocre (or worse) writers throwing their things up on the web as fast as they could, demanding to be paid for it, and then lashing out because A. people don't like them, or B. reading is obviously dead because no one buys their books.
Neither worry are major concerns... just my worries.
When I saw what he'd done, I couldn't think of a better place to discuss this than RAFO... so I came to visit.
I was Phelix on wotmania, I will always be Phelix in the "real" world, and now I am Phelix on RAFO.
You will make all kinds of mistakes; but as long as you are generous and true and also fierce you cannot hurt the world or even seriously distress her.- Churchill
*MySmiley*
You will make all kinds of mistakes; but as long as you are generous and true and also fierce you cannot hurt the world or even seriously distress her.- Churchill
*MySmiley*
Stackpole, Talion:Revenant, sequels, and the future of publishing...
- 01/08/2010 11:44:08 AM
1052 Views
Mixed feelings about this
- 01/08/2010 05:53:33 PM
749 Views