Comments on Nathan Bransford, Author: This Week in Publishing 2/5/10

Hi Nathan, I must side with Amazon on this. I don&...

2010-03-02T16:21:54.191-08:00

Hi Nathan, I must side with Amazon on this. I don't think publishers should have the right to dictate to sellers, prices or anything else. If the seller is willing to pay the price asked by the publisher, why should the publisher determine the profit the seller is willing to make?
I think when publishers figure out that ereaders and ebooks are a seperate market from hardcover books, sales will increase for the publisher. Ebook readers will wait for the ebook rather than buy the hardcover. Most will not pay the same price as a hardcover for it. In my opinion, $10.00 for a newly released ebook is fair. If publishers want to increase profits they should release both at the same time and capitalize on both markets.

Definitely the bourbon.

2010-02-08T15:08:31.850-08:00

Definitely the bourbon.

Loved Calvin & Hobbes since I was a kid. Frequ...

2010-02-08T07:41:47.185-08:00

Loved Calvin & Hobbes since I was a kid. Frequently as poignant as they are hilarious.
Thanks for the links!

Interesting discussion about guys and fiction. Mo...

2010-02-07T18:35:33.187-08:00

Interesting discussion about guys and fiction. Most guys I know read more non-fiction than fiction. This is why, I think, YA so important right now.

Nathan, It only makes sense to pick up the bourbo...

2010-02-07T12:52:45.153-08:00

Nathan,

It only makes sense to pick up the bourbon first, then you'll have something to drink while waiting in line for your iPad.

I ask the same question as Ryan Field - why don...

2010-02-07T07:22:59.161-08:00

I ask the same question as Ryan Field - why don't more people know about this? Equally, why didn't more people know about the whitewashing issue at Bloomsbury?

I generally discuss these things with my friends and family, but being the introverted writer-actor-type that I am, that's a pretty small circle.

Another case of good content being smothered by the morass of cyber-schlock? A case of 24-hour news reporting gone wrong, because it's just the same thing over and over instead of new content throughout the day? Do people just not care anymore? I think these are all problems, to a certain extent.

And Calvin and Hobbes - YEAH! If I had any reservations about checking out your novel (which I didn't, by the way - I'm just saying, "if I HAD"), they're gone now.

With all this talk of eBooks, do you think publish...

2010-02-06T13:19:31.725-08:00

With all this talk of eBooks, do you think publishing is going to go the way of, "We'll publish the manuscript in an eBook, if it doesn't make a killing, we won't have to print it." I've been trying to follow the discussion on eBooks, and from what I can gather, they are much less expensive to publish.

In the near future, do you think an author will be considered more thoughtfully by a publisher if he or she is willing to first be published as an eBook?

What a report! Thank you. Question: Nathan, wher...

2010-02-06T13:12:55.387-08:00

What a report!

Thank you.

Question: Nathan, where do you stand on the pricing of e-books?

Nathan - a question about agents' views on ref...

2010-02-06T09:41:53.879-08:00

Nathan - a question about agents' views on references, shout-outs and tips of the hat, if you don't mind. Is there accepted preferences and / or limits amongst agents on what constitutes too much in-jokery? I have a habit of using things which anyone who isn't obsessively familiar with an old property wouldn't know.

Titling a book after something which shares themes with the novel (or is simply really, really cool) is one thing, but if a book is peppered with subtle allusions to obscure television shows, forgotten novels and comic-book characters (tastefully done references though) is it a black mark against the writing?

"Available at Booksellers everywhere except A...

2010-02-06T09:29:52.637-08:00

"Available at Booksellers everywhere except Amazon."

Well played, Macmillan, well played.

and in other whiskey news . . . http://www.aolnew...

2010-02-06T08:33:57.134-08:00

and in other whiskey news . . .
http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/ernest-shackletons-whiskey-found-buried-near-south-pole/19347440?icid=main|htmlws-main-n|dl1|link5|http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/ernest-shackletons-whiskey-found-buried-near-south-pole/19347440

Thanks for the wrap-up Nathan. Calvin and Hobbes ...

2010-02-06T07:23:33.402-08:00

Thanks for the wrap-up Nathan.

Calvin and Hobbes are cool but please tell me you don't have a sticker of Calvin urinating on something glued to the rear window of your car :). Someone once told me a sign of the apocalypse was when you see a sticker of Calvin urinating on a Calvin.

What up with Lost? Do you like the new season? I watched because I feel since I've come this far I must finish. Do you watch Fringe? Also by J.J. Abrams. I highly recommend it!

Have a great weekend.

Nick, Tambra, and Kurtis: Chiming in on the bourb...

2010-02-05T23:58:32.992-08:00

Nick, Tambra, and Kurtis:

Chiming in on the bourbon/whisky/whiskey discussion. My formitive experiences with bourbon were:

1. Senior seminar class in college. William Faulkner. The class opened with a shot of bourbon because the most amazing professor in the universe said you can't read Faulkner if you've never had a shot of bourbon.

2. Infield. Kentucky Derby. I wasn't sure if the horses were moving in circles or the world was simply spinning around me. I don't drink bourbon any more.

A whisky neat looks so cool in the glass I wish I could drink that. But I can't. I'm a beer girl.

I LOVE Calvin and Hobbes. Someone stole my book y...

2010-02-05T23:04:11.565-08:00

I LOVE Calvin and Hobbes. Someone stole my book years ago, and I've missed it. It just occured to me while typing this, I could buy another one. See? I learn so much on your blog. :)

So, what an array of links. You really outdo yourself on Fridays, Nathan. Not just the links, but your breezy, humorous style. Your paragraph about Stephen Parrish - I laughed out loud - that was funny.

So, I haven't even started going through the links, but I'm looking forward to getting all worked up and having steam come out of my ears this weekend, as I rummage through the news.

Except I did read that one link for that Bryan/Ink fellow. That was a good post. Hope we hear more from him in the future; he's got a way with words.

And is having quite a week, being promoted on your blog on top of everything. You go, Bryan! :)

Okay, off to order my Calvin and Hobbes. Have a great weekend!

So many twists and turns in the publishing world i...

2010-02-05T22:07:05.528-08:00

So many twists and turns in the publishing world it makes my head spin. Thanks for the links! Have a great weekend.

It looks like Hatchette group is joining MacMillan...

2010-02-05T19:03:07.741-08:00

It looks like Hatchette group is joining MacMillan in demanding the agent model. Check out the L.A. Times blog.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/02/hachette-proposes-new-terms-with-amazon-can-other-publishers-be-far-behind.html

@Nick and @Tambra Have a Blanton's neat someda...

2010-02-05T18:31:36.440-08:00

@Nick and @Tambra Have a Blanton's neat someday, then tell me you don't like bourbon.

"You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky ro...

2010-02-05T18:29:43.832-08:00

"You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help."

Good stuff. Oh yes.

Oooh, Maker's Mark...I'll have sweet dream...

2010-02-05T18:28:25.871-08:00

Oooh, Maker's Mark...I'll have sweet dreams tonight!

Thanks, Nathan for taking the time to your informa...

2010-02-05T17:37:51.221-08:00

Thanks, Nathan for taking the time to your information with us.

We appreciate it.

Best,
Tambra

Nick, You're so right about the spelling of w...

2010-02-05T17:36:34.374-08:00

Nick,

You're so right about the spelling of whiskey and whisky.

Best,
Tambra

Keri, Wish I were going with you. I'm going t...

2010-02-05T17:35:01.296-08:00

Keri,
Wish I were going with you.

I'm going to try and go to the LF weekend. If it works out we definitely need to meet. I'll meet you at the bar. I'm buying you a drink. :)

Hugs,
Tambra

It took forever to get through this and the links,...

2010-02-05T16:52:58.310-08:00

It took forever to get through this and the links, but as always, Nathan, it was incredibly helpful and insightful. Especially when I can go 'Phew! I didn't do that wrong!' when I see the do's/don'ts at other pages.

"THE CHECKLIST MANIFESTO that very prominentl...

2010-02-05T16:37:51.380-08:00

"THE CHECKLIST MANIFESTO that very prominently says: "Available at booksellers everywhere except Amazon." Yowch."

Wow. This is bold. What interests me about all this is we, people who work in publishing and read about publishing, know all this is going on. But the general public doesn't know about it, and the mainstream media never mentions anything...unless it invovles a celeb. And I think this would be newsworthy to the public. Millions of people from all walks of life make purchases on Amazon.

@Kurtis Really it's more just a preference thi...

2010-02-05T16:22:57.557-08:00

@Kurtis
Really it's more just a preference thing. To my palate at least, there is a very definite difference between Scotch, Irish whiskey, and American whiskey (not had the others). I refuse to touch bourbon, Jack Daniel's, or any other American whiskies. For whatever reason they give me the runs, so they automatically lose for setting my stomach afire. Irish whiskey...I'm not much for the taste of any alcoholic drink, and while I know the point of it isn't to taste good it's to get you plastered, I find the taste of the various Irish whiskies disgusting and their alcohol content weak. Scotch is delicious and can get me knackered decently fast, and considered how high of a tolerance for alcohol I have, that's no easy feat. My personal favorite Scotch is The Glenrothes (http://www.theglenrothes.com/uk/).

Now, I'm not the only person who feels Scotch whisky is better, but whereas for me it's a matter of palate and ability to get drunk when I want to (which isn't often), to quite a few of my friends, there is a much bigger difference in terms of the whole process. I'm not really an expert on any alcohol though, and most of my alcohol knowledge relates to wine. So if you want technical details, I'll have to bug friends (which I am totes cool with doing).