Sunday, January 01, 2012
Another Review of Napier's Bones Sneaks In
I missed this one when it came out. Among other things he says the book is "kind of like Highlander except with numbers instead of swords" and "(m)inds may have been blown." Nice to still see good words popping up.
Labels: ChiZine Publications, Napier's Bones, publishing, reviews, writing
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Fine and Funny Words About Napier's Bones
A short, one paragraph review of Napier's Bones was published on the web early in November, but I only just found it tonight. She misspells my name, but that's fine. You can read it all here, but I wanted to give you the marvelous money quotes: "This book is like putting a nerd in a blender. It hits so many nerd spots. You read it and go, 'Oh, that kind of nerd.'" And also: "... I'm really happy that this book was published, because it's not doing a
lot of the things we seem to be assuming books all have to do, but it is
getting its nerd on with great gusto and comprehensiveness."
Labels: blogging, ChiZine Publications, Napier's Bones, publishing, reviews, writing
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The BoingBoing Bump
On Thursday, a bit more than a month after Napier’s Bones was released, Cory Doctorow posted a review of the book on BoingBoing. Up until then the book had been selling okay, consistently but with no great spikes. Its orders had been large, as mentioned before pretty much the biggest that CZP had received up until that point, but the two sales tracking tools I’ve used to monitor things had not shown any significant jumps in numbers (and here let me note that I cottoned on to both of these a little bit late, and so missed any account of sales right out of the gate).
The first tool is offered by a company called NovelRank. They keep track of your Amazon sales for you, and I have it set up to see the numbers from Amazon in the US, Canada, the UK, France, and Germany (where I’ve seen a couple of inexplicable spikes in sales). These are not Amazon Sales Ranks, mind you, but actual quantities of books sold. And now I get to own up to the fact that I was an idiot and didn’t set it up early enough to get a good grip on how the Kindle edition was doing. I’m a dope, yes. Learning curve and all that.
The second tool is offered by Amazon themselves, and, ironically enough, doesn’t keep track of Amazon sales. Instead, it gets the Nielsen Bookscan numbers from bricks and mortar stores across the US. The claim is it’s only giving about 75% of the actual sales numbers, but it’s a cool site to use, showing sales from actual cities and geographical regions, and even highlighting those parts of the map as desired.
It should seem obvious how useful those two tools are, especially when put up against the numbers that Amazon offers at its most basic. You know those numbers: when you click on a book, you’ll be told the Amazon ranking.
The morning of the BoingBoing review, Napier’s Bones had its reverse peak, so to speak, sitting at 789,000 in sales on Amazon.com, around 138,000 on Amazon.ca. A few short hours later, it peaked at 1961, and Amazon.ca at 221. These were, I believe, the highest numbers ever for CZP. And for a short while I had great fun Tweeting the numbers in various categories and locations. Allow me to run down a few of them for you:
94 on Amazon.com’s Fantasy list.
14 on Amazon.com’s Fantasy subcategory of Magic and Wizards (Kindle edition). 42 for trade edition.
Kindle hit 1101 overall, 10 in Occult, and 31 in Contemporary.
At Amazon.ca, it was 1 in Magic and Wizards, 8 in Science Fiction, and 31 in Contemporary. And that 8th position meant I was the only Canadian author in the top 20.
At Amazon.co.uk it jumped from around 689,000 to 2294. There it was 8 in Mystery & Crime, and 99 in Scientific, Technical, & Medical. And that category raised an eyebrow.
In Germany, it went from over 95,000 to 1254. And France, for some reason, has been a flat line the entire time. No interest there, I guess.
Now here’s the thing. It’s fun and goofy to track these numbers, but you can’t let yourself get caught up in it, because it can become a ridiculous obsession. And even more important, you have to remember that these numbers are relative. The sales figures are only in relation to how other books sell, and not giving real numbers, books that have actually crossed the transom, physical or electronic.
I won’t go into actual amounts sold, at least not yet. It’ll be a few days before the Bookscan numbers show up for this week, and I have no idea how things are selling in Canada anywhere other than on Amazon.ca. And the Canadian numbers, I am told, are only estimates.
The BoingBoing bump is a very real thing, that much is obvious. But I think there has been more at play than just Cory’s excellent review. As big and popular a website as BoingBoing is, I think more has probably come out of Cory tweeting about the review, both via BoingBoing’s Twitter feed and via his own. At least a couple of dozen people retweeted his Tweet, and there were, I’m sure, plenty of people who paid attention to the Tweets that ensued. And some of those retweeters added their own comments expressing their interest or else pointing someone else towards the book because they thought it would be of interest.
As far as numbers go, Cory himself has over 130,000 followers on Twitter, BoingBoing has well over 80,000 (many of those are cross-overs, I’m sure), and the retweeters varied from as low as 7 followers to up over 6000, with the average probably being several hundred. However it’s stacked, though, that’s a lot of potential eyeballs. There will be no miracle here, though, no 50% of everyone seeing this buying the book. But every little bit counts, and interest was shown by people who might not have heard of the book otherwise, so that’s a major win.
I guess the lesson here is that social media can indeed help get the word out, but first you need to catch someone’s attention. Not everyone is going to get their book plugged by Cory - he gets dozens of books every week, and there’s no way he can read them all, and when he does read one he has to like it enough to want to write about it. But BoingBoing is not the only place writers can take their books. There are plenty of other blogs and review sites and tweeters to approach, not all as big, but all with their own followings, and if word gets out, slowly or quickly, it’s a Good Thing.
The other issue, though, is quantities. I’ve seen numbers suggesting that over 500,000 books are published every year, and I wonder if, in this age of POD and ebooks and self-publishing, that that might be a low ball estimate. The book had better be special, had better have something to say and some way to catch the eye and, in the end, had better be well-written to get that attention.
And then, the author had better be ready to hustle some more, because these things don’t usually sell themselves.
The first tool is offered by a company called NovelRank. They keep track of your Amazon sales for you, and I have it set up to see the numbers from Amazon in the US, Canada, the UK, France, and Germany (where I’ve seen a couple of inexplicable spikes in sales). These are not Amazon Sales Ranks, mind you, but actual quantities of books sold. And now I get to own up to the fact that I was an idiot and didn’t set it up early enough to get a good grip on how the Kindle edition was doing. I’m a dope, yes. Learning curve and all that.
The second tool is offered by Amazon themselves, and, ironically enough, doesn’t keep track of Amazon sales. Instead, it gets the Nielsen Bookscan numbers from bricks and mortar stores across the US. The claim is it’s only giving about 75% of the actual sales numbers, but it’s a cool site to use, showing sales from actual cities and geographical regions, and even highlighting those parts of the map as desired.
It should seem obvious how useful those two tools are, especially when put up against the numbers that Amazon offers at its most basic. You know those numbers: when you click on a book, you’ll be told the Amazon ranking.
The morning of the BoingBoing review, Napier’s Bones had its reverse peak, so to speak, sitting at 789,000 in sales on Amazon.com, around 138,000 on Amazon.ca. A few short hours later, it peaked at 1961, and Amazon.ca at 221. These were, I believe, the highest numbers ever for CZP. And for a short while I had great fun Tweeting the numbers in various categories and locations. Allow me to run down a few of them for you:
94 on Amazon.com’s Fantasy list.
14 on Amazon.com’s Fantasy subcategory of Magic and Wizards (Kindle edition). 42 for trade edition.
Kindle hit 1101 overall, 10 in Occult, and 31 in Contemporary.
At Amazon.ca, it was 1 in Magic and Wizards, 8 in Science Fiction, and 31 in Contemporary. And that 8th position meant I was the only Canadian author in the top 20.
At Amazon.co.uk it jumped from around 689,000 to 2294. There it was 8 in Mystery & Crime, and 99 in Scientific, Technical, & Medical. And that category raised an eyebrow.
In Germany, it went from over 95,000 to 1254. And France, for some reason, has been a flat line the entire time. No interest there, I guess.
Now here’s the thing. It’s fun and goofy to track these numbers, but you can’t let yourself get caught up in it, because it can become a ridiculous obsession. And even more important, you have to remember that these numbers are relative. The sales figures are only in relation to how other books sell, and not giving real numbers, books that have actually crossed the transom, physical or electronic.
I won’t go into actual amounts sold, at least not yet. It’ll be a few days before the Bookscan numbers show up for this week, and I have no idea how things are selling in Canada anywhere other than on Amazon.ca. And the Canadian numbers, I am told, are only estimates.
The BoingBoing bump is a very real thing, that much is obvious. But I think there has been more at play than just Cory’s excellent review. As big and popular a website as BoingBoing is, I think more has probably come out of Cory tweeting about the review, both via BoingBoing’s Twitter feed and via his own. At least a couple of dozen people retweeted his Tweet, and there were, I’m sure, plenty of people who paid attention to the Tweets that ensued. And some of those retweeters added their own comments expressing their interest or else pointing someone else towards the book because they thought it would be of interest.
As far as numbers go, Cory himself has over 130,000 followers on Twitter, BoingBoing has well over 80,000 (many of those are cross-overs, I’m sure), and the retweeters varied from as low as 7 followers to up over 6000, with the average probably being several hundred. However it’s stacked, though, that’s a lot of potential eyeballs. There will be no miracle here, though, no 50% of everyone seeing this buying the book. But every little bit counts, and interest was shown by people who might not have heard of the book otherwise, so that’s a major win.
I guess the lesson here is that social media can indeed help get the word out, but first you need to catch someone’s attention. Not everyone is going to get their book plugged by Cory - he gets dozens of books every week, and there’s no way he can read them all, and when he does read one he has to like it enough to want to write about it. But BoingBoing is not the only place writers can take their books. There are plenty of other blogs and review sites and tweeters to approach, not all as big, but all with their own followings, and if word gets out, slowly or quickly, it’s a Good Thing.
The other issue, though, is quantities. I’ve seen numbers suggesting that over 500,000 books are published every year, and I wonder if, in this age of POD and ebooks and self-publishing, that that might be a low ball estimate. The book had better be special, had better have something to say and some way to catch the eye and, in the end, had better be well-written to get that attention.
And then, the author had better be ready to hustle some more, because these things don’t usually sell themselves.
Labels: ChiZine Publications, Napier's Bones, publishing, reviews, social media
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Selling Well
My numbers at Amazon are not as high as I'd like them these days (although I've had a couple of author friends assure me that's only a small part of the puzzle), but if you go by the slogan of "Think Global, Act Local," then Napier's Bones is doing very well indeed. The local paper has a small Books section in its Saturday paper, and included there is a list of the Top 10 selling books from the past week for McNally Robinson Booksellers here in Saskatoon.
And there, sitting in 4th place, is Napier's Bones. This pleases me greatly, especially since the local press has been no help whatsoever.
And there, sitting in 4th place, is Napier's Bones. This pleases me greatly, especially since the local press has been no help whatsoever.
Labels: ChiZine Publications, Napier's Bones, publishing, sales, Saskatoon, writing
Thursday, April 14, 2011
The Quill & Quire Review in Whole
I had only put up a small piece of it before, but the review for Napier's Bones is now up at CBC's Books site. Go have a look!
Labels: ChiZine Publications, Napier's Bones, publishing, reviews, writing
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Final Day in New York
Today was a bit slower. I did get to one B&N to sign more copies of Napier's Bones, as well as the Strand (where they were for some reason filed under Fiction. I personally didn't mind this, but sober second thought led me to believe that people looking for them would more likely go straight to SF/F). I also hit the Museum of Natural History, which was every bit as marvelous (and crazy busy) as last time. The weather was cool enough I could see my breath, but instead of going inside somewhere to eat I bought a hot dog from a street vendor. For supper I got a sandwich at a deli down the street from where I'm staying in Astoria, and it was quite good.
Tonight, after some hemming and hawing about what time it would be (initial suggestions had me there from 2-3am!), I will be at WBAI recording Hour of the Wolf with Jim Freund from 9-10pm, then rushing back to force myself to sleep before heading out to the airport at about 4:30am. Because it isn't live I obviously won't be taking phone calls, but we'll chat about the book, about writing, I'll read something, and probably listen bemusedly as Jim surprises me with a variety of questions. Should be fun.
Tonight, after some hemming and hawing about what time it would be (initial suggestions had me there from 2-3am!), I will be at WBAI recording Hour of the Wolf with Jim Freund from 9-10pm, then rushing back to force myself to sleep before heading out to the airport at about 4:30am. Because it isn't live I obviously won't be taking phone calls, but we'll chat about the book, about writing, I'll read something, and probably listen bemusedly as Jim surprises me with a variety of questions. Should be fun.
Labels: ChiZine Publications, interviews, Napier's Bones, publishing, writing
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
A Full Day in New York
There was lots of rain today, and as I walked downtown from uptown I smartened up and stopped at a camera store that was wisely also selling umbrellas (one of the short ones for only $4, which is fine as long as it makes it through tomorrow).
I dropped by the one Borders I could find that was still open, but, surprise surprise, they didn't have my book. The four Barnes & Noble stores I hit did, though, and all were keen to have me sign their copies. In fact, Karen at the Union Square store told me that they'd already sold out and had to bring them back in (not that this was huge quantities, mind), and it turns out she'd also a huge ChiZine fan, and has set up a special end cap devoted to their books. This was a delightful turn of events. One of the other B&Ns had me on their New SF shelf, and the other also had me on an end cap, while the 4th had my book mixed in with all the other SF; I'm hopeful that now that it has an "Autographed Copy" sticker on the cover, it'll go face out.
To tell you the truth, I was surprised at how non-blase everyone seemed when I came in, how genuinely interested they were. One woman was even halfway to excited. These are stores that are advertising events and signings by Gwyneth Paltrow and Rob Lowe, for crying out loud, and even some real authors in the mix.
After all that I had lunch at Punch with Amy, my agent, which was a nice time. Great to finally meet her in person, and while we chatted lots about life in general, there was business talk and a couple of potential ideas. And then after that I rushed back uptown and met for a short visit and a cup of tea with Jane Yolen, who was herself in town meeting with agents and editors. I hadn't seen her since Jo and I were in Scotland in 2003, and it was lovely to talk, about both life and business.
Finally, I spent the last hour and a half it was open wandering the first floor of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I had a free pass and may go back tomorrow; I do love that place.
Tonight, I am waiting for my host Mark to come back to Astoria from work, and we were going to find a place to eat nearby since his wife Sue is working late, but I have just received an invite to attend dinner in SoHo for Carol Emshwiller's 90th birthday. I just may head out there.
I dropped by the one Borders I could find that was still open, but, surprise surprise, they didn't have my book. The four Barnes & Noble stores I hit did, though, and all were keen to have me sign their copies. In fact, Karen at the Union Square store told me that they'd already sold out and had to bring them back in (not that this was huge quantities, mind), and it turns out she'd also a huge ChiZine fan, and has set up a special end cap devoted to their books. This was a delightful turn of events. One of the other B&Ns had me on their New SF shelf, and the other also had me on an end cap, while the 4th had my book mixed in with all the other SF; I'm hopeful that now that it has an "Autographed Copy" sticker on the cover, it'll go face out.
To tell you the truth, I was surprised at how non-blase everyone seemed when I came in, how genuinely interested they were. One woman was even halfway to excited. These are stores that are advertising events and signings by Gwyneth Paltrow and Rob Lowe, for crying out loud, and even some real authors in the mix.
After all that I had lunch at Punch with Amy, my agent, which was a nice time. Great to finally meet her in person, and while we chatted lots about life in general, there was business talk and a couple of potential ideas. And then after that I rushed back uptown and met for a short visit and a cup of tea with Jane Yolen, who was herself in town meeting with agents and editors. I hadn't seen her since Jo and I were in Scotland in 2003, and it was lovely to talk, about both life and business.
Finally, I spent the last hour and a half it was open wandering the first floor of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I had a free pass and may go back tomorrow; I do love that place.
Tonight, I am waiting for my host Mark to come back to Astoria from work, and we were going to find a place to eat nearby since his wife Sue is working late, but I have just received an invite to attend dinner in SoHo for Carol Emshwiller's 90th birthday. I just may head out there.
Labels: agents, ChiZine Publications, publishing, travel, writing
Monday, April 04, 2011
Great New Review For Napier's Bones
Fantasy Book Critic has posted Liviu Suciu's full review of my novel here, and it's full of all sorts of praise. A few choice quotes:
"The numerological stuff in the novel is as good as anything I've read and the action is fast and furious with no let-up till the powerful climax."
"...the pages turn by themselves and the book is a very entertaining reading experience with a great ending."
"...if you are a math aficionado or a fan of Urban Fantasy that goes beyond vampires and zombies, you have to try Napier Bones (A+ for superb content and very good execution) since the author makes the premise work with brio."
Oh, and I also have a flowing style that keeps the pages turning. Nice one all round.
"The numerological stuff in the novel is as good as anything I've read and the action is fast and furious with no let-up till the powerful climax."
"...the pages turn by themselves and the book is a very entertaining reading experience with a great ending."
"...if you are a math aficionado or a fan of Urban Fantasy that goes beyond vampires and zombies, you have to try Napier Bones (A+ for superb content and very good execution) since the author makes the premise work with brio."
Oh, and I also have a flowing style that keeps the pages turning. Nice one all round.
Labels: ChiZine Publications, Napier's Bones, publishing, reviews
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Ad Astra Schedule
I'll be in Toronto for Ad Astra from April 8-10, my first-ever visit to that convention, and my first con since San Jose's World Fantasy Con last October. I've received my programming schedule, which I gladly share with you here:
Saturday 1 pm Ballroom Centre
Marketing and Self Promotion for the Backlist, Mid-list, and Small Publisher Author
JM Frey (m), Laura Marshall, Samantha Beiko, Derryl Murphy
Saturday 3:30 pm - 5 :30 pm Ballroom East and Centre
Autograph session
Sunday 12 pm Anton's
Getting Your First Novel Published
Caro Soles, Kent Allan Rees, Samantha Beiko, Shawna McCarthy, Derryl Murphy
Sunday 2 pm Salon 243
Laws of Magic
Ed Greenwood, Elisabeth Vonarburg, Jana Paniccia (m), Shawna McCarthy, Derryl Murphy
The CZP Launch Party is scheduled to start at 8 pm Saturday in Suite 100
I hope to have further news about activities out that way very soon.
Saturday 1 pm Ballroom Centre
Marketing and Self Promotion for the Backlist, Mid-list, and Small Publisher Author
JM Frey (m), Laura Marshall, Samantha Beiko, Derryl Murphy
Saturday 3:30 pm - 5 :30 pm Ballroom East and Centre
Autograph session
Sunday 12 pm Anton's
Getting Your First Novel Published
Caro Soles, Kent Allan Rees, Samantha Beiko, Shawna McCarthy, Derryl Murphy
Sunday 2 pm Salon 243
Laws of Magic
Ed Greenwood, Elisabeth Vonarburg, Jana Paniccia (m), Shawna McCarthy, Derryl Murphy
The CZP Launch Party is scheduled to start at 8 pm Saturday in Suite 100
I hope to have further news about activities out that way very soon.
Labels: ChiZine Publications, conventions, Napier's Bones, publishing
Friday, February 04, 2011
A Napier's Bones Contest
On Facebook I had recently made some noises about having some sort of contest so that somebody could win some cool Napier's Bones-related swag, but I had to put my brain to the grindstone to figure out exactly how I wanted to do this. That's all done now, and it's time to start this contest.
But first, let me announce what you can win:
First Prize - A signed, limited edition hardcover of Napier's Bones. This glorious edition contains a colour frontispiece and some internal black and white art by Martin Springett, as well as signatures by me, Martin, cover artist Erik Mohr, and book designer Corey Beep.
Second Prize - A trade paperback copy of Napier's Bones, signed by me.
Third Prize - A poster for Napier's Bones of Martin's colour frontispiece, signed by Martin and by me.
I will handle the mailing costs to anywhere in the world, but am not responsible for our respective postal services doing Something Stupid.
Contest Rules
In conjunction with the mathematical fantasy nature of the novel, I want you to pick a number, anywhere from (and including) 0 (Zero) to 2011 (two thousand eleven). You may then post that number in one of three places:
- on my blog, in the comments for this contest announcement. Please make sure you've left your email address or else check back on February 23rd for the announcement.
- on my Facebook page, in the comments of this Note
- on Twitter. If using Twitter, you must use the hashtag #napiersbones, in order for me to be able to find your entry. Simply type your number and the hashtag, ie
2012 #napiersbones
(note that I chose a number outside of the range)
Speaking of Twitter, you can follow me there @derrylm. Nothing extraordinarily scintillating, but as events for the book begin to unfold, I suspect I will be able to update there more frequently.
I have already chosen and tucked away the three winning numbers. They were randomly generated, so no prior knowledge of my life or anal habits or OCDs will be of benefit.
Entries will be accepted until February 22/2011.
Anyone can enter, except for employees of ChiZine Publications and their immediate families, as well as my own immediate family, and that of my wife.
You are allowed one entry per format. One for the blog, one for Facebook, one for Twitter. Make sure you choose a different number for each place. If by some bizarre set of circumstances someone actually tries to spoof this contest with bots, I reserve the right to shut it down early.
If the number is not chosen, the closest guess will be the winner. If two or more are potential winners, I will draw the winner's name from a hat. Guesses equidistant from the right number will qualify, whether they are higher or lower, excepting those numbers that fall out of the range.
Spread the word! The more the merrier, and the odds are better than the lotto.
But first, let me announce what you can win:
First Prize - A signed, limited edition hardcover of Napier's Bones. This glorious edition contains a colour frontispiece and some internal black and white art by Martin Springett, as well as signatures by me, Martin, cover artist Erik Mohr, and book designer Corey Beep.
Second Prize - A trade paperback copy of Napier's Bones, signed by me.
Third Prize - A poster for Napier's Bones of Martin's colour frontispiece, signed by Martin and by me.
I will handle the mailing costs to anywhere in the world, but am not responsible for our respective postal services doing Something Stupid.
Contest Rules
In conjunction with the mathematical fantasy nature of the novel, I want you to pick a number, anywhere from (and including) 0 (Zero) to 2011 (two thousand eleven). You may then post that number in one of three places:
- on my blog, in the comments for this contest announcement. Please make sure you've left your email address or else check back on February 23rd for the announcement.
- on my Facebook page, in the comments of this Note
- on Twitter. If using Twitter, you must use the hashtag #napiersbones, in order for me to be able to find your entry. Simply type your number and the hashtag, ie
2012 #napiersbones
(note that I chose a number outside of the range)
Speaking of Twitter, you can follow me there @derrylm. Nothing extraordinarily scintillating, but as events for the book begin to unfold, I suspect I will be able to update there more frequently.
I have already chosen and tucked away the three winning numbers. They were randomly generated, so no prior knowledge of my life or anal habits or OCDs will be of benefit.
Entries will be accepted until February 22/2011.
Anyone can enter, except for employees of ChiZine Publications and their immediate families, as well as my own immediate family, and that of my wife.
You are allowed one entry per format. One for the blog, one for Facebook, one for Twitter. Make sure you choose a different number for each place. If by some bizarre set of circumstances someone actually tries to spoof this contest with bots, I reserve the right to shut it down early.
If the number is not chosen, the closest guess will be the winner. If two or more are potential winners, I will draw the winner's name from a hat. Guesses equidistant from the right number will qualify, whether they are higher or lower, excepting those numbers that fall out of the range.
Spread the word! The more the merrier, and the odds are better than the lotto.
Labels: art, ChiZine Publications, contest, giveaway, Napier's Bones, publishing
Thursday, December 16, 2010
More Martin Springett Art For Napier's Bones
Martin has really gone to town on this, which I've greatly appreciated. Every time I think he's done, he sends along another sketch he's done, inspired by something else he's read in Napier's Bones. It's been quite thrilling to open all the new emails and see what he's sent this time.
This gryphon sketch was the last one he sent. There are others, but they are works that will be appearing in the hardcover, which, as usual, can be ordered here, although only until January 2. And because they're appearing in the book, I'd like to save that experience for the people who get that version.
Labels: art, ChiZine Publications, Napier's Bones, publishing
Sunday, December 12, 2010
More Napier's Bones Hardcover Art Samples
Here's another sketch by Martin Springett, from the scene in the book that takes place in the Ballachuan Hazelwood on Seil Island in Scotland. We ended up opting not to go with this one as the frontispiece, although it was a close decision in the end.Out of all the things we did when Jo and I went to Scotland for research, visiting this tiny island and this small forested nature preserve was my very favorite. It's a magical place, and a fine introduction to how people in the UK treat public and private access to land. We parked down below an old church (a church that also hosts a scene in the novel), then walked down a private drive and up over some wooden steps that had been placed so people could safely scale a barbed wire fence. Then we walked through farmland before coming to a very old forest, ancient trees covered in hundreds of types of lichen. Magic!
Labels: art, ChiZine Publications, Napier's Bones, publishing
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Napier's Bones Hardcover Art - Third Go
Martin Springett really went to town with his drawings inspired by his reading of Napier's Bones, and I'm very much enjoying sharing them here. Some of you may have attended the reading I gave in Calgary, of a scene that takes place in London, alongside and then atop the Thames (yes, atop). This drawing, a quick rough sketch, was one of two Martin did from that scene, and it just delights me to see a scene I wrote come to life like this.
As usual, you can buy the limited edition hardcover here. Remember that you have to do so by January 2, 2011. As well, if all you want is the trade paperback without Martin's very cool artwork, you can pre-order it online from all of the major book retailers.
Finally, I've been advised that ARCs of the book (Advance Review Copies) have gone out today. I'll be interested to see how quickly reviews start to pop up.
Labels: art, ChiZine Publications, Napier's Bones, publishing
Sunday, December 05, 2010
More Art For Napier's Bones
As mentioned in the previous post, Martin Springett has done some interior art for the limited edition hardcover of Napier's Bones. The one I'm bringing to you today is series of rough sketches he did as he worked on some concepts he would ultimately reject for the book, although the numbers flowing from Jenna's hair is something he latched onto for some other art he did later in the process.
Remember, you only have until January 2, 2011 to order the book. Order it here.
Labels: art, ChiZine Publications, Napier's Bones, publishing
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Napier's Bones: Try, Try Again
OK. Now this seems to be the right place to order. Pain in the butt, this, with the original only allowing you to ask to be advised, and then the other link I set up disappearing.
Labels: ChiZine Publications, Napier's Bones, publishing
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Ordering Napier's Bones
If you go here and then click on the Proceed to checkout button, it should work now. I hope.
Labels: ChiZine Publications, Napier's Bones, publishing, writing
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Limited Edition of Napier's Bones Now Available for Pre-Order
Right here. And while it doesn't say anything quite yet, we're cooking up a little surprise to make this special edition even more worthwhile for you.
Labels: ChiZine Publications, Napier's Bones, publishing
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Publication Date for Napier's Bones
While I have yet to see it on CZP's website, publisher Brett Alexander Savory has announced on Facebook the Spring 2011 lineup for their books, and I'm surprised and pleased to note that I've been pushed from an initial suggested date of May to March 15. Says Brett, in talking about some of the newer authors they'll be publishing (to go along with a whole slate of returning authors):
He also notes:
Hear that? Napier's Bones will be available for pre-order next month! The countdown has started.
But this doesn’t mean that CZP is shy on new authors, according to Savory. “Next spring’s line-up is quite diverse, both in terms of the authors and the books themselves. Whether it’s the mathematical-alchemy-driven Napier’s Bones (by Derryl Murphy), the ultra-hardboiled crime fiction Every Shallow Cut (by multiple-award-winning author Tom Piccirilli), or the dark fantasy The Isles of the Forsaken (by Carolyn Ives Gilman), we are still pushing the envelope when it comes to diversifying our list and the authors as well.”
He also notes:
As with all CZP titles, hardcovers, trade paperbacks, and eBooks will be released at the same time. Pre-ordering for the March hardcovers will begin in October.
Hear that? Napier's Bones will be available for pre-order next month! The countdown has started.
Labels: ChiZine Publications, CZP, Napier's Bones, publishing, writing
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