Comments on: Cover to Cover #308A: Tracy Hickman http://www.dragonpage.com/2008/05/06/cover-to-cover-308a/ Conversations with the Creators of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Thriller fiction today! If you love SF literature, are an author or aspire to become one, you'll enjoy this podcast. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:33:51 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Will http://www.dragonpage.com/2008/05/06/cover-to-cover-308a/comment-page-1/#comment-315908 Will Wed, 14 May 2008 21:57:32 +0000 http://www.dragonpage.com/2008/05/06/cover-to-cover-308a/#comment-315908 First of all wanted to say love the podcast the original dragonlance chronicals were the books that got me started reading fantasy. Wizards of the Coast has also canceled the last in the series by Elaine Cunningham for Forgotten Realms. There is some speculation that these events have something to do with this summers release of 4th Ed. D&D which is cause major upheavals and time changes in the different gaming worlds. Wizards seems to be trying to make a clean break with the past and this is angering many long time readers and players. Your talk about samples in digital media made me think of Baen publishing which offers both sample chapters of if not all there novels then most of them and also periodically releases none DRM cd's containing a large selection of a authors work that you are free to copy as long as you don't sell them. In addition they have a free library on there site that contains many of the first books in different series to get you hooked. All these different samples have not seemed to hurt their business and according to them have actually led to increases in their dead tree sales. First of all wanted to say love the podcast the original dragonlance chronicals were the books that got me started reading fantasy.

Wizards of the Coast has also canceled the last in the series by Elaine Cunningham for Forgotten Realms. There is some speculation that these events have something to do with this summers release of 4th Ed. D&D which is cause major upheavals and time changes in the different gaming worlds. Wizards seems to be trying to make a clean break with the past and this is angering many long time readers and players.

Your talk about samples in digital media made me think of Baen publishing which offers both sample chapters of if not all there novels then most of them and also periodically releases none DRM cd’s containing a large selection of a authors work that you are free to copy as long as you don’t sell them. In addition they have a free library on there site that contains many of the first books in different series to get you hooked. All these different samples have not seemed to hurt their business and according to them have actually led to increases in their dead tree sales.

]]> By: Sci-Fi Podcast Roundup #5 | Solar Flare: Science Fiction News http://www.dragonpage.com/2008/05/06/cover-to-cover-308a/comment-page-1/#comment-310735 Sci-Fi Podcast Roundup #5 | Solar Flare: Science Fiction News Sat, 10 May 2008 01:10:59 +0000 http://www.dragonpage.com/2008/05/06/cover-to-cover-308a/#comment-310735 [...] Cover to Cover #308A - The two Michaels are joined by Tracy Hickman and discuss the final book in the Dragonlance series. [...] [...] Cover to Cover #308A – The two Michaels are joined by Tracy Hickman and discuss the final book in the Dragonlance series. [...]

]]> By: fred http://www.dragonpage.com/2008/05/06/cover-to-cover-308a/comment-page-1/#comment-308688 fred Thu, 08 May 2008 10:44:47 +0000 http://www.dragonpage.com/2008/05/06/cover-to-cover-308a/#comment-308688 Good show. A lot of food for thought. Even if the Dragonlance books were not doing well, you'd think they would want to get the last one out anyway. Overall, it sounds like someone's MBA degree is paying off. Good show. A lot of food for thought. Even if the Dragonlance books were not doing well, you’d think they would want to get the last one out anyway. Overall, it sounds like someone’s MBA degree is paying off.

]]> By: Knanshon http://www.dragonpage.com/2008/05/06/cover-to-cover-308a/comment-page-1/#comment-307713 Knanshon Wed, 07 May 2008 21:55:15 +0000 http://www.dragonpage.com/2008/05/06/cover-to-cover-308a/#comment-307713 I found Tracy's comment about the route to getting published being turned on its head very interesting; podcast it first (and provide other forms of free sample as Mike Stackpole suggests), build up a following, then seek publication in old-fashioned hardcopy, rather than building enough readership through the printed book to warrant an audio-book. Sounds like a plan, for old-hands and new authours alike. Do it the Sigler way. It's really telling that publishers seem to be dropping books and authours that seem like sure-bets. They're in trouble. Mike's analogy about Bantam producing a glossy free magazine to promote (non-existent) online content in Second Life being like hitching a horse to a Ferrari was hilarious. I found Tracy’s comment about the route to getting published being turned on its head very interesting; podcast it first (and provide other forms of free sample as Mike Stackpole suggests), build up a following, then seek publication in old-fashioned hardcopy, rather than building enough readership through the printed book to warrant an audio-book. Sounds like a plan, for old-hands and new authours alike. Do it the Sigler way.

It’s really telling that publishers seem to be dropping books and authours that seem like sure-bets. They’re in trouble. Mike’s analogy about Bantam producing a glossy free magazine to promote (non-existent) online content in Second Life being like hitching a horse to a Ferrari was hilarious.

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