Books we've been reading V2.0

[Malcador]

Do you guys ever read books without lasers or swords in them?

There are books without those ?

 

Been struggling through this trilogy Humanity's Fire, right now almost done Orphaned Worlds. Can't say I enjoy it that much - right now is the usual middle part sequence of setbacks and deaths of characters (although key ones get revived, I guess it works when you have god like entities about). But then again I've read 20 Horus Heresy books so who am I to turn my nose up.

[Ywerion]

 

Today I finished last book of Bill the Galactic Hero series, for which I fell since first of his adventures got in my hands, I'm gonna chuckle for several YEARS just from the ending, when Bill finally got his foot  , anybody else like Bill aswell? 

 

 

Yup. Plus I've actually met Harry Harrison.

   Oooh amazing! Lucky you, sir.

[Raithe]

For the general quirky literature interest : http://www.salon.com/2013/03/15/hey_amazon_wheres_my_money/

 

On just how much money a popular book can earn it's author..

 

 

In one more week I was going to be a millionaire.

At least, that was the rumor circulating around my wife’s family. One more week on Amazon’s best-seller list and I would have seven figures in the bank, easily. Her cousin had looked this fact up on the Internet, so it had to be true.

“Please tell them that is nowhere near true,” I said. “But don’t tell them how much money I’m actually going to make.”

“OK,” my wife said. “Can I tell them how many books you sold?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Why?”

I didn’t have a good answer. Secrecy seemed like the practical, professional response in times of success.

It made me wonder where this writerly knee-jerk reaction comes from. It wasn’t that people would think I made too much money. The opposite, actually.

 

* * *

 

This past summer, my novel, “Broken Piano for President,” shot to the top of the best-seller lists for a week. After Jack Daniel’s sent me a ridiculously polite cease and desist letter, the story went viral and was featured in places like Forbes, Time magazine and NPR’s Weekend Edition. The New Yorker wrote one whole, entire, punctuated-and-everything sentence about me! My book was the No. 6 bestselling title in America for a while, right behind all the different “50 Shades of Grey” and “Gone Girl.” It was selling more copies than “Hunger Games” and “Bossypants.” So, I can sort of see why people thought I was going to start wearing monogrammed silk pajamas and smoking a pipe.

But the truth is, there’s a reason most well-known writers still teach English. There’s a reason most authors drive dented cars. There’s a reason most writers have bad teeth. It’s not because we’ve chosen a life of poverty. It’s that poverty has chosen our profession.

Even when there’s money in writing, there’s not much money.

 

* * *

 

I was reminded of a single page in “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius”; specifically, the section where Dave Eggers breaks down his $100,000 advance on sales from his publisher. He then lists all his expenses. In the end the author banked a little less than half. It wasn’t bad money — just not the “I bet Dave Eggers totally owns a Jaguar”-type of income I expected. I mean, his name was on the cover of a book! He must be rich.

 

That honesty was refreshing and voyeuristic. I always said if I ever had a chance, I’d make a similar gesture. As a person learning about writing and publishing, there was something helpful about Eggers’ transparency. So here is my stab at similar honesty: the sugar bowls full of cocaine, bathtubs full of whiskey, semi-nude bookstore employees scattered throughout my bedroom tale of bestseller riches.

 

This is what it’s like, financially, to have the indie book publicity story of the year and be near the top of the bestseller list.

 

Drum roll.

 

$12,000.

 

Hi-hat crash.

* * *

 

I just started getting my royalty checks from July the other day (the publishing industry is slow like that). From what I can tell so far, I made about $12,000 from “Broken Piano” sales. That comes directly to me without all those pesky taxes taken out yet (the IRS is helpful like that).

 

Don’t get me wrong; as a guy with a couple of books out on an independent publisher I never thought I’d see that kind of money. Previously, my largest royalty check was about $153. I’m thrilled and very proud to say I earned any money as a writer. That’s a miracle. It’s just not the jewel-encrusted miracle most people think bestseller bank accounts are made from.

The book sold plus or minus 4,000 copies. (The publishing industry is hazy like that. What with sales in fishy-sounding third-world countries like Germany and England.) Being on an indie press I receive a more generous royalty split than most: 50 percent after expenses were deducted.

 

You can do the math. I’m clearly not buying a mansion. Hell, my measly dreams of constructing a Roald Dahl-style writing cottage in the backyard are even shelved. Twelve-thousand bucks is amazing, but it’s not life-changing money. Unless, of course, I need one of those clearance sale $11,999 kidneys.

 

In the end, I bought my wife a pretty dress to say thank you for putting up with me and my fiscally idiotic quest to write books. I also did the most rock star thing imaginable for a stay-at-home-dad/recipient-of-a-famous-cease-and-desist: I used the money to send my kid to daycare two days a week so I can have more time to write.

 

* * *

 

Now that I have some quiet time around the house, I’ve started wondering: Why didn’t I just tell my wife’s family the truth to begin with? Why don’t most authors talk about money?

My theory: because it’s embarrassing.

 

Sure, there’s a headline-grabbing thrill when Lena Dunham snags a yacht-load of money for writing about stuff only her gynecologist should know. But when a friend of mine, who is a terrific writer, told me he was offered $5,000 for his latest book, which came out on a major publisher, it left me kind of flat. It left me even more silent when it became clear that’s a pretty normal deal. This financial underwhelming hush is the same feeling I was left with after reading Eggers’ fiscal rundown. It’s something people whispered about back when I was dreaming of having a book with my name on the cover and maybe being in the cross hairs of a legal **** storm involving whiskey

 

 

[melkathi]

For the general quirky literature interest : http://www.salon.com/2013/03/15/hey_amazon_wheres_my_money/

 

On just how much money a popular book can earn it's author..

 

 

Hehe, yeah. When I tell friends that "Woohooo! I got paid royalties!" they do seem to expect me to be rolling in cash. Then they ask how much and I get to say "Since summer 2009? 209 euros"

[Gfted1]

Marvel trying again with 700-issue comic book giveaway.

 

Only valid from right now until midnight tomorrow.

[Gfted1]

Used the Marvel app to purchase the five episode collection of World War Hulk for $8.99. Made it through the first two and its excellent so far.

[Guard Dog]

Just finished reading A Memory of Light last night. I'd give it 4 of 5 stars. Some of it was a little forced but overall it was a good conclusion. One observation for those who read it... do you guys thing Brandon Sanderson might have been playing Portal while he was working on that book?

[Guard Dog]

Now reading Child of Vengeance by David Kirk. Wow is it good. If you are a fan of James Clavell's Shogun or even Shogun Total War put this one on your list! 

[melkathi]

Decided yesterday to finanly get started on Hamlet.

[JFSOCC]

I'm reading the Great Gatsby, just started really. It's refreshing after reading something dry.

[Melhelix]

Coyote Stories, collection of Native American mythology/folktales dealing with Coyote. The grouping is mainly Washington/Idaho/Oregon, so it's hilarious (to me) every time Gartersnake and Seagull show up.

[Guard Dog]

No reading A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. I have put off reading this one for far too long.

[Oerwinde]

Reading Dance of Dragons finally. Got sick of waiting for the paperback release and bought it from the UK. So far am liking it.

[WDeranged]

I'm currently reading Perdido Street Station by China Meiville, I was put off by the wordy introduction but as soon as I got to the intimate love scene between a fat man and an insect woman I got interested, I wouldn't say I'm hooked but his writing style is very interesting and he uses lots of descriptive words that I have to look up 

[Agiel]

Finished my annual reading of Voyage au bout de la nuit. Will be getting to Mort à crédit again next. 

[Raithe]

Hm, having that pause between a bunch of authors I like releashing new books. Can't seem to find the right mood on which to look at some fresh authors at the moment. Might just re-read The Count of Monte Cristo one more time...

[Monte Carlo]

Barbarossa to Berlin and some other military history about the Ostfront.

 

A Man without Breath by Philip Kerr (another Bernie Gunther mystery, very good as usual)

[Walsingham]

I'm currently reading Perdido Street Station by China Meiville, I was put off by the wordy introduction but as soon as I got to the intimate love scene between a fat man and an insect woman I got interested, I wouldn't say I'm hooked but his writing style is very interesting and he uses lots of descriptive words that I have to look up 

 

Ugh. I absolutely hated that book. The cover art - yes yes - promised a rich World build coming alive through a fabulous monster hunt. What I got was a lot of disjointed gibberish spread thinly across too many pages.

 

It's one of the few books I have actually thrown away rather than give to a charity shop or keep.

[Malcador]

Reading The Second World War by Keegan, but eh, nothing I didn't know. Had meant to finish Caliban's War before Abbadon's Gate comes out but not likely, might just be a couple of days late.

[Guard Dog]

Is there any sci-fi out there that doesn't suck?

[Malcador]

Is there any sci-fi out there that doesn't suck?

Try Leviathan Wakes, I found it enjoyable.

[melkathi]

Is there any sci-fi out there that doesn't suck?

 

What are you looking for in Sci-Fi?

I loved Philip K. ****'s "Now wait for last year" for the human relationship parts,

John Scalzi's "Agent to the Stars" for the light hearted humour,

Samuel R. Delany's "Babel-17" for his perception of the importance of langauge.

I am ambivalent about Kim Stanley Robinson's "Red Mars" series - it could be great, but his compulsion to add random orgies ruins the flow... a bit like a bioware RPG And the short stories "The Martians" break the timeline and story the same way prequel series do for most books/comics/tv

Possibly why Ben Bova's "Mars" while less memorable to me, also left me with no hard feelings towards the story...

Then again Frank Herbet's "Dune" is always worth a read through for people who haven't read it. Even if it's just to then read "A song of ice and fire" and shake your head at suddenly apparent similarities

 

If it is military sci-fi you are looking for there are always the classics:

"Starship Troopers" and its theories on what responisbility means for a society.

"The Forever War" aproaching military sci-fi from the opposit political spectrum

"Ender's Game"

and for newer military sci-fi, less deep and more light reading, John Scalzi's "Old Man's War" is not bad either.

 

 

But Sci-Fi is a very vast genre, that encompasses very different types of books. Which can make it hard to find the style that suits you. I for example am mostly bored by aliens with lazorz ~pew pew.

[Raithe]

Is there any sci-fi out there that doesn't suck?

 

If you like your sci-fi reading somewhat thick and slightly twisty, L.E.Modesitt has  done a bunch with some interesting ideas. You just have to double check you aren't picking up his fantasy writings (which are still good, but can be a little different to his sci-fi).

[Walsingham]

Decided yesterday to finanly get started on Hamlet.

 

Remeber that the play was originally intended to be performed by actors in massive battlesuits. And the swords are missiles. Great fething missile barrages.

[Raithe]

 

Decided yesterday to finanly get started on Hamlet.

 

Remeber that the play was originally intended to be performed by actors in massive battlesuits. And the swords are missiles. Great fething missile barrages.

 

 

I can never read Hamlet, or watch an adaption without getting flashbacks to the old black and white St.Trinians and the 6th form girls doing the Hamlet Soliloquy as a slow-strip show.