Originally Posted by
zelig
Well, I was about to start work on that Horns artwork portfolio someone mentioned previously (yes, there will be one), but I will respond because someone gave me neg rep: "You didn't even combat his points. Maybe there isn't holes." So here are my comments on that.
1. There are people spending $675 on a book they have never touched just to say they own a Suntup book. Some are even entering a payment plan.
Part of the reason I didn't announce Horns until Misery was published and out the door was because it didn't feel right taking money on another book without delivering on my first. People are more comfortable now because they have seen Misery, and have satisfied themselves that I can deliver. So yes, people are spending money on a book they never touched (happens all the time in the small press world.)
As to the part about just to own a Suntup book, sure maybe there is some MOFO or FOMO or whatever in there. I'll be the first to tell you that if you can't afford it, or it will put you under any sort of financial pressure, then don't buy it (say's he who once spent $10K on proofs because he simply had to have them. Lessons learned.)
I don't see a point with regard to the payment plan comment.
2. There are people that think this book will reach 2x, 3x retail when it sat for six hours on a Sunday. I am with David/Brian on this. I'd be shock to see it enter the four digit range being that Hill has more limiteds than novels. Also if the casual Hill fan wants a limited of Horns they'd go after PS'. This will be worth most with rights to the next book, which means you'd have to sell yours before you ever saw it as I am sure then next one will be announced before summer 2019.
Okay, I'm making books not selling stocks, so I don't have much to say about the investment side of things. I've never bought a book with the though of whether it will appreciate or not. But if your point is that people should be careful if the only reason they're buying this is to make some money in the hopes it will appreciate, sure I agree.
As to the book sitting for 6 hours on a Sunday, I don't know what this has to do with anything. Does the fact that it took 6 hours to sell out have some sort of impact on resale pricing? If so, I'd imagine it would have a positive effect. That's a fast sell out for a book of this price point. Obviously there is a high level of desirability around it. I do agree though that it won't see the sort of resale values that Misery did.
3. "Different Stratosphere"...
The numbered book style has been done on better books (Centipede's Ender's Game)
Wooden cases have been done as well and isn't very book shelf friendly (Best example of one that is is American Gods lettered)
"The numbered book style" isn't making sense to me so I can't comment on it. As for wooden boxes, this is a debate about art. I could put the lettered editions in a clamshell box, but I don't want to. The book demands a box of me, so I make the box. I have seen some amazing displays with these, and other releases from other publishers, and they look great. A lot of collectors like to display their books this way.
4. You are paying high prices for snake skin spines and 14kt gold... ON. A. BOOK.
Yes, ON. A. BOOK. Isn't it wonderful. I guess you don't think so. They just aren't for you then, which is fine. But this is another one of your incorrect assumptions. The snakeskin spine on the Numbered edition represents a small part of the total production cost. The bulk of the cost is attributed to the letterpress printing. The 14-karat gold cross, while not cheap, is still a small part of what makes up the entire production. Does it impact price, sure, but to single out these two elements in the context of paying higher prices is not accurate. There are many other factors such as paper, printing, page count, cover materials, leather, endsheets, bookbinding and so on. And I'm not including my time I put into this, which is basically from when I wake up in the morning, until I fall into bed at night. I do stop for lunch, dinner, etc. See family too. Everything else is this.
As to the price being high, it isn't. It's actually low. For me to make a decent profit margin on either the lettered or the numbered, I would have had to retail them for more than what I did. Sure, I'm in business and I need to make a living, but I also want to make beautiful books, and sometimes you have to compromise.
I've already spent too much time on this, but after being challenged on the neg rep I received, well you know me and challenges...
Peace
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(thanks for the tip Brian!)
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