Thanks for coming on here Bri!, shows some respect for your customers that your willing to post on here in a thread which is kinda no-holds barred towards CD.
Thanks for coming on here Bri!, shows some respect for your customers that your willing to post on here in a thread which is kinda no-holds barred towards CD.
HA! Those are the Signature Series books, which are 4.5 X 9. The plan was to do something really different with the trim size to help the books stand out as being different since the series itself is kind of different for us -- heavily focused on the artwork, etc. They're all currently Out of Print, but you can read more about the series here:
http://www.cemeterydance.com/page/CDP/CTGY/CDSS
Our printer didn't tell us until it was too late that this particular trim size is really hard for them to work with because of how their machines operate. We couldn't change the sizing at that point, so the series is that size and you probably won't see many other books like them.
For those of you who collect the Signature Series, the next four books are at various stages of production and will be published next year, but they'll remain unannounced until all four are ready to go to the printer, or are at the printer, and we have firm pub dates. This next batch is going to be very, very cool.
Best,
Brian
I have very little patience, so after reading many comments about CD in the past two years, I had decided to stay away from pre-ordering anything. This was a hard choice since there is little argument that the final products are often very nice. Finally getting some feedback on this issue has made me rethink my position, and I will give these guys a try.
I think that any professed "hate" is more internet message board hyperbole than anything else. It's like rooting for the Red Sox up till 2004 - I "hated" them because they kept hurting me...haha...
The past can't be changed, so it doesn't matter what you "should have done." But if in the future you DO keep abreast of this message board, and DO post occasionally, it would buy a lot of goodwill.
Like RF said a few posts ago, this is one of the most motivated forums of high-end collectors around...maybe not the only, or the biggest, but certainly one of them. Everybody here makes impulse purchases of silly things for stupid money.
If you post production info, or even just whatever gossip you can about the entire process, that's what I think most of us want, almost as much as the physical book. But if I pay money, have to wait months for the book, and don't even have a good story to tell, then it's really not worth it.
To me, a message board like this is a place for free advertising, and a way to communicate with a motivated batch of potential customers...I don't know why you wouldn't post here every day.
Personally, I'm not impressed that the first time CD shows up here it's to defend itself against an artist who doesn't seem to have been treated all that fairly. Over months and years of delayed books, it seems like a couple posts could have been made to explain those delays to paying customers - especially since you say CD was aware of this thread. But the past's the past...so we'll see what CD's resurgence looks like!
Hey Rahfa!
I've contemplated posting MANY times, especially when I've seen erroneous information, but to be honest, the level of anger in the thread "felt" so strong at times that I thought suddenly "showing up" to post something was just asking to dragged through the virtual street to be tarred and feathered.
That might have been a mistaken impression on my part, and given the two dozen emails I've gotten from long-time customers since I posted today, I guess I *was* wrong, but like you said, the past is the past. I'll do what I can in the future to correct incorrect information, give updates when needed, and help "our cause" by filling in any gaps, etc.
Obviously, if we're on schedule like we should be, posting here should be a very positive, fun thing.
Best,
Brian
~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.CemeteryDance.com
The problem is internet anger feeds on itself, especially when no real information fills the gap...it ends up just being a circular firing squad of complaints begetting more complaints (and believe me, I'm guilty of it).
So yeah, you probably should have posted....but maybe you would posted something that would have been miscontrued and made things worse? Who knows...It's all hindsight.
Sometimes you just gotta take your lumps...haha...
Also...this is just me, personally, and others might totally disagree with me...but I've been a bit turned off over the last few years by the constant "we can't tell you about it, but it's gonna be awesome!" type of pre-annoucements...We all know what kind of books you publish, you don't need to "trick" us into being excited...you go to that well soooo often that it's lost all meaning. That's just a peeve of mine, though. I personally prefer surprise announcements about something that's already confirmed and into production - like Blockade Billy, for example.
Mr. Freeman,
Thank you for coming here and not only sending a one-way message, but also taking a bit of heat from our members (and quite a few if not all..your customers) and responding to contemporaneous thoughts, complements, and complaints.
Jerome
This is a great point, and I appreciate you mentioning it. I think some of this "hyping" has grown out of our decision to wait further and further into the production process to announce books, but we might also be catering to the newer collectors too much in this respect.
At the beginning of the year, our mailing list was approximately 29,000 people and it has grown to more than 33,000 over the course of the year. In addition, in a normal year, we have about 20,000 different customers order through the store, although this year that number will probably be skewed upward because of the Blockade Billy customers.
(Although, I do have to say that a lot of those new customers have quickly caught the "collecting bug", which is awesome to see. We've been able to offer these new collectors some really cool King collectibles this summer -- books we love from other publishers, etc. The new collectors have snapped up hundreds of copies of these older books, and the feedback from them about the books has been fantastic. A lot of them just never knew these small press editions existed and are now SO excited to find them -- and want to find even more of them for their collections. It's been a great thing for us, obviously, as a business, but also for those other publishers and, we hope, the SK collecting community as a whole. The more collectors, the better, right?)
Anyway, we have a lot of different types of customers on the list: old-timers from the very beginning, new collectors who are still learning about the small press and Limited Editions, super collectors whose collections make me jealous, etc. We try to find the right balance to the announcements, which can be tough, and I can see how the pre-announcements like that would get old, especially for a collector who has been around a long time. I'll definitely keep this in mind as we're planning the announcements for the "surprise" books we're publishing this fall.
Okay, I have to get back to work, but I will check back tomorrow. Thanks!
Best,
Brian
~~~~~~~~
http://www.CemeteryDance.com
Hear, hear!
As I said upthread, CD's production quality enjoys a fine reputation, the timing of delivery has been the primary issue of concern.
I look forward to receiving the two books I have on preorder with you (SOD II S/L and SHIVERS VI S/L) because when they come, I know I'll love them.
Welcome to TDT.com, Brian, and to Calvin's Corner in particular. I hope that you, and Mindy, come back and continue to join in the discussions - any and all of them, not just this one.
- Patrick
"...that Siren which called and sang and promised so much and gave, after all, so little." ~ Ray Bradbury
I'm glad Brian decided to start posting. Both he and Mindy mentioned that they did not use forums, but unlike Mindy, he seems to see the benefit of reconsidering. His last few post have made me rethink my choices when it comes to CD so he added a new customer quite easily. Can't wait to order my first book.
Welcome to the site Brian. Thanks for the updates.
Life is a garden...dig it!
Ask for one. I did and they sent one ASAP. It was 8 bucks for two slipcases to Canada.
Well its easy for me to say this because I was the one defending CD, but trust me you'll like the books. Not only do they make good books they also get the top authors in the horror field. They've rarely published a bad story. Also, if there is a problem Mindy will take care of you and you will get a refund if needed. As mentioned these guys have been in business for 20+ years they are not going to take your money. I would be weary of newer small presses when pre-paying (and frankly not do it), but not these guys.
btw, thanks for posting Brian I think you helped quite a bit by posting.
Geoff
CD sent me an email offering The Dark Tower Concordance s/l book for 50% off, making it only 37.50. Is it a nice book for that price?
Thank you Brian for post here. It really means a lot to all of us. Pretty much all we want is to be kept informed about what is going on we love the book or we would not keep coming back. It is like we finally have someone who care about us at CD now. Thank you again Brian.
I got the CONCORDANCE discount email too... I'm still hesitant though. I'm sure it's a great book but as usual, I'm having a hard time sticking to my self-imposed buying breaks.
No, I won't bite the bullet this time. My current books-on-order are not really high-end stuff but still... I've probably spent a couple hundred dollars again lately and I need to save some for my upcoming relocation.
i ordered a copy,couldnt refuse at that price really!
I have been looking around the CD site and I joined a few newsletters and Facebook accounts. It seems to be worth it, since today there was a link to download Brian James Freeman's The Painted Darkness in either pdf form or stream it live for free. If you haven't seen the link yet and are interested, here it is. If this belongs in a specific thread, sorry.
http://www.downloadthedarkness.com/
Hey, can someone send me the link for the sale of The Dark Tower Concordance s/l book for 50% off? i didn't get a link, but since I previously bought one copy I'm sure that's why I didn't get the email. But I sold my previous copy and I need another copy.
geoffguthrie@columbus.rr.com or pm me
Thanks in advance!
Geoff
PM sent!
Does anyone know if the Dark Tower Concordance 50% off deal is for the numbered & signed by Robin Furth book?
It dosent state that in the email I got.
Thanks......