Glad it's not just me annoyed by this! I never sign up for contests that require me to buy something anyway. If I did, I'd be stuck with a book I had no use for and wouldn't win anyway.
Glad it's not just me annoyed by this! I never sign up for contests that require me to buy something anyway. If I did, I'd be stuck with a book I had no use for and wouldn't win anyway.
Make a product, sell the product, deliver the product. Should be a reasonably linear process. I understand the premise of raising capital to fund making the product. My issue with such a loooooooooong lead time before production/delivery is I'm certain the capital raised (my purchase price) has been expended long before delivery. So 'sell the product' and 'deliver the product' become cashflow disconnected. I'm left feeling like the only way I'll ever see a book I've ordered (e.g., Best of CD 2) is if CD succeeds in convincing other people to spend new money on some contest, club, surprise-it'll-be-here-soon-forthcoming-other-book, or somesuch...like I'm stuck in the middle of a ponzi scheme. Makes me weary and removes the joy when anything finally is delivered.
Sorry for the rant.
Alright, we'll call it a draw.
Well then it must be extra-concerning to know that CD isn’t publishing Chasing the Bogeyman. So all that effort in promoting the book isn’t directly fueling the business’ cash flow.Originally Posted by OldCrow88
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Actually it does, because Richard's earnings are invested in Cemetery Dance. Brian explained this already.
Wanted list:
Ubris
I can’t even get a response for a book I ordered that has apparently finished shipping. Not sure what’s happening at CD but it doesn’t seem good.
EDIT: Dan got back to me. Thanks Dan!
For this title? I thought Brian’s previous explanation was only as it relates to the Gwendy books. Sure the publicity for Chasing the Bogeyman will result in more attention for CD which is why I said it doesn’t “directly” benefit CD. But you’re right, it’s not my business and I don’t know where the money is flowing. I’m only sharing the frustration others feel in where it seems the energy is flowing. There are books on the production update page waiting for Richards signature before they can be sent to the conga line at the printer. If he doesn’t have time to sign a book he certainly doesn’t have time to write and promote a different one.
I still have about 10-12 preorders with CD and I’m still expecting I’ll get them all. If you know me and seen even just two of my unboxing videos then you know I rarely say anything negative about anyone other than Bentley Little. I’m usually absolutely positive about the books I get. And over the years I’ve done my share of singing CDs praises. So for CD to get me to turn negative that’s quite an accomplishment. And again, I still have multiple preorders and a small amount of money in my CD account so it’s not like I’ve walked away from CD. I’m only being critical of the optics connected to promoting a book so aggressively while customers wait for years.
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Hey guys,
I just wanted to let you know that your messages to the office staff are being heard, re: the promotions for Chasing the Boogeyman.
I've been promised that the emails will be taking some kind of break after today's newsletter, but I also think Dan and I can greatly reduce the number of future emails on this topic you see if you've reached your breaking point.
Please email me at brianfreeman@cemeterydance.com with your real name and the email address that should be on your customer account, and I'll see what I can do.
We are very sorry for the inconvenience and any annoyance these notes have caused, and we also recognize the really good point some of you have made, re: the optics of pushing this book so hard when you're waiting on books you've paid for.
We know it's been a relentless push. Just as some general background information -- I'm not trying to convince anyone that the promotions for the book haven't been too much! -- there are things we've learned about New York publishing and trade editions in the years since we started working more closely with S&S after the announcement of Blockade Billy and some of that information is probably a factor here.
For example, New York publishers don't start their full marketing push until about 6 weeks before publication, when the first printing is already set based on preorders and expected demand... but if they don't see a lot of preorders and expected demand, they won't print as many copies... and if they don't print many copies, they'll divert the marketing resources to other projects with bigger print runs (more $$$ already invested)... which means they never do their big promised push for your book, sales don't hit their goals (since they didn't even print enough books to hit those goals), and the book isn't a success.
This all means it is very much on the author and their own marketing efforts to boost the early numbers, so when the publisher finalizes the print run and their marketing plans, they see a chance for a big seller... and then push the book like a big seller... which often makes it... a big seller.
(The New York publishing business is kind of a self-fulling prophecy in that respect.)
I provide this information for those who are interested in such matters, not to try to convince you that the onslaught of emails hasn't been too much.
Brian
Founder and publisher of Lividian Publications. My other website is BrianJamesFreeman.com. Please always feel free to email me or send me a PM if you have any questions about either!
That's interesting, but wacky as hell.
It seems I'm miles above the surface of the Earth
I can see across the whole of London and beyond
That's the New York publishing business. And it's only gotten worse since all of the book lovers at those places were replaced by soulless business people as all of the buyouts and swallowing up the competition happened.
Thanks for the information. I hope sales are good! I know I purchased several copies.Hey guys,
I just wanted to let you know that your messages to the office staff are being heard, re: the promotions for Chasing the Boogeyman.
I've been promised that the emails will be taking some kind of break after today's newsletter, but I also think Dan and I can greatly reduce the number of future emails on this topic you see if you've reached your breaking point.
Please email me at brianfreeman@cemeterydance.com with your real name and the email address that should be on your customer account, and I'll see what I can do.
We are very sorry for the inconvenience and any annoyance these notes have caused, and we also recognize the really good point some of you have made, re: the optics of pushing this book so hard when you're waiting on books you've paid for.
We know it's been a relentless push. Just as some general background information -- I'm not trying to convince anyone that the promotions for the book haven't been too much! -- there are things we've learned about New York publishing and trade editions in the years since we started working more closely with S&S after the announcement of Blockade Billy and some of that information is probably a factor here.
For example, New York publishers don't start their full marketing push until about 6 weeks before publication, when the first printing is already set based on preorders and expected demand... but if they don't see a lot of preorders and expected demand, they won't print as many copies... and if they don't print many copies, they'll divert the marketing resources to other projects with bigger print runs (more $$$ already invested)... which means they never do their big promised push for your book, sales don't hit their goals (since they didn't even print enough books to hit those goals), and the book isn't a success.
This all means it is very much on the author and their own marketing efforts to boost the early numbers, so when the publisher finalizes the print run and their marketing plans, they see a chance for a big seller... and then push the book like a big seller... which often makes it... a big seller.
(The New York publishing business is kind of a self-fulling prophecy in that respect.)
I provide this information for those who are interested in such matters, not to try to convince you that the onslaught of emails hasn't been too much.
Brian
One bookstore wrote me and said I already ordered two copies and asked if I made a mistake.I said no, I was trying to win a contest, and now I know I could be contributing to Richards success as a NYT best selling author. All because i wanted a signed King book.
Enough copies that he should send me an ARC.
Hey guys,
I just wanted to let you know that your messages to the office staff are being heard, re: the promotions for Chasing the Boogeyman.
I've been promised that the emails will be taking some kind of break after today's newsletter, but I also think Dan and I can greatly reduce the number of future emails on this topic you see if you've reached your breaking point.
Please email me at brianfreeman@cemeterydance.com with your real name and the email address that should be on your customer account, and I'll see what I can do.
We are very sorry for the inconvenience and any annoyance these notes have caused, and we also recognize the really good point some of you have made, re: the optics of pushing this book so hard when you're waiting on books you've paid for.
We know it's been a relentless push. Just as some general background information -- I'm not trying to convince anyone that the promotions for the book haven't been too much! -- there are things we've learned about New York publishing and trade editions in the years since we started working more closely with S&S after the announcement of Blockade Billy and some of that information is probably a factor here.
For example, New York publishers don't start their full marketing push until about 6 weeks before publication, when the first printing is already set based on preorders and expected demand... but if they don't see a lot of preorders and expected demand, they won't print as many copies... and if they don't print many copies, they'll divert the marketing resources to other projects with bigger print runs (more $$$ already invested)... which means they never do their big promised push for your book, sales don't hit their goals (since they didn't even print enough books to hit those goals), and the book isn't a success.
This all means it is very much on the author and their own marketing efforts to boost the early numbers, so when the publisher finalizes the print run and their marketing plans, they see a chance for a big seller... and then push the book like a big seller... which often makes it... a big seller.
(The New York publishing business is kind of a self-fulling prophecy in that respect.)
I provide this information for those who are interested in such matters, not to try to convince you that the onslaught of emails hasn't been too much.
Brian
Brian, all we want is equal amount of emails for promotions and 'your order has shipped', that's it. If nothing has shipped, then nothing else should be promoted.
Brilliantly crafted. I can’t tell if you’re sharing in the criticism against CD or you’re mocking the critics.Hey guys,
I just wanted to let you know that your messages to the office staff are being heard, re: the promotions for Chasing the Boogeyman.
I've been promised that the emails will be taking some kind of break after today's newsletter, but I also think Dan and I can greatly reduce the number of future emails on this topic you see if you've reached your breaking point.
Please email me at brianfreeman@cemeterydance.com with your real name and the email address that should be on your customer account, and I'll see what I can do.
We are very sorry for the inconvenience and any annoyance these notes have caused, and we also recognize the really good point some of you have made, re: the optics of pushing this book so hard when you're waiting on books you've paid for.
We know it's been a relentless push. Just as some general background information -- I'm not trying to convince anyone that the promotions for the book haven't been too much! -- there are things we've learned about New York publishing and trade editions in the years since we started working more closely with S&S after the announcement of Blockade Billy and some of that information is probably a factor here.
For example, New York publishers don't start their full marketing push until about 6 weeks before publication, when the first printing is already set based on preorders and expected demand... but if they don't see a lot of preorders and expected demand, they won't print as many copies... and if they don't print many copies, they'll divert the marketing resources to other projects with bigger print runs (more $$$ already invested)... which means they never do their big promised push for your book, sales don't hit their goals (since they didn't even print enough books to hit those goals), and the book isn't a success.
This all means it is very much on the author and their own marketing efforts to boost the early numbers, so when the publisher finalizes the print run and their marketing plans, they see a chance for a big seller... and then push the book like a big seller... which often makes it... a big seller.
(The New York publishing business is kind of a self-fulling prophecy in that respect.)
I provide this information for those who are interested in such matters, not to try to convince you that the onslaught of emails hasn't been too much.
Brian
Brian, all we want is equal amount of emails for promotions and 'your order has shipped', that's it. If nothing has shipped, then nothing else should be promoted.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I'm sure this has been addressed many, many times ad nauseam but is it a question of taking on too many projects and because of that certain books get stuck in limbo for years?
So certain books get priority well others get shifted to the back of the line? I know it's probably more complicated than that, but I was curious.
It was hell's season, and the air smelled of burning children
Good morning Brian,
Would it be possible to hear progress on ‘Flight or Fright’ by Bev Vincent. The lettered edition.
I believe this was posted on here for the first time in May 2018.
Appreciate from what I can determine that there are just over 10 signatures to obtain.
Kindest regards
Alec.
10 Signatures?? I thought the lettered only had 3, and the Artist Edition only 2. Did this change? (going on order page). Are we still waiting on sigs for the Artist edition or is it just the Lettered, and if only the Lettered what is hold up on Artist edition?
Wanted:
'Salem's Lot Portfolio #606
Fairy Tale UK S/L
Still waiting on King to sign for the Lettered Edition. Both editions are printed together, so that's the hold-up at the moment.10 Signatures?? I thought the lettered only had 3, and the Artist Edition only 2. Did this change? (going on order page). Are we still waiting on sigs for the Artist edition or is it just the Lettered, and if only the Lettered what is hold up on Artist edition?
Brian
Founder and publisher of Lividian Publications. My other website is BrianJamesFreeman.com. Please always feel free to email me or send me a PM if you have any questions about either!
It's definitely a combination of things. Too many projects on the plate is a big one. Announcing projects too early is another. (If you wait to announce the book until later in the process, the customer never knows it took a year for the artist to sign the signature sheets, or that the person who was supposed to write the introduction fell ill and wasn't able to, etc.)
Losing our two big printers in such a short span of time was a pretty big hit.
A lot of time and energy these past couple of years has gone to catching up on the Lettered Editions, which fell an inexcusable amount of time behind schedule. We've gotten something like 100 or 120 of those projects done in the last 3 years, but there are still about a dozen to go. That should happen this year, thankfully.
There are other factors that crop up, of course, but they're more internal matters that I couldn't post about here.
Also, there are actually a lot of projects that are unannounced and ready for the printer, but they're waiting until we're more caught up on some of the announced projects.
I've been advocating for us to wait until signature sheets are done before announcing a project for preorder, and sometimes I even get heard.For example, The Stand is basically ready for the printer except for the signature sheets, which seem to be stuck with an artist who no longer responds to our messages. Once those sheets are back, the official announcement can be made and the book can be started at the printer. (The other option, which we're getting pretty close to at this point, is that the sheets are only signed by the other artists involved in the project. We'll keep bugging the artist who still needs to sign, though, and try to get that done.)
Brian
Founder and publisher of Lividian Publications. My other website is BrianJamesFreeman.com. Please always feel free to email me or send me a PM if you have any questions about either!
Man, what's up with these artists holding up the process? I wonder how common this is as I've only read about it with CD. Or do other publishers only announce preorders when everything is in hand?
You don't know my kind.....You don't my mind.....Dark necessities are part of my design.....
From what little bookbinding I do, I know that artists can often be a big delay. So much so, that I don't pay the final 50% of the contract price until the art is satisfactorily delivered.
Well, the last three times it has happened for CD, it was with artists we don't normally work with who had been selected by the author. In two of the cases, we loved the artwork, so in the end, it was worth the wait. In the third case... we're very glad the author was happy with the art!
That said, it's probably been 3 of the last 50 or 75 projects that have had art specific delays...? (And a couple where the artist was the slow poke to sign the signature sheets, which I put in a different category!) It's just that, when asked what the hold up is on those particular projects, we explain it is the artwork, and I think because those projects get asked about a lot, it seems like there must be a lot of art related delays?
But also, yes, most publishers probably wait until they have the artwork in hand to announce, so they never have to worry about this! I'm a big fan of having everything done before announcing, and I push for that whenever I can. (See the previous post about all of the unannounced printer-ready projects we have in the pipeline!)
Brian
Founder and publisher of Lividian Publications. My other website is BrianJamesFreeman.com. Please always feel free to email me or send me a PM if you have any questions about either!
Sounds like a wise decision.
You don't know my kind.....You don't my mind.....Dark necessities are part of my design.....
Realizing I'm not completely in the know; in the case of artist delays, has the art been completed and you're just waiting on a sig? Or waiting on both the art and the sig?Well, the last three times it has happened for CD, it was with artists we don't normally work with who had been selected by the author. In two of the cases, we loved the artwork, so in the end, it was worth the wait. In the third case... we're very glad the author was happy with the art!
That said, it's probably been 3 of the last 50 or 75 projects that have had art specific delays...? (And a couple where the artist was the slow poke to sign the signature sheets, which I put in a different category!) It's just that, when asked what the hold up is on those particular projects, we explain it is the artwork, and I think because those projects get asked about a lot, it seems like there must be a lot of art related delays?
But also, yes, most publishers probably wait until they have the artwork in hand to announce, so they never have to worry about this! I'm a big fan of having everything done before announcing, and I push for that whenever I can. (See the previous post about all of the unannounced printer-ready projects we have in the pipeline!)
Brian
You don't know my kind.....You don't my mind.....Dark necessities are part of my design.....
For me, an "artist delay" is a delay in delivering the artwork. Waiting on signature sheets would be a "signature sheet delay." But that's just the terms we use here. Your milage may vary.
Brian
Founder and publisher of Lividian Publications. My other website is BrianJamesFreeman.com. Please always feel free to email me or send me a PM if you have any questions about either!
In the case you get to have the books signed by the two other artists it means that new sheets will have to be printed and sent to them to be signed? Or you'll recover the signed sheets like they're?It's definitely a combination of things. Too many projects on the plate is a big one. Announcing projects too early is another. (If you wait to announce the book until later in the process, the customer never knows it took a year for the artist to sign the signature sheets, or that the person who was supposed to write the introduction fell ill and wasn't able to, etc.)
Losing our two big printers in such a short span of time was a pretty big hit.
A lot of time and energy these past couple of years has gone to catching up on the Lettered Editions, which fell an inexcusable amount of time behind schedule. We've gotten something like 100 or 120 of those projects done in the last 3 years, but there are still about a dozen to go. That should happen this year, thankfully.
There are other factors that crop up, of course, but they're more internal matters that I couldn't post about here.
Also, there are actually a lot of projects that are unannounced and ready for the printer, but they're waiting until we're more caught up on some of the announced projects.
I've been advocating for us to wait until signature sheets are done before announcing a project for preorder, and sometimes I even get heard.
Brian
Wanted list:
Ubris
I used to think I’d love to have a job like Brian’s. I’ll stick with reading the books.
It seems I'm miles above the surface of the Earth
I can see across the whole of London and beyond
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