Timewaster's Guide Archive

Ha.  Probably not.  I've already got ONE free book, after all. 

I'm planning to do some sort of contest where I give away posters, though.  Maybe I'll throw in some hardbacks as potential prizes then, too. 

It won't be for a while yet, though.  I was going to run it in May (since Mistborn 3 was scheduled for June) but Mistborn 3 getting pushed back means I'm going to push back the contest.  (Right now, I'm planning it to be "Get someone else to read one of my books, and I'll put your name into the drawing" sort of thing.)

Sigyn, you're in my writing group and you know I love your writing.  I think it's safe to say I'll cover quote you...

Cover quoting is a strange business.  It's left completely up to the author.  A publisher will send you a book, sometimes just out of the blue, and just ask your opinion on it.  Sometimes, another author will ask you if you'll look at one of their books.  In the end, the decision whether or not to quote (or what to say) is up to you.

There are a lot of factors in it, however.  Sometimes, those asking for quotes will be your friends.  Sometimes, they'll be important people in the field who have helped you out.  Sometimes, you'll read a book and really like it--but not be able to decide if your fans would like it. 

Also, there's the time factor.  Sometimes, I get a book to read which looks really good, but I'm too busy to read anything at all.  Sometimes, I'll get a book that isn't quite as brilliant, but I need something to read. 

And, once you've read and enjoyed an entire book (even if you didn't love it), you are left wondering what to do.  You just read the whole thing.  I feels like a shame not to offer something at that point.  Plus, new writers need every break they can get.  It might not be ENDER'S GAME, but if the author did a good job and shows potential, you might quote it anyway. 

I always try to quote honestly.  I don't gush if I didn't love the book.  Instead, I point out what the book is like and what its positive factors are.  That way (my theory goes) if my readers pick it up, they can know what--exactly--I liked about it, then have more information to judge whether or not they will like it. 

I've thought of this.  I worry (probably irrationally) about giving away too much of the book in spoilers.  I worry about people clicking on the annotations who haven't read the books.  The way the annotations are, you have to know what is going on in the novel to get them.  If you don't, it is (as you've noted) kind of hard.  With a list of events before each annotation, I worry that people will read through them anyway (out of curiosity) and have the whole book spoiled in the form of 'cliffs notes' I've written.

Of course, people can find a summary other places, if they want.  That's why this is probably irrational.  I'll give it a try in the next annotation and see if I like it.  Thanks for the feedback.

Hey, if any of you order books and miss the "Signing Instructions" box (which I think you have to click before it will let you input anything) just email me with instructions.  It's tough to find that box, and I wish Paypal had a better way of making it obvious.

The T-Shirts are up, but we haven't done a full launch for them.  I want to actually post pictures up so you can see what's on them, then put up better descriptions.  We'll do an official launch on them eventually. 

We've just updated the store to finally begin selling signed, personalized copies of MISTBORN.  They're going for $20 right now as a sale, and we'll up them to $25 next month.  They'll stay there until the stock starts to dwindle, and then I'll probably raise it up to the cover price.

Anyway, I know a lot of readers have asked me if I'd ever be doing this.  I thought I'd make a forum thread to let those who visit here, but don't often check my site, know that the sales are up and running.

Also, I have a request.  We needed to put a section on that allows someone to give me signing instructions, so I can know what name to write in the book.  (If any.)  We THINK we got it on right.  If anyone here is thinking of buying copies of the book, would you post here if you were able to find the signing instructions box?  Thanks!

This is a very interesting discussion; thanks for posting it VegasDev.  The silence, however, was simply because I was watching to see what people said before giving any answers.

And, I still can't give many without spoilers.  Let me say this: Kelsier had help, both realizing that he had snapped and finding metals.  The man who trained him in Allomancy was involved in this, and it's all wrapped up in how Kelsier discovered the Eleventh Metal in the first place. 

I MAY write this story someday.  If I do, it will make its way onto my website, perhaps after being sold as an Amazon Short for a while, kind of like I did with the ELANTRIS short.  There's not much more info in Book Three about this, unfortunately--just a couple of oblique references.  If you can remember until next October, the poke me after you've read MISTBORN 3, I'll give a more complete explanation. 

I'm 95% sure that is a joke.  Terry Goodkind's anti-fans can be quite...dramatic in their mockery of him. 

Again, I don't know that I support that kind of behavior, since it strays into treating Mr. Goodkind's fans with disrespect, which I don't think is right.  They enjoy his books, which is not surprising, since there are some very good things about those books.  My beef with them is my own, and relates to how he has treated other fantasy authors.