Comments on: On SF Signal: Are SF Series a Barrier to New Readers? http://www.davidlouisedelman.com/fantasy/sf-signal-on-sf-series/ Science Fiction Novelist, Blogger, Web Programmer Wed, 16 May 2012 16:18:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Matt Mitchell http://www.davidlouisedelman.com/fantasy/sf-signal-on-sf-series/comment-page-1/#comment-1850 Matt Mitchell Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:12:20 +0000 http://www.davidlouisedelman.com/fantasy/sf-signal-on-sf-series/#comment-1850 I'm not so sure; personally, when I see that a book is a part of a series it kind of detracts from my urge to buy it, or even to check it out from the library. <i>Especially</i> if the first one I pick up is the second or third book in the series. Of course, it doesn't matter if it's a series I've kept up with all along. It only qualifies when I come across a series I haven't read or heard about. If I pick up book 2 of the <i>Hadradginum Series</i>, I'll just put it down without giving it the time of day. If I've heard of the author or the books, however, I might stick around long enough to find book 1. I guess I'm just contrary. I’m not so sure; personally, when I see that a book is a part of a series it kind of detracts from my urge to buy it, or even to check it out from the library. Especially if the first one I pick up is the second or third book in the series.

Of course, it doesn’t matter if it’s a series I’ve kept up with all along. It only qualifies when I come across a series I haven’t read or heard about. If I pick up book 2 of the Hadradginum Series, I’ll just put it down without giving it the time of day. If I’ve heard of the author or the books, however, I might stick around long enough to find book 1. I guess I’m just contrary.

]]> By: David Louis Edelman http://www.davidlouisedelman.com/fantasy/sf-signal-on-sf-series/comment-page-1/#comment-1849 David Louis Edelman Wed, 19 Mar 2008 01:46:52 +0000 http://www.davidlouisedelman.com/fantasy/sf-signal-on-sf-series/#comment-1849 Scott: I think it's a combination of a number of things. 1) It's harder for writers to break into the business, and harder for them to <em>stay</em> in the business, so extended franchises are safe bets. 2) Books are much more expensive these days (as you note), so people don't make as many impulse buys. 3) More informed consumers (cf. the Internet) tend to know what they want, and how to find it. As a result, less grazing. 4) Publishers have much lower profit margins than they used to, and now they're all owned by big corporations who are very focused on the bottom line. Ergo: publishers want to publish safe bets. If the last book about erotic urban vampires sold, get the author to write another book about erotic urban vampires pronto. Scott: I think it’s a combination of a number of things. 1) It’s harder for writers to break into the business, and harder for them to stay in the business, so extended franchises are safe bets. 2) Books are much more expensive these days (as you note), so people don’t make as many impulse buys. 3) More informed consumers (cf. the Internet) tend to know what they want, and how to find it. As a result, less grazing. 4) Publishers have much lower profit margins than they used to, and now they’re all owned by big corporations who are very focused on the bottom line. Ergo: publishers want to publish safe bets. If the last book about erotic urban vampires sold, get the author to write another book about erotic urban vampires pronto.

]]> By: Scott http://www.davidlouisedelman.com/fantasy/sf-signal-on-sf-series/comment-page-1/#comment-1848 Scott Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:39:17 +0000 http://www.davidlouisedelman.com/fantasy/sf-signal-on-sf-series/#comment-1848 Mr. Edelman, I responded to the Mind Meld question with one of my own: What ever happened to the smaller book? The 200pp-300pp book? Is it the market that has driven smaller books away, what with $8.99+ cover prices for a paperback and north of $27.00 for a hardback? I talked this over with a friend of mine and his response was that modern SF/F books (post-1980), the emphasis has been on world-building. Not as up-to-speed on modern SF/F novels as he is, I took his statement to be true. But back in the day, SF books were shorter. Granted, you had Dune and others but it seems to me that the emphasis was on a particular story rather than an entire fictional world. What is your take on the question? Is there a market for short SF books in the old pulp style? Or has the new Space Opera merged so completely with hard SF that we now have hard space opera? Thanks. ~Scott Mr. Edelman,

I responded to the Mind Meld question with one of my own:

What ever happened to the smaller book? The 200pp-300pp book? Is it the market that has driven smaller books away, what with $8.99+ cover prices for a paperback and north of $27.00 for a hardback?

I talked this over with a friend of mine and his response was that modern SF/F books (post-1980), the emphasis has been on world-building. Not as up-to-speed on modern SF/F novels as he is, I took his statement to be true.

But back in the day, SF books were shorter. Granted, you had Dune and others but it seems to me that the emphasis was on a particular story rather than an entire fictional world.

What is your take on the question? Is there a market for short SF books in the old pulp style? Or has the new Space Opera merged so completely with hard SF that we now have hard space opera?

Thanks.
~Scott

]]> By: Joe Sherry http://www.davidlouisedelman.com/fantasy/sf-signal-on-sf-series/comment-page-1/#comment-1851 Joe Sherry Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:54:06 +0000 http://www.davidlouisedelman.com/fantasy/sf-signal-on-sf-series/#comment-1851 Sir, I appreciate the link. I'm quite blown away by the company I'm keeping on this Mind Meld. I look around the room and think, hmm, which one of these doesn't belong? Sir,

I appreciate the link. I’m quite blown away by the company I’m keeping on this Mind Meld. I look around the room and think, hmm, which one of these doesn’t belong?

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