Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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Folks,
Please take a moment to answer the following questions for me. Your feedback will help me plan out future Planet Stories releases.
1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)?
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you?
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
Sword & Sorcery
Sword & Planet
Science Fiction
Space Opera
Horror/Gothic Fantasy
"Weird" Fiction
Jungle Tales
Lost Worlds Tales
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books?
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing?
Thanks!
--Erik Mona
Publisher
Planet Stories
1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)?
The Anubis Murders. I'd like to get Black God's Kiss as well.
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you? Haven't focused on the authors so much as the stories.
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
Sword & Sorcery
Sword & Planet
Lost Worlds Tales
"Weird" Fiction
Horror/Gothic Fantasy
Science Fiction
Space Opera
Jungle Tales
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books?
Subscription. Planet Stories of the Month!
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing?
I would subscribe if the discount was 20% or more. A 10% discount is acceptable if there was free shipping.
Please take a moment to answer the following questions for me. Your feedback will help me plan out future Planet Stories releases.
1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)? The Anubis Murders, and I have my eye on Black God's Kiss.
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you? Catherine Lucille Moore
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
Sword & Planet
Lost Worlds Tales
Jungle Tales
Horror/Gothic Fantasy
"Weird" Fiction
Sword & Sorcery
Science Fiction
Space Opera
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books? Add a monthly subscription service that I can combine with my Pathfinder and GameMastery modules' subscriptions.
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing? I've been waiting for it -- I thought Gary said Paizo was close to launching this. I'm sure hopeful!
1. All.
2. Since I can't have ERB? I guess... Leigh Brackett.
3. Sword & Sorcery, Science Fiction, Lost Worlds Tales...
4. A subscription service and publish more! :)
5. Yes. I will subscribe.
Folks,
Please take a moment to answer the following questions for me. Your feedback will help me plan out future Planet Stories releases.
1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)?None-and it's killing me.
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you?
Moorcock and Howard
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:Sword & Sorcery
Sword & Planet
Horror/Gothic Fantasy
Space Opera
Lost Worlds Tales
Science Fiction
Jungle Tales
"Weird" Fiction
But I like to alternate my genre so I don't read the same type twice in a row.4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books? Mass markets-but I already read your post about cost feasibility.
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing? Yes it would. Could the discount be used to pick up older titles as well?
Thanks!
--Erik Mona
Publisher
Planet Stories
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1) None so far.
2) All of them ;p
3)
Sword & Sorcery
Sword & Planet
Lost Worlds Tales
Horror/Gothic Fantasy
"Weird" Fiction
Jungle Tales
Science Fiction
Space Opera
4) Subscription yes.
But even more, combined shipping with monthly PF/Modules, so I get to pay shipping only once a month. I wouldn't mind if the shipping cost was a little higher because you need a bigger box to fit everything. Combined shipping will be the difference between buying directly from you and buying at a local store/amazon.
5) 30% is perfect, I would also accept a lower discount depending on shipping cost/deal.
1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)?
I have City of the Beast on order through my local shop.
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you?
No preference.
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
Here, I prefer as much variety as possible.
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books?
If there is a way to make the novels more available outside of Paizo, I would buy more frequently. The shipping time on my order mentioned in Question #1 is around three months — within the U.S.
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing?
Would seriously consider it.
1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)?
Yes, I've purchased The Anubis Murders by Gary Gygax and Black God's Kiss by C.L. Moore.
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you?
Either Henry Kuttner or C.L. Moore, but Robert E. Howard is close behind.
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
1. Sword & Sorcery
2. "Weird" Fiction
3. Horror/Gothic Fantasy
4. Sword & Planet
5. Lost Worlds Tales
6. Jungle Tales
7. Space Opera
8. Science Fiction
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books?
How about a blog that would precede each Planet Stories release by a few weeks, sort of like the book's introduction, that tells the potential customer about a) the history of the tales included and what they've influenced through the years, and b) the story of the author.
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing?
Yes
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)? No, I have not purchased one yet.
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you? Heinlein. Red Planet was awesome.
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
Horror/Gothic Fantasy
Science Fiction
Sword & Sorcery
Lost Worlds Tales
"Weird" Fiction
Sword & Planet
Space Opera
Jungle Tales
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books? Babysit my daughter and go to work for me so I have more time to read? :) Honestly, I'm probably not your target audience, as I typically buy less than 3 novels a year.
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing? Probably not, but again, I'm probably not your target audience. If I had a lot more free time, yeah, 30% sounds pretty good for paperback novels. Bundling it with Pathfinder/GM subs would make your discounted price a bit cheaper than buying at Barnes & Noble or Borders, but the shipping cost probably eats up most of the 30% discount value otherwise.
1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)? Anubis Murders. (See my note below the survey) I'd pick up more, but I plan on buying them in bunches to go with my other purchases from Paizo, to save on shipping.
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you? I like Gygax, since some of the first DnD fiction I read as a kid were the Gord books. But considering the wealth of material out there, I'm pretty happy with anything you consider worthy enough to reprint.
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
Sword & Sorcery
Sword & Planet
Science Fiction
Space Opera
Horror/Gothic Fantasy
"Weird" Fiction
Jungle Tales
Lost Worlds Tales
*I like them all, but I'd like it if you kept it fairly evenly distributed, so we don't get say... 4 space opera books in a year, at the expense of Sword and Sorcery only getting 1, etc
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books?
Offer the subscription that has been talked about ;-) (See #5)
Well, that and maybe time it together with the other lines. ie. If/when the "Red Planet" Gamemastery novel comes out, have a Space Opera or Sword and Planet novel and feature them both on the homepage. Or release something like the Anubis Murders (for the Egypt theme) the same month as the Entombed with the Pharaohs module, etc
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing?
Honestly, I'd subscribe if it was free shipping, or "just" 10% off the cover price. I'd most likely subscribe if there was no advantage, other than convenience and bundling them with my pathfinder/gamemastery subs for shipping.
*The most important thing about the subscription for me is the bundling with my other subs.
Off topic, but perhaps of interest to Eric
I picked up the Anubis Murders from Chapters. Chapters is the largest (by far) book chain in Canada, having both big box style stores and also smaller mall stores, as well as a pretty good website for ordering books and getting free shipping within Canada.
When I ordered my copy of the Anubis Murders (along with non-planet story books) from Chapters, I noticed that nowhere did the website mention Paizo or Planet Stores, which were the first two keywords I searched for. They show Diamond as the publisher, I'm guessing because they don't get them directly from Paizo for some reason.
I ended up searching for Gygax and pulled it up. Not sure if you as the publisher have any influence, but if they added Planet Stores at least as a tag on the item page, it would be much easier to find for people interested in buying them.
The item page is here
1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)?
Negative. I plan to order Black God's Kiss but I save up a list of stuff usually before ordering anything because I am far, very far away and shipping is steep.
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you?
Moore, Kuttner, Brackett in order. I went back to Moorcock once as an adult and was disappointed. Gygax? I just don't feel daring enough for 13 bucks.
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
1 Horror/Gothic Fantasy
2 Sword & Sorcery
3 Sword & Planet
4 Science Fiction
5 Space Opera
6 Jungle Tales
7 "Weird" Fiction
8 Lost Worlds Tales
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books?
Make them cheaper. In my mind it's a pulp fiction book, but in my pocket book... not.
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing?
Never. I like a deal as much as the next guy, but I MUST choose my own titles. Once you have a good many titles out, give me the opportunity to order 4 or 5 at once at a discount and we can talk.
combined shipping with monthly PF/Modules, so I get to pay shipping only once a month. I wouldn't mind if the shipping cost was a little higher because you need a bigger box to fit everything.
A second this. Combined shipping, all the way. Hell, just have the 'Subscriptions Shipment' go out on the same day each month, regardless of what is released.
1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)? I have the first four pending until Almuric is ready to ship. Should be soon, can't wait.
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you? I must admit, I have only heard of Gygax, Moorcock, & Howard. Howard interests me most at this point, but that is only because his name is most familiar. To tell you the truth, I have this odd sense of loyalty and trust in your judgement, and I would be interested in any author you find appropriate for the product line.
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
Sword & Sorcery
Lost Worlds Tales
Sword & Planet
Jungle Tales
Horror/Gothic Fantasy
Space Opera
Science Fiction
"Weird" Fiction
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books? I intend on purchasing all of them
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing? Oh yes, Please!
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32
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1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)?
Yes. The Anubis Murders; Black God's Kiss. I am also planning on buying The Samarkand Solution next year.
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you?
Gary Gygax
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
Sword & Sorcery
Horror/Gothic Fantasy
Sword & Planet
Science Fiction
"Weird" Fiction
Lost Worlds Tales
Space Opera
Jungle Tales
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books?
Not much to be honest. I will most probably pick and choose which titles I want.
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing?
Yes, I would. I would also be happy if all of the subscriptions were shipped together for one cost, possibly on a set day each month so people (I) can have the money in the account at the right time.
(It's actually quite funny. I had written "In saying this, if a subscription was offered with a discount (ala Pathfinder) then I would consider subscribing" after what I wrote for Q.4. Then I read Q.5 and had to go back and delete it) =)
Folks,
Please take a moment to answer the following questions for me. Your feedback will help me plan out future Planet Stories releases.
1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)? "No, because in some cases I have already read these in earlier editions."
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you? "No one particular person."
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
Space Opera
Science Fiction
"Weird" Fiction
Horror/Gothic Fantasy
Lost Worlds Tales
Sword & Sorcery
Sword & Planet
Jungle Tales4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books? "As I get older, I demand a lot from my fiction--complex characters, character dev., evolving character interactions, fascinating settings, a well structured plot, and a bit of mystery and romance (I am liking much of the "pulp" fiction currently supporting Eberron, for example). If you can get stories with these kinds of elements, I would be incentivized (is that a word?) to buy."
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing? "No--I purchase books on individual merit."
Thanks!
--Erik Mona
Publisher
Planet Stories
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 4
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1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)?
Anubis Murders, so far. Picked it up at Gen Con.
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you?
I'm actually treating this as an education in books that I never even knew existed.
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
Sword & Sorcery
Lost Worlds TalesSword & Planet
Jungle Tales
Horror/Gothic Fantasy
Space Opera
Science Fiction
"Weird" Fiction
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books?
I wish I could just walk into a Borders or a Barnes and Noble in my area, see them on the shelves, and buy them there.
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing?
Yes, as long as I could bundle with my Pathfinder subscription to keep shipping costs down.
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)?
Not yet. Mainly because I have such a big backlog of books, I rarely buy books now other than with gift money for the hollidays or my B-day. I do have a lot added to my Amazon wish list though, so I either will receive some as gifts this December or buy some this January.
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you?
CL Moore and Henry Kuttner
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
Sword & Sorcery
Science Fiction
Space Opera
"Weird" Fiction
Lost Worlds Tales
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books?
Mass Market editions
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing?
Probably not, since some in the line I'm not as interested in (Gygax), and others I already own (Moorcock and Robert E Howard)
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 4
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I wish I could just walk into a Borders or a Barnes and Noble in my area, see them on the shelves, and buy them there.
You can. I've seen The Anubis Murders at both Borders and Barnes & Noble, and City of the Beast should be arriving very soon.
--Erik
This is very good news, I'll have to give a closer look. I browse through my local Borders every week or so and have yet to see them. Is this a recent development (i.e. something that might not have spread to the northeast US retailers yet?)
1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)?
Yes, Anubis Murders.
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you?
I cannot decide. I love the concept behind the whole line.
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
Sword & Sorcery
Sword & Planet
Science Fiction
Space Opera
Horror/Gothic Fantasy
"Weird" Fiction
Jungle Tales
Lost Worlds Tales
The order you have listed is good with me.
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books?
Reduce the price, though I think they are currently fairly priced. I'm happy to pay for quality, but of course funds are always limited.
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing?
100% yes!
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing?
Probably not, since some in the line I'm not as interested in (Gygax), and others I already own (Moorcock and Robert E Howard)
Just wanted to offer a (possibly) relevant opinion. I read the Gord adventures when they first came out, and thought they were ok. I just read the Anubis Murders, and found them far superior to the Gord stories. Just a thought.
Best.
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing?
Probably not, since some in the line I'm not as interested in (Gygax), and others I already own (Moorcock and Robert E Howard)
Just wanted to offer a (possibly) relevant opinion. I read the Gord adventures when they first came out, and thought they were ok. I just read the Anubis Murders, and found them far superior to the Gord stories. Just a thought.
Best.
I actually liked the Gord books, but the Anubis Murders and the rest didn't grab my attention from the plot summary - which is in no way saying they're bad or I wouldn't enjoy them - for me it's just a matter of too much to read and not enough time - and the stuff from Planet Stories that really intrigues me is the old school fantasy which defined many of the norms and cliches of modern D&D and fantasy novels.
1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)?
Just ordered City of the Beast and Black God's Kiss.
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you?
I'm simply unfamiliar with most of them.
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
If they weren't, roughly, a contemporary of Lovecraft and Howard or published in the last couple decades, I probably haven't read them. So, I'm not familiar with half of these genres (or the differences among them). That said, I'm interested in trying all of them out. I guess I'm not much help here.
What I'm really not interested in is "historical fiction/fantasy."
I'll add that I've read quite a bit of fantasy of various sorts and am getting a bit burned-out on them, so I would be slightly more interested now in the various scifi genres. However, I am a big Howard fan and am very anxious to read Moore.
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books?
Apparently, offer more polls. I just ordered 2 books because this poll reminded me to do so. :)
I'm very curious about Moore, so I will read BGK first. I'll let you know how I like it.
EDIT: More hours in the day would also help.
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing?
I very likely would subscribe to that.
I actually liked the Gord books, but the Anubis Murders and the rest didn't grab my attention from the plot summary - which is in no way saying they're bad or I wouldn't enjoy them - for me it's just a matter of too much to read and not enough time - and the stuff from Planet Stories that really intrigues me is the old school fantasy which defined many of the norms and cliches of modern D&D and fantasy novels.
Ahhh gotcha. I definitely understand where you are coming from with the "too much too read" *grins*
1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)?
Not yet, but I plan on purchasing City of the Beast as soon as I finish the current novel I'm reading.
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you?
Probably Moorcock, but I'm really looking forward to discovering authors whose works I've never read before.
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
Sword & Sorcery
Horror/Gothic Fantasy
Lost Worlds Tales
Jungle Tales
Sword & Planet
Science Fiction
Space Opera
"Weird" Fiction
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books?
Keep putting them out. :)
Another thing that might be cool would be to persuade some modern authors to write new offerings in these genres. Like China Mieville or Tad Williams, for example.
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing?
Honestly, I doubt it. I prefer to browse books at a board and mortar bookstore rather than online, even if it costs a tad more. Call me old-fashioned that way.
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1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)?
Anubis Murders
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you?
I am excited about all of them to tell you the truth.
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
Sword & Sorcery
Horror/Gothic Fantasy
"Weird" Fiction
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books?
As long as the stories are good I will continue to buy. I know it is subjective, but I plan on buying them into the near future and enjoyed Anubis Murders.
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing?
Yes, as long as there was at least a 20%-30% discount price.
1. No, not yet.
2. Moore sounds interesting, I will get Gygax at some point.
3. Science Fiction
Horror/Gothic
Sword & Sorcery
4. You know, up till you started publishing these books, I had always considered myself well read, at least among scifi/fantasy stuff. Some of the authors I've heard of, most that you've mentioned in threads I haven't. Have you thought about putting some preview chapters online? Getting a sample might help me pull the trigger on trying someone out.
5. I want to say yes, but realistically, I can't subscribe to anything else both because of money and time available to read.
...
4. You know, up till you started publishing these books, I had always considered myself well read, at least among scifi/fantasy stuff. Some of the authors I've heard of, most that you've mentioned in threads I haven't. Have you thought about putting some preview chapters online? Getting a sample might help me pull the trigger on trying someone out.
...
I was thinking about that too, and while I don't know about the feasibility of Paizo's license and putting up sample chapters... how about putting up the new introduction/foreword to the novel?
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Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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I'm pretty sure we can do preview chapters. I'm not 100% sure I want to "give away" the intros, though they would make excellent ads for the books.
Would people be interested in, say, a "Planet Stories Reader" anthology that contained a selection of stories from our key authors? Such a book would be a great way to sample the various literary styles we're publishing in the line.
By the way, we've now solicited books through August of next year, and we're starting to discuss what books we'll publish in 2009. Very exciting!
--Erik
I'm pretty sure we can do preview chapters. I'm not 100% sure I want to "give away" the intros, though they would make excellent ads for the books.
Would people be interested in, say, a "Planet Stories Reader" anthology that contained a selection of stories from our key authors? Such a book would be a great way to sample the various literary styles we're publishing in the line.
By the way, we've now solicited books through August of next year, and we're starting to discuss what books we'll publish in 2009. Very exciting!
--Erik
Maybe do a "Planet Stories Reader" that has a half dozen (or whatever fits) stories from the various authors that will get the Planet Story treatment in the upcoming year. It would be like watching all the trailers before the main movie begins. Kinda like a "If you liked Author X, they have a full book coming out in 2 months, etc" preview.
Would the Reader be the same size of book? Or a larger trade paperback? Or a hardcover with a higher page count? (When you say "Reader" it makes me think of the massive anthologies I had to cart around for English Lit classes in University.)
I'm pretty sure we can do preview chapters. I'm not 100% sure I want to "give away" the intros, though they would make excellent ads for the books.
Would people be interested in, say, a "Planet Stories Reader" anthology that contained a selection of stories from our key authors? Such a book would be a great way to sample the various literary styles we're publishing in the line.
By the way, we've now solicited books through August of next year, and we're starting to discuss what books we'll publish in 2009. Very exciting!
--Erik
I'd prefer a preview chapter (or portion thereof) to the intro, though a quote from the intro might work on the product web page.
I like the idea of an anthology, provided they actually are short stories. I find that "outtakes" are not as satisfying as a properly structured short story.
Different issue - Whom would you prefer I buy a book from? Obviously, I can get it from you, but is there any value for you in me trying to get a couple of copies ordered into my local Chapters (think Canadian version of Barnes & Nobles)? I don't know anything about the publishing/distribution business to know if a bit of shelfspace is better than a simple online purchase.
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Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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It's difficult to say. The books really need to prove themselves in the marketplace right now, which means that it might be a good idea to get them from Borders/Barnes & Nobles/Chapters, etc. for the time being. I need to prove that Planet Stories is worth ordering, worth selling, and worth restocking. It's possible that we might be able to run a profitable business on direct subscriptions, but that's a difficult road to travel and decent bookstore distribution must be the backbone of the effort.
So if you're at a mall or the local shop and you see the books on the shelves, I urge you to buy them. If getting them online is more convenient, I urge you to order direct from Paizo.com.
Once we get the subscriptions up and running, I urge everyone to give it a try! And once you begin to enjoy the books month after month, I urge you to spread the word!
You've motivated me. I'll start my Paizangilizing at the bookstore this week :)
1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)?
None yet, sadly. Money is tight, but I intend to buy all of them when it becomes more available.
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you?
Up until today I would have said C.L. Moore. This morning I finished reading an old collection of the Jirel stories. I loved it, and I am very excited to pick up the Black God. Right now, I think it would be Brackett. I saw the Big Sleep a couple of weeks ago, and that got me really excited about her writings.
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
Sword & Sorcery
Sword & Planet
"Weird" Fiction
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books?
Other than the obvious "give me a high paying job" type answer, my only real advice is to continue with the less known/high quality authors. I like Moorcock, and love Howard, but I am more interested in the harder to find, less lauded writers in these semi-obscure genres.
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing?
Yes. Can I right now? Because I would. Thanks for working on making subscriptions a possibility.
It's difficult to say. The books really need to prove themselves in the marketplace right now, which means that it might be a good idea to get them from Borders/Barnes & Nobles/Chapters, etc. for the time being. I need to prove that Planet Stories is worth ordering, worth selling, and worth restocking. It's possible that we might be able to run a profitable business on direct subscriptions, but that's a difficult road to travel and decent bookstore distribution must be the backbone of the effort.
So if you're at a mall or the local shop and you see the books on the shelves, I urge you to buy them. If getting them online is more convenient, I urge you to order direct from Paizo.com.
Once we get the subscriptions up and running, I urge everyone to give it a try! And once you begin to enjoy the books month after month, I urge you to spread the word!
Ok, with that in mind, I'll be placing some orders with chapters for my next couple Planet Stories novels... (otherwise I was probably going to order them with some other stuff available in november from here)
But once you get the subscription going, I'm coming back to Paizo for my pulp fix ;-)
1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)?
Yes, The Anubis Murders, City of the Beast, Black God's Kiss & waiting on the end of the month's pay day to order Almuric and Elak of Atlantis
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you?
Any, would love to have more stories about Magister Setne Inhetep.
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
Sword & Sorcery
Sword & Planet
Science Fiction
Space Opera
Horror/Gothic Fantasy
"Weird" Fiction
Jungle Tales
Lost Worlds Tales
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books?
Subscription would be great, but mainly keep putting out the wonderful reads.
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing?
oh, yea!
This could be a good idea for those who are unsure, though I would think the reputations of the authors in the line would be plenty incentive.
I'm pretty sure we can do preview chapters. I'm not 100% sure I want to "give away" the intros, though they would make excellent ads for the books.
Would people be interested in, say, a "Planet Stories Reader" anthology that contained a selection of stories from our key authors? Such a book would be a great way to sample the various literary styles we're publishing in the line.
By the way, we've now solicited books through August of next year, and we're starting to discuss what books we'll publish in 2009. Very exciting!
--Erik
Awesome!
By the way, we've now solicited books through August of next year, and we're starting to discuss what books we'll publish in 2009. Very exciting!--Erik
1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)? Almaric by Robert Howard. Still waiting for it to be published. As a librarian, I order all the Sci Fi books for my public library, and these are on my list.
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you? All of them.
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
Sword & Sorcery
Sword & Planet
Horror/Gothic Fantasy
"Weird" Fiction
Jungle Tales
Lost Worlds Tales
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books? Offer free online content. Example, if you could give 3.5E stats for the main characters and monsters, say in pdf form.
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing? Yes, but depends on how cheap I can get it from Amazon or other vendor. Would really consider it for the library. We thrive on standing orders because it cuts down on the time needed to select and order.
Folks,
Please take a moment to answer the following questions for me. Your feedback will help me plan out future Planet Stories releases.
Thanks!
--Erik Mona
Publisher
Planet Stories
1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)?
None yet, but I'm buying Black God's Kiss and Almuric[/] as soon as they come out2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you?
Robert Howard
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
[i]Sword & Sorcery
Sword & Planet
Jungle Tales
Lost Worlds Tales
"Weird" Fiction
Don't see many of these on the shelves aside from ERB.
Space Opera
Science Fiction
Horror/Gothic Fantasy
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books?
Good stories will sell themselves, but how about some excerpts to preview the book.
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing?
Yes
1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)? - Not yet, Borders and B&N haven't stocked them yet! I plan on ordering through Amazon or Paizo's site soon. Might wait and have my wife buy a bundle of them for me for Christmas.
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you? All of them - especially the non-Howard Conan.
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
Sword & Sorcery
Sword & Planet
Science Fiction
Lost Worlds Tales
"Weird" Fiction
Horror/Gothic Fantasy
Space Opera
Jungle Tales
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books? Keep talking about what you have coming up, what you've read and the like. More importantly, see #5.
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing? Hell, yes! In a heartbeat - a "book of the month" to arrive with my Pathfinder is a great idea, and the discount definitely makes it attractive.
If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing?
Erik,
Have you decided when you will be offering Planet Stories subscriptions? I'd like to get copies shipped along with my Pathfinder and GameMastery Modules susbscriptions!
Please take a moment to answer the following questions for me. Your feedback will help me plan out future Planet Stories releases.
1. Have you purchased a Planet Stories novel or anthology yet? If so, which one(s)?
Yes. Black Gods Kiss and
2. What author in the Planet Stories line most interests you?
Brackett
3. Please list the following genres in the order you would prefer that we focus on in late 2008 and beyond:
Sword & Planet
Lost Worlds Tales
Jungle Tales
Sword & Sorcery
Science Fiction
Space Opera
Horror/Gothic Fantasy
"Weird" Fiction
4. What can I do to get you to buy more Planet Stories books?
Keep putting out excellent old out of print works. I'm not very interested in new authors. I'm far more interested in the old classics.
5. If we offer a monthly subscription with, say, a 30% discount off the cover price, would you consider subscribing?
definately!