Thank you Eric for being so open and candid with us. I am a recent subscriber. Your new incentives were the final straw to get me to subscribe to the line. And I'm rather glad I did. I subscribed just in time to receive "The Sword of Rhiannon." and it was quite a fun little read. "Robot's Have No Tails" however is a blast. I love it. I plan on picking up the other Henry Kuttner book you've published now (I believe that it was the mentioned "Elak of Atlantis") as well as the other Leigh Bracket novels you have available and the Gary Gygax novels (and probably the rest honestly, but Henry Kuttner is the top of the list). I certainly hope the line sticks around. I'm rather pleased I subscribed to it, and I'm a little sad it took me so long (I honestly waffled about subscribing for quite some time).
Don't forget The Dark World! That's the best one! I'd say it's got more in common with Brackett's work or The Ship of Ishtar than with Robots Have No Tails, honestly, but it's by far my favorite Henry Kuttner book to date.
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
|
Merritt was obviously a huge influence on Kuttner, who is all the better for it.
I'm currently reading a never-republished Kuttner fantasy novel called "The Lands of the Earthquake," from a 40s edition of Startling Stories. It's very obviously inspired in tone and set-up by the work of A. Merritt.
The Dark World is often called an homage to Merritt's "Dwellers in the Mirage," (which is almost next on my to-read pile), and it seems to come from a period during which Kutter was writing long tales very much in the Merritt tradition.
I can't wait until you guys get a look at The Ship of Ishtar. It is absolutely fantastic.
Don't forget The Dark World! That's the best one! I'd say it's got more in common with Brackett's work or The Ship of Ishtar than with Robots Have No Tails, honestly, but it's by far my favorite Henry Kuttner book to date.
Thank you for bringing that too my attention. I think both of these will be ordered by the end of July.
Merritt was obviously a huge influence on Kuttner, who is all the better for it.
I'm currently reading a never-republished Kuttner fantasy novel called "The Lands of the Earthquake," from a 40s edition of Startling Stories. It's very obviously inspired in tone and set-up by the work of A. Merritt.
The Dark World is often called an homage to Merritt's "Dwellers in the Mirage," (which is almost next on my to-read pile), and it seems to come from a period during which Kutter was writing long tales very much in the Merritt tradition.
I can't wait until you guys get a look at The Ship of Ishtar. It is absolutely fantastic.
Yep, definitely some similarities between the Dark World and Dwellers in the Mirage and even Black Priestess Of Varda. :)
I like that one more than The Ship of Ishtar, certainly.
Right now Planet Stories is _just_ profitable enough that I haven't been ordered to cancel it, and we have books signed all the way into 2011 (including some absolutely incredible titles that I cannot believe we were able to secure). But it could be doing a lot better than it is, and we're constantly trying to think up ways to improve the line's performance because it is a labor of love for just about everyone involved.
(...)
I would breathe a lot easier if we had about twice the number of subscribers than we have at the moment (though there have been a lot of new additions in the last three weeks--thanks!). Right now we have fewer than 300 subscribers. With double that, the future of the line would be assured forever, because we would be more than halfway to profitability on each book before it even left the warehouse.
(...)
I am cautiously optimistic.
Were the worst to come, I hope you will be allowed one more price adjustment before folding "Planet Stories".
On the one hand, it is very sad to read that less than 300 people are currently subscribing, I would have put that number far higher. On the other hand if 600 punters could guarantee the survival of the line, a good advertising campaign could seal the deal. Problem is, you have mentioned that advertising has not yet succeeded.
As for the new format, I definitely like the 50s look (although I am not that old), I am a fan of the Fallout games (first two), the overall feel of the book is great.
What is terrible, and is apparently about to be fixed, is the new paper quality.
I would also like to moan about the two-column format as others have done before me. This is fine for magazines but not for a book, well in my opinion anyway.
As for the price increase, since as far as I know only Paizo is offering the service of actual reprints of lost books, plus that of selecting these books and broadening my tastes in Science Fiction/Fantasy, I shall live with it. Do not ever print on toilet paper though! :)
|
I just received Robots today, so here are my first impressions.
- Size/shape - not as different as I was expecting, although I have no idea how much bigger/smaller than the others in word count this will be, especially with the two column layout.
- Two columns - from a quick flick, I'd say less strain on the eye, and less turning over in bed :)
- Paper quality - Nothing like I expected after reading this thread :) I have other novels worse than this, and I've read books with paper that is almost transparent! This isn't an issue at all...
- Artwork - Fantastic, I love the cover, one of the best yet.
In all, a good job, another review when I'm done reading it.
Erik-
Some feedback from a subscriber since #1...
1. Two column novels = Yuck.
2. Paper quality is a big deal. Certainly subscribers are collectors/hoarders by nature, so using quality materials for the long term matters.
3. My favorite book in the series so far is the Worlds of Their Own. I liked the Gygax books, too. If the current authors sell better, why fight that? Publish *more* of those not *less*. This seems obvious to me...
-Tom
I just got Robots today, and I'm torn about the changes. Though I understand the idea of making the books look like old pulp magazines, I'm not sure that this is actually helpful to make sales. If I saw that at a newsstand I'd mark it as a magazines, not as a book, but I'd expect a magazine to be much cheaper, certainly not 13 bucks.
I'm not really sure if I like the magazine look. It certainly does not really feel like holding a book, but that may be because of the paper and flimsy cover issue. So, I'm holding out on an actual verdict on that.
I'll keep supporting the line in any case!
On another note: is there a chance of maybe seeing Lin Carter stuff in these books someday?
Additionally, subscribers will be able to order older Planet Stories books at a substantial 15% discount off the cover price as an added benefit of subscribing. We hope this new discount structure makes it easier for collectors to pick up volumes they may have missed from earlier in our series.
Gen Con is right around the corner and I was wondering if the discount described above would apply to old books purchased at the Paizo booth? I know that you guys have us ring out through the online system, but I wasn't sure if it would still apply.
|
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
|
3. My favorite book in the series so far is the Worlds of Their Own. I liked the Gygax books, too. If the current authors sell better, why fight that? Publish *more* of those not *less*. This seems obvious to me...
Trouble is, the pattern (if there is one, and there probably isn't) is not so simple to figure out. Not all of the "New" books we've done have made money, and the three best-selling books in the line were all originally published before 1945.
Steppe has really good pre-orders, so we'll see how/if that changes things.
Thanks for all the feedback, folks. It is very much appreciated.
|
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
|
Gen Con is right around the corner and I was wondering if the discount described above would apply to old books purchased at the Paizo booth? I know that you guys have us ring out through the online system, but I wasn't sure if it would still apply.
My understanding is that yes, it does apply.
|
I hear what you guys are saying about the columns. I really do. They are here to stay in the short term, and really urge you to be patient with it, read a book that way, and see what you think "in play". I appreciate that it is different. It may not last forever. But we are going to try it out for a while and see what happens on the sales front, which is crucial at the moment.
Well, my first reaction to the columns is certainly disappointment, but I have yet to read the book (I live in Italy and I only received it today).
As for the pages and the cover, I must unfortunately agree with the others. They really look flimsy and I hope that they can be improved in further releases.
Actually the book being as wide as it is, don't mind the two columns at all.
However, what other people have said goes - actually a couple of fairly cool wintrer days and the cover did curl as someone else said. Flimsy pages mentioned too, one of mine actually had a tear in the middle of it, looked like a slight production glitch as can happen.
The fake ads at the back are entertaining.
|
|
Actually the book being as wide as it is, don't mind the two columns at all.
However, what other people have said goes - actually a couple of fairly cool wintrer days and the cover did curl as someone else said. Flimsy pages mentioned too, one of mine actually had a tear in the middle of it, looked like a slight production glitch as can happen.
The fake ads at the back are entertaining.
But they aren't fake, just stylised.
Gen Con is right around the corner and I was wondering if the discount described above would apply to old books purchased at the Paizo booth? I know that you guys have us ring out through the online system, but I wasn't sure if it would still apply.My understanding is that yes, it does apply.
Thanks Erik. I'll look forward to picking up some of the titles that I missed.
|
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
|
We have just approved a sturdier cover and interior paper stock for the next release, THE SHIP OF ISHTAR. Thanks, everyone, for your continued feedback and especially for your continued support of the Planet Stories line.
Since the redesign was announced, our subscriber numbers have been climbing for eight consecutive weeks, and there are now more Planet Stories subscribers than there have ever been. I know some of the folks on this thread are among those new recruits, and to you I say WELCOME and thanks!
If you have not yet subscribed to the Planet Stories line, please take a moment to consider whether or not a subscription makes sense for you.
Thanks again!
--Erik
All of this news is great to hear!!
I am glad to be of assistance, Erik. I know that I will enjoy the books...
...once I get around to reading them.
I have an idea of how you can get more subscribers.
You’ve got a lot of famous people (some of them writers with big fan followings) doing introductions for your books, maybe they’d be willing to recommend your line on their websites, or wherever.
It wouldn’t hurt to ask.
Just my two cents.
We have just approved a sturdier cover and interior paper stock for the next release, THE SHIP OF ISHTAR. Thanks, everyone, for your continued feedback and especially for your continued support of the Planet Stories line.
Since the redesign was announced, our subscriber numbers have been climbing for eight consecutive weeks, and there are now more Planet Stories subscribers than there have ever been. I know some of the folks on this thread are among those new recruits, and to you I say WELCOME and thanks!
If you have not yet subscribed to the Planet Stories line, please take a moment to consider whether or not a subscription makes sense for you.
Thanks again!
--Erik
Thanks for the updates Erik! Count me in among those who felt Robots Have No Tails was too flimsy, so I'm happy to hear that the next ones will be sturdier. I do like the two-column format though and particularly *love* the addition of interior artwork!
Are these books going for second printings? If it gets to that point, would Robots Have No Tails be reprinted with the sturdier stock? (I would happily buy a second copy)
matt
I first played AD&D back in 1980 but my gaming days ended years ago, so unlike many here I have no interest in Pathfinder. I do love the pulps however and looking up Planet Stories copies on Amazon has led me here.
Bringing back these lost or forgotten treasures is a great service and welcome treat but in my experience the core audience for these books are likely existing fans and/or collectors. Half of the lure will be presentation; I want an enduring, quality product that stands apart from my existing rag-tag collection of well worn, and typically paperback, copy. I know you're also trying to reach a new audience unfamiliar with many of these authors and in this you must succeed. Stories from more modern writers like Anthony should hook that target group and expose them to the brand thereby expanding the base.
Still, I have to believe existing fans will comprise your foundation and I can't see myself subscribing for softcover editions. I can just as easily pick off the issues I want from Amazon. However, if you offer me an exclusive hardcover variant, available only by subscription, then sign me up! I know I'm not the only fan and collector that would be willing to pay a premium for such an option. Have you done any market research in this direction?
|
We have just approved a sturdier cover and interior paper stock for the next release, THE SHIP OF ISHTAR. Thanks, everyone, for your continued feedback and especially for your continued support of the Planet Stories line.
Since the redesign was announced, our subscriber numbers have been climbing for eight consecutive weeks, and there are now more Planet Stories subscribers than there have ever been. I know some of the folks on this thread are among those new recruits, and to you I say WELCOME and thanks!
If you have not yet subscribed to the Planet Stories line, please take a moment to consider whether or not a subscription makes sense for you.
Thanks again!
--Erik
truly great news about the sturdier paper and the subscriber numbers.
|
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
|
Are these books going for second printings? If it gets to that point, would Robots Have No Tails be reprinted with the sturdier stock? (I would happily buy a second copy)
If Robots is reprinted, it will most likely be on the new stock, but I have a LOT of copies of this book to sell before I worry about that.
Almuric, on the other hand, is down to 900 copies in our warehouse, and is the closest Planet Stories book to needing a reprint. If we decide to reprint that one, we'll probably do it in the new format, but we don't have any formal plans for this at the moment.
|
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
|
Still, I have to believe existing fans will comprise your foundation and I can't see myself subscribing for softcover editions. I can just as easily pick off the issues I want from Amazon. However, if you offer me an exclusive hardcover variant, available only by subscription, then sign me up! I know I'm not the only fan and collector that would be willing to pay a premium for such an option. Have you done any market research in this direction?
Not really, but it's something that I've certainly thought about. Thanks for your suggestions. I will continue to look into the possibility of offering hardcover versions.
Still, I have to believe existing fans will comprise your foundation and I can't see myself subscribing for softcover editions. I can just as easily pick off the issues I want from Amazon. However, if you offer me an exclusive hardcover variant, available only by subscription, then sign me up! I know I'm not the only fan and collector that would be willing to pay a premium for such an option. Have you done any market research in this direction?Not really, but it's something that I've certainly thought about. Thanks for your suggestions. I will continue to look into the possibility of offering hardcover versions.
Would any reprints with the new format include interior illustrations?
I'm kind-of hoping you'll say no, just so the collector in me won't go nuts, but I do love the interior artwork, so I'm also hoping you'll say yes...
:)
Are these books going for second printings? If it gets to that point, would Robots Have No Tails be reprinted with the sturdier stock? (I would happily buy a second copy)
If Robots is reprinted, it will most likely be on the new stock, but I have a LOT of copies of this book to sell before I worry about that.
Almuric, on the other hand, is down to 900 copies in our warehouse, and is the closest Planet Stories book to needing a reprint. If we decide to reprint that one, we'll probably do it in the new format, but we don't have any formal plans for this at the moment.
oops, I replied to the wrong message... my question about interior artwork in future reprints should be here...
|
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
|
I imagine that we'd add some interior illos but probably use the same cover in the case of Almuric. I like that cover a lot, though I would have done the type differently knowing what I know now.
I'm not sure the new format works all that well without interior illos.
Either way, it's going to take months to unload those last 900 copies, and I really don't think we're looking at a sell out of any of the other books any time soon, so this whole thing may be academic.
I imagine that we'd add some interior illos but probably use the same cover in the case of Almuric. I like that cover a lot, though I would have done the type differently knowing what I know now.
I'm not sure the new format works all that well without interior illos.
Either way, it's going to take months to unload those last 900 copies, and I really don't think we're looking at a sell out of any of the other books any time soon, so this whole thing may be academic.
Well, count me in on buying a copy of Almuric. Plus, I will be picking up a new Planet Story book that I missed every month until I have the full set of books. ~thinks~ 19 books? Ok. Make that two books a month.
|
|
Well, count me in on buying a copy of Almuric. Plus, I will be picking up a new Planet Story book that I missed every month until I have the full set of books. ~thinks~ 19 books? Ok. Make that two books a month.
That's the nicest part of the new subscriber discount, catching up on missed books doesn't hurt anymore. :)
I wanted to finally give my feedback on the new format since I recently finished reading through Robots Have No Tails.
Overall, I find the push to make the product more "pulpy" a welcome change. I think that it can help to distinguish it from the traditional sci-fi fantasy mix on the shelves. As a reader, the size was never an issue and in fact it felt much like the recent trade paperbacks being pushed by publishers.
I rather enjoyed the two column format and I know that places me in the minority. The style lends itself to the feel of a pulp magazine in which the stories were originally published (I have no idea if this is true, but it felt that way). It didn't have any detrimental effect on my ability to read and enjoy the story.
The artwork is welcome addition and I can't wait to see more of it. Art always seemed to be part of the planetary romance/sword and planet genre, be it interior illustrations or fantastic covers. I enjoyed the work both on and in Robots Have No Tails.
The paper stock was rather flimsy. The quality of the product suffered due to this, especially in light of the price. In fact, after my wife finished the book, I asked her about the same issues I've outlined above. She had no issue with any of the formatting either, but when I asked her what she would pay for the book (her not knowing how much it cost), she replied "No more than $6." She was a bit surprised when I told her how much it cost and made it clear that she would never have purchased it in a bookstore. Thankfully, she doesn't care what I do with my entertainment budget, and she's always happy to have more books to read.
Hope this was at least a little helpful. I plan on continuing to enjoy and support the line in the future.
I'm certainly not saying it's vital or mandatory, but e-publishing needs to be part of the future of Planet Stories. This includes the old Sony eReader and Amazon's Kindle. Now that there is software to allow owners of the iPhone to use Kindle on their iPhone, it makes more sense to appeal to that audience. This is especially true if Paizo can offer a deal where if you're a subscriber you get an electronic copy free as well an an update of when the material changes, such as the interior art, two column format you're describing. Indeed, in some instances, the e-publishing front is superior to traditional publishing as it takes far less time to make sweeping changes to the medium.
In addition, and perhaps this is straight out crazy talk, where are there no RPG tie ins to any of this material? 'Planet Stories' RPG, even it it just featured Legend & Lore/Titans of the Earth style Pathfinder write ups for the main characters, monsters, and magic items, would be another way to expose the material.
Lastly, is any of the material available through book clubs? I know the science fiction book club often has hard cover exclusive editions of material for example and as some people have made mention of that desire, that could give them a venue for it.
In terms of price, can't say I agree with most complaints here. Dean Koonzt charges $9.99 for his third book in the Frankeinstin series and that seems to be a common pricing point among the bigger authors for a paperback. The price of things goes up.
(Which gets back to the ease of digital distribution...)
I'm certainly not saying it's vital or mandatory, but e-publishing needs to be part of the future of Planet Stories. This includes the old Sony eReader and Amazon's Kindle. Now that there is software to allow owners of the iPhone to use Kindle on their iPhone, it makes more sense to appeal to that audience. This is especially true if Paizo can offer a deal where if you're a subscriber you get an electronic copy free as well an an update of when the material changes, such as the interior art, two column format you're describing. Indeed, in some instances, the e-publishing front is superior to traditional publishing as it takes far less time to make sweeping changes to the medium.
In addition, and perhaps this is straight out crazy talk, where are there no RPG tie ins to any of this material? 'Planet Stories' RPG, even it it just featured Legend & Lore/Titans of the Earth style Pathfinder write ups for the main characters, monsters, and magic items, would be another way to expose the material.
Lastly, is any of the material available through book clubs? I know the science fiction book club often has hard cover exclusive editions of material for example and as some people have made mention of that desire, that could give them a venue for it.
In terms of price, can't say I agree with most complaints here. Dean Koonzt charges $9.99 for his third book in the Frankeinstin series and that seems to be a common pricing point among the bigger authors for a paperback. The price of things goes up.
(Which gets back to the ease of digital distribution...)
1) We're definitely looking into getting some Planet Stories e-publishing going on, but those wheels are still in motion.
2) Direct RPG tie-ins aren't on the schedule right now, but you can probably expect to see the occasional easter egg in the future, and I know all of us would love to put out a science fiction roleplaying game someday....
3) At the moment, the only one of our books available through the Science Fiction Book Club is Northwest of Earth, and while I of course prefer our edition, they did a really nice job - the hardback version has some serious heft to it!
|
|
Trouble is, the pattern (if there is one, and there probably isn't) is not so simple to figure out. Not all of the "New" books we've done have made money, and the three best-selling books in the line were all originally published before 1945.
Steppe has really good pre-orders, so we'll see how/if that changes things.
Thanks for all the feedback, folks. It is very much appreciated.
If you are familiar with the "P500" concept GMT uses, would something like that help? Or even just some polling of the subscribers and the readers of this forum? List a synopsis, and then a "rate your interest: 1 = I'd rather read toliet paper to 5 = I'll by 5 please", for example.
|
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
|
Something like that may work (I definitely like the idea of gauging people's interest online. Really, though, there's a "magic number" of subscribers at which point pretty much any book we decide to do will automatically be at least a little profitable, and at the moment I want to focus on getting to that number rather than waiting for customers to prepay for specific titles.
i have to say i have no problems with the two colume text
i have 2 replicas of weird tales in my collection and they both have columed text its actuly easier to read for me
i just receved word my copies of robots have no tales and hounds of skeath have shipped im really looking forwerd to getting my first shot at kuttners talent im hopeing he is as good as his wife
Guys - I'd love to take out a subscription, having read the Kuttner and Moore stuff, and starting to enjoy Brackett.
Here's the thing: living in the arse-end of the world makes shipping tough. If I can combine cleaning up the backorder of older titles with subecription orders for a while, thats great (but I dont know if your systems can handle an order "on hold" for a while).
Once I chew that up though, I'm happy to take an order shipment every 3-4 books to cut the shipping rate - is that possible?
|
|
Guys - I'd love to take out a subscription, having read the Kuttner and Moore stuff, and starting to enjoy Brackett.
Here's the thing: living in the arse-end of the world makes shipping tough. If I can combine cleaning up the backorder of older titles with subecription orders for a while, thats great (but I dont know if your systems can handle an order "on hold" for a while).
Once I chew that up though, I'm happy to take an order shipment every 3-4 books to cut the shipping rate - is that possible?
Technically, it can, they will let you put a subscription on hold. BUT when I did this in the past, they said they'd rather you didn't hold the shipment for more than a month, and don't do it too often....Not sure how that would work with you effectivly wanting quaterly shipments...
Perhaps a new shipping option?
You may be better just subscribing until you have all the backissues, that should take a year or so, then buying from a local supplier...They are all sales, and sales for this line through a bok distributer mean a lot.
Guys - I'd love to take out a subscription, having read the Kuttner and Moore stuff, and starting to enjoy Brackett.
Here's the thing: living in the arse-end of the world makes shipping tough. If I can combine cleaning up the backorder of older titles with subecription orders for a while, thats great (but I dont know if your systems can handle an order "on hold" for a while).
Once I chew that up though, I'm happy to take an order shipment every 3-4 books to cut the shipping rate - is that possible?
I don't know if that's actually doable, since it involves a lot of careful record-keeping by our frantic warehouse folks, but it's worth a shot. Still, it's worth contacting customer.service@paizo.com and seeing if they can work something out. Thanks!
-James
|
|
I don't know if that's actually doable, since it involves a lot of careful record-keeping by our frantic warehouse folks, but it's worth a shot. Still, it's worth contacting customer.service@paizo.com and seeing if they can work something out. Thanks!-James
I was only half joking above. It probably would make sense for some subscribers to have a Quaterly shipping option, and it doesn't seem that it would programatically be any more difficult than a Monthly...
Guys - I'd love to take out a subscription, having read the Kuttner and Moore stuff, and starting to enjoy Brackett.
Here's the thing: living in the arse-end of the world makes shipping tough. If I can combine cleaning up the backorder of older titles with subecription orders for a while, thats great (but I dont know if your systems can handle an order "on hold" for a while).
Once I chew that up though, I'm happy to take an order shipment every 3-4 books to cut the shipping rate - is that possible?
I don't know if that's actually doable, since it involves a lot of careful record-keeping by our frantic warehouse folks, but it's worth a shot. Still, it's worth contacting customer.service@paizo.com and seeing if they can work something out. Thanks!
-James
I did ask about that a while back, and the answer was 'not really'.