"The Big Meow" project update

[dianeduane]

I had a query about the subject late last night, so I thought I'd drop in an update here.

As regards The Big Meow: I don't have enough information yet to make a decision about writing the book, as I haven't yet hit the "break-even" point in terms of responses to my initial posting about the project. So far I've only heard from a few hundred people, and even if every one of them bought a book at the stated price, I'd still be losing money on the deal. As the project stands at present, I would need to hear positively from at least a couple/few hundred more people before I could commit.

-- And so that no one reading this misunderstands me: for costing purposes on this project -- without getting into actual figures -- I'm "paying myself" the lowest amount my agent would have allowed me to take for a work-for-hire/licensed-property book between three and five years ago, when I was still doing such things. This amount -- again, without getting into actual figures -- would be about one-fifth to one-sixth of what I normally get for a writing a novel these days. To do this very on-spec piece of work, I would be taking a considerable drop in pay while I spent a significant portion of my work year on the project -- so you can see where my concern lies, as I have cats to feed, and they don't understand explanations about wanting to write just for the joy of it: they want to know where their dinners are.

(An additional and slightly related issue: one of the ways I've been testing the water as regards self-publishing is with online sale of a book already written but never published elsewhere, though it was bought by mainline publishers twice -- details here at the website for Raetian Tales 1: A Wind from the South. The sales so far of the book's e-version have been only modest...and this for a novel already written. Looking at this situation, I have to ask myself whether The Big Meow is really likely to do any better, and whether I may be about to start wasting a lot of precious time on something that's just "a nice idea".)

...So if you know somebody who's interested in seeing this book written, or (looking over the heads of whose who've already mailed me) if you're yourself interested, now's the time to drop me a note and let me know. The original post laying out the situation with this book is here. The blurb for the prospective novel (and the project's homepage) are here. The address to mail support or inquiries to is
thebigmeow@youngwizards.com

If you haven't done so already, please let me know what you think.

Or you could, if you liked, convince me more concretely by putting money-where-mouth-is and buying a copy of A Wind from the South. (There are sample chapters and links to reader comments at its website.)

But I also want to thank very much all those who've already written -- so many of your comments have been really heartwarming -- and those who've read AWFTS and have been having fun with it. You guys make the work worthwhile. :)

Tags: The Big Meow, Diane Duane, A Wind from the South, Raetian Tales, self-publishing, e-book

Comments

[janeway216.livejournal.com]

Ah, darn. I was hoping this would be a Massive Smash Hit both for you and for us. The Feline Wizardry books add so much more depth to the Young Wizards books and I'd love to see more of them, but a business is a business and your merry band definitely need their tuna (or no -- turkey) more than I need a new book. This is a sentiment with which my checkbook agrees.

I'd offer to hold a virtual bake sale for you, but something tells me this goes far beyond bake sale caliber money. ;-)

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

Speaking only for myself, I've been waiting on a possible paper version of A Wind from the South, since I'm not much for e-books. I'm willing to buy the e-version by way of convincing you, but it's not really a form I want to read. Thing is, The Big Meow is a different, ah, story because I'm already invested in the characters. I'd very much prefer a paper version of it, but I'd make do with an e-version if that's all that was available. (If I had a tablet PC or if e-ink gets its act together, I might be singing a different tune, but that's all in the future.)

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

Okay, have purchased AWFTS.

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

An additional datum, which I forgot to add this morning:
I bought On Her Majesty's Wizardly Service from Amazon U.K. because I couldn't bear to wait for the U.S. version. I suspect the price for the paper version of The Big Meow would be similar.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

I'd certainly buy The Big Meow, I've bought all of the wizards and cats books so far. Like others I've held off on buying A Wind from the South because I prefer printed books, which is a little ironic considering that I publish etexts. If there's definitely going to be no printed version I'll get it, I suppose.

[(Anonymous)]

Great thing about eBooks -- they can be turned into real ones :-)

[caitlin.livejournal.com]

I'm in the middle of reading "A Wind From the South", and the only thing that is taking some getting used to is using my PDA to read a book instead of actually holding a paper book in my hands. *g*

Other than that, I'm enjoying the plot, and am glad I have it.

C.

[lady-autumnstar.livejournal.com]

I would dearly love to read "The Bog Meow" in either print or ebook. Of course, I want the print version to go with all the other "Wizard" books, which I own and reread frequently. Also, what are Kit and Nita doing these days?

[janeway216.livejournal.com]

http://www.youngwizards.com/The_Books/AWizardOfMars.html

[lady-autumnstar.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I will look for this with great excitement.

I appologise for my mis-spelling of "Big". I should never type in a hurry.

[posicat.livejournal.com]

I would be willing to buy my local library a copy of the book if that would help. Perhaps if more people would do this, we could reach acceptable numbers? Plus those who couldn't afford a copy would eventually be able to check them out from their libraries then too.

Just a thought.

[cjmr.livejournal.com]

I'd actually be willing to buy 2 copies per branch for the 18 or so libraries in my county library system, if that would help! While browsing in the kids section there last week, BTW, I noticed that they had 5 copies each of DW, HW, and WA on the shelf! I was impressed!

Ambivalent

[khavrinen.livejournal.com]

While I would definitely like a continuation of the cat wizards series, I cannot help but think of the likelihood that spending "a significant portion of my work year" on this would mean less time spent on other projects. A glance at my user-name, and picture, will make it not too difficult to guess just what other project I have in mind...

Re: Ambivalent

[cjmr.livejournal.com]

I have to admit whenever I go to Out of Ambit I check the "currently working on column" hoping to see a checkmark in that box--to no avail.

You have to laugh when people complain about how long it takes for the next Harry Potter to come out (or any other series with 1-2 year turn around time between books). I've been waiting to find out what happens to Herewiss, et. al. in the end for close to half my life! And apparently I'll keep waiting for a while longer. At least we're getting plenty of YW books to keep us busy in the meantime.

thanks!

[nelka35.livejournal.com]

I have bought - convincing you concretely :) - "A Wind from the South". I am reading it now, and enjoying it - and knowing that I would enjoy it much more if I had the background, if I knew the tales/mythology/etc it is spun from...

And, as I see, others said - I prefer books on paper. And would buy "The Big Meow" on paper even at hardback price, in preference to the e-book.

And I am planning to mention this post at some book forums I visit - so more people can find out about it, and, I hope, write and, as a final result, convince you it is worthwhile to write and publish "The Big Meow".

[redwolf-seastar.livejournal.com]

Hello. I read most of your books and YES I would be very interesting in purchasing the Big Meow when you write it. We’ve even bought your previous two cat books as ebooks, plus all the Young wizards as both paperback and as audible. We’ve also recently purchased two of your books off of your Ebay site. We are very fond of ebooks and loyal customers of Baen Books, fictionwise, ereader.com, etc. We are especially fond of Baen Books, both their Webscriptions and their free library. Are you familiar with their ebook publishing. I personally think they have one of the most successful and innovative ebook business models in the industry, and many of their writers such as Eric Flint, Dave Weber, etc. will swear to this. If you make The Big Meow available as an ebook, either self-published or through a publisher such as Baen, we would certainly want to buy it at any reasonable price (upwards to near the cost of a hardcover, even). We would buy it and we would recommend it to our friends, as we have done with your previous books. So please be encouraged to write The Big Meow, we certainly look forward to enjoying it if you do.

Best wishes to you and all your family, including all the cats of course.

- Sinigall

[westernind.livejournal.com]

If you had a facility to pre-order I'd happily give you the money in advance! Love the Cat Wizards books. Have just bought AWFTS.

Roz