The Jim Butcher Files: Dresden . Codex Alera . Cinder Spires & More

[AlbertaCowboy]

Lookee here:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/200..._WhatsNew_2009


Skin Game Autographed by the author!

Each book features an autographed bookplate attached to the title page!

Man, I LOVE ThinkGeek.com
I have spent an absolute fortune there. I'm really tempted to get a copy here.

UPDATE: Yeah, I ordered one. First paper book I've bought in a couple years!

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by AlbertaCowboy

Lookee here:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/200..._WhatsNew_2009


Skin Game Autographed by the author!

Each book features an autographed bookplate attached to the title page!

Man, I LOVE ThinkGeek.com
I have spent an absolute fortune there. I'm really tempted to get a copy here.

UPDATE: Yeah, I ordered one. First paper book I've bought in a couple years!

Good for you. And the price is not bad either. The one thing to make it more collectable would be to distinguish it as limited edition. With 200 copies it would not have been too difficult to include a handwritten number as in #42/200. Unless it is there and it just did not show in the picture.

Oh, if you get it let us know if it is still a print from the "First Edition". I mean it should be - it just came out not long ago.

I hope you are better than me with paper books. Even if I am careful with a HC after the first time reading the edges of the pages look filthy . The dust cover will be excellent still - never liked reading with it on since they are so easy to tear. I am glad that ebooks don't degrade over time.

UPDATE: In case you are wondering, I did try washing my hands before reading books. I guess once I am swallowed into the story I don't care anymore. And I am most definitely not going to sacrifice my reading pleasure by eliminating any coffee or occasional snack while reading.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by alansplace

Since I'm not allowed to post the complete article use
this link to access the article on the original website.

Oh thank you for that. The most interesting thing is this:

The Ernest Cline book, about a teen's romp through cyberspace, has been in production for some time — Warner Bros. bought the movie rights before the novel was published

I did forego reading it and instead plunged into Dust as I thought I might. Now I know what is planned to read right after. Not promising anything though, I have some sort of ADD when it comes to reading orders. Maybe the fact that I already bought it will be enough to read Ready Player One next. Decisions decisions ...

[alansplace]

Since I'm not supposed to post the complete article here,
use this link to access the article on the original website.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by alansplace

Since I'm not supposed to post the complete article here,
use this link to access the article on the original website.

What is up with your very prominent "I am not supposed to quote the complete, so use the link" lately? Did somebody slap you on the wrist for quoting too much before? I mean, it is a valid concern quoting too much of copyrighted material. They (MR) are not doing it to be only mean to you, but they do it other places too. Entirely possible that there have been complaints from copyright holders against MR. It is pretty darn silly, but then most copyright law is - and that is my personal opinion only.

We still love your posts if they got links instead of full quotes.

Edit: As to the article itself. This may be true if only considering traditional publishing. Self publishing through free self publishing platforms (e.g KDP, Nook) is not a thing of the future. I wonder if this escapes Jim's sister or if she specifically complains about getting published traditionally. Or rather not published. I think it is interesting that she uses her close relationship to best selling Jim as leverage. And if not as leverage, why mention it at all?

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

What is up with your very prominent "I am not supposed to quote the complete, so use the link" lately? Did somebody slap you on the wrist for quoting too much before? I mean, it is a valid concern quoting too much of copyrighted material. They (MR) are not doing it to be only mean to you, but they do it other places too. Entirely possible that there have been complaints from copyright holders against MR. It is pretty darn silly, but then most copyright law is - and that is my personal opinion only.

We still love your posts if they got links instead of full quotes.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by alansplace

I am not familiar with Dr. Seuss, so I take it the meaning of the cat is to inform us that I am guessing correctly and you signed a horrible NDA agreement. Or I was so badly wrong that, well I don't know. (Dr. Seuss because the cat might have come right of one of those books ...)

I did, at the same time you painted your cat append my original post, so maybe we can talk about the article instead.

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

I am not familiar with Dr. Seuss, so I take it the meaning of the cat is to inform us that I am guessing correctly and you signed a horrible NDA agreement. Or I was so badly wrong that, well I don't know. (Dr. Seuss because the cat might have come right of one of those books ...)

I did, at the same time you painted your cat append my original post, so maybe we can talk about the article instead.

That's the Cheshire cat from Disney's Alice in Wonderland.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

That's the Cheshire cat from Disney's Alice in Wonderland.

Yeah, I heard about it just a little bit ago. Asked my wife what this cat might mean - she knew right away that it is a Cheshire cat (I only seen it by the filename). But I still do not understand what the cat signifies. Alice in Wonderland been such a long time ago - maybe I should read it one day again - and this time in english, last time I believe it was in the german translation.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

What is up with your very prominent "I am not supposed to quote the complete, so use the link" lately? Did somebody slap you on the wrist for quoting too much before? I mean, it is a valid concern quoting too much of copyrighted material. They (MR) are not doing it to be only mean to you, but they do it other places too. Entirely possible that there have been complaints from copyright holders against MR. It is pretty darn silly, but then most copyright law is - and that is my personal opinion only.

We still love your posts if they got links instead of full quotes.

Edit: As to the article itself. This may be true if only considering traditional publishing. Self publishing through free self publishing platforms (e.g KDP, Nook) is not a thing of the future. I wonder if this escapes Jim's sister or if she specifically complains about getting published traditionally. Or rather not published. I think it is interesting that she uses her close relationship to best selling Jim as leverage. And if not as leverage, why mention it at all?

...er that's Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat.

Consider this, Jim has never attempted self-publishing so why should his sister necessarily write about it. It's in neither of their spheres of expertise. And as to "uses her close relationship to best selling Jim as leverage" that's pure hokum, IMHO.

[bizzybody]

There seems to be plenty of people self publishing on Amazon, and making some money. Lots of trilogies of short novels with the first one free and the other two $2.99 each, so $6 for a complete novel split in three chunks. Some are actually three full length novels so an even better deal*.

Not a bad deal compared to just throwing down full price for one full novel without any preview - if you find something well written and edited in the genre(s) you like.

The biggest issue with self published ebooks is the quality is highly variable. The "gatekeepers" of traditional publishers and agents have kept a lot of garbage off the bookstore shelves, but they've also undoubtedly kept a large amount of good and even excellent stories off the shelves.

Traditional publishers have huge overhead expenses for printed books. All the costs of the physical product go away for e-books but the personnel expenses (except for physical product handling since there's nothing to lay hands on) remain pretty much the same.

Self publishing allows *all* the good and great to be available to the public, but it doesn't keep out any of the dreck.

What may be a good business to be in is a "standalone" editing service for self publishing. Seems that many authors with poor spelling and grammar skills also don't have any family members or friends able/willing to give their work a read to find errors. For SF&F you wouldn't be able to simply apply standard English (or whatever language) rules, you'd also have to be able to look for any "in world" oddities and invented words etc. to ensure consistency. Ever read a book where the author hasn't kept the spelling consistent for character names and invented words?

*The "Dark Space" series is pretty decent, and I've finally read a book containing a planet with a huge, multi-level, world covering city that the author has inhabited with a large enough population to justify the huge, multi-level, world covering city. The author doesn't say exactly how many but it's trillions of inhabitants.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by alansplace

...er that's Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat.

Consider this, Jim has never attempted self-publishing so why should his sister necessarily write about it. It's in neither of their spheres of expertise. And as to "uses her close relationship to best selling Jim as leverage" that's pure hokum, IMHO.

Ah yes, thank you. She is probably damn proud of him and should be. He beat the odds not by complaining, but by trying harder. And she probably also seen the complications involved, and accusations of Jim beeing handed something for free. I may have misread as biased, instead of only speaking from experience and knowledge she has.

I apologize for not knowing the classics well enough. The wiki does say:

The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat popularised by Lewis Carroll in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and known for its distinctive mischievous grin.

Maybe that is all there is to it, and no other meaning implied by you.

[DuckieTigger]

@bizzybody All well and true. The better self published books do involve some sort of editor - either a real professional editor and/or beta-readers. Beeing published traditionally is to get past the gatekeepers, but that does not mean at all that everything published traditionally will be a success. Same goes for self published - to be good and bestselling involves more than simply publishing.

And yes I stumbled across self published books that could use an editor. Heck I seen books that have obvious cut and paste errors - and an author that is so full of himself saying: I know I am good, don't have to be told, I just need to gain more readers. If you are that good, you should know when to ask for help in form of a hired editor or in the very least family members / friends to act as editor. It doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Arrogance on the other hand costs much needed recommendations.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Oh thank you for that. The most interesting thing is this:

[alansplace]

DragonCon is a week away, and we’re finally cleared to announce Jim’s schedule! Note that all listings are TENTATIVE. Be sure to double-check times and locations at the con itself. Jim’s friend Pamela will be tweeting updates at @JimAtDragonCon.

==========

FRIDAY

Title: Autograph Sessions
Time: Fri 2:00pm – 3:00pm (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: Dealer’s Room, Badali Jewelry Booth — 15i-17i.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Badali uses a “timed ticket” system to ensure signings don’t become a fire hazard. Stop by their booth Friday morning to get your free ticket and to be assigned a time slot.

Title: An Hour With Jim Butcher
Description: Audience Q&A with the bestselling author of the Dresden Files and Codex Alera series
Time: Fri 4:00pm – 5:00pm (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: Regency VI – VII – Hyatt

Title: The Uses of Enchantment: Magic in Urban Fantasy
Description: Authors in the field discuss the various magical systems used by their characters
Time: Fri 10:00pm – 11:00pm (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: Augusta Ballroom – Westin
Tentative Panelists: Laura Anne Gilman, D.B. Jackson, Linda Robertson, James R. Tuck, Laurell K. Hamilton, Jim Butcher

SATURDAY

Title: Magnificent Men of Fantasy Fiction
Description: Powerful speculative fiction demands a lot of the authors. These well-known authors will provide inside information on how to write powerful fiction.
Time: Sat 1:00pm – 2:00pm (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: Centennial I – Hyatt
Tentative Panelists: Kevin J. Anderson, Nancy Knight, Jonathan Maberry, Larry Niven, Jim Butcher

Title: Dresden Files – Bringing the Wizard to Life
Description: Interview and audience Q&A with the creator of the Harry Dresden character and the actor who brought him to life on the screen.
Time: Sat 2:30pm – 3:30pm (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: Regency VI – VII – Hyatt
Tentative Panelists: Jim Butcher, Paul Blackthorne

Title: Autograph Sessions
Time: Sat 04:00pm – 6:30pm (Length: 2.5 Hours)
Location: International Hall South – Marriott

Title: Modern Day Magic
Description: If “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” what happens when you drop magic into a technologically advanced world?
Time: Sun 11:30am – 12:30pm (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: Embassy C – Hyatt
Tentative Panelists: Lev Grossman, Jim Butcher

SUNDAY

Title: Worldbuilding 101
Description: Where does a writer start? What’s important to the reader? Who needs to know what and when do they need to know it? Build a better fictional world.
Time: Sun 1:00pm – 2:00pm (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: Embassy D-F – Hyatt
Tentative Panelists: Lee Martindale, Michael Bunker, Lynn Abbey, C. L. Wilson, Jim Butcher, Jonathan Maberry

Title: Monster Menagerie: Supernatural Variety in Urban Fantasy
Description: Urban Fantasy features a wide range of supernatural beings, often in the same book, and our authors discuss their diverse approaches.
Time: Sun 4:00 pm – 5:00pm (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: Augusta Ballroom – Westin
Tentative Panelists: Christopher Golden, John G. Hartness, Kat Richardson, Laurell K. Hamilton, Linda Robertson, Jim Butcher

Title: Autograph Sessions
Time: Sun 5:30 pm – 6:30pm (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: International Hall South – Marriott

Title: A Light in the Darkness: Humor in Urban Fantasy
Description: Authors in the genre often use humor, and this panel of authors will explain why they do so, and what type they employ.
Time: Sun 10:00 pm – 11:00pm (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: Chastain BC – Westin
Tentative Panelists: Kevin J. Anderson, John G. Hartness, Julie Kenner, J. F. Lewis, Kat Richardson, Jim Butcher

MONDAY

Title: I Have This Idea
Description: How to develop an idea into a novel. Basic tools to take an idea from that little germ into a full-blown blockbuster.
Time: Mon 10:00 am – 11:00am (Length: 1 Hour)
Location: Embassy D-F – Hyatt
Tentative Panelists: Jim Butcher, Lou Anders, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Janny Wurts, Peter David, Gene Wolfe, Nancy Knight

==========

Fans may also be interested in checking out the screening of the “Night Light” fan film Friday night.

Title: Night Light: A Dresden Files Fan Film
Description: Last year we shared a clip from this fan film set in the Dresden universe, and this year we will screen the whole movie.
Time: Fri 11:30 pm Location: Chastain BC – Westin (Length: 1 Hour)

Other Dragon Con Items of Note:

• Please ARRIVE EARLY for signings. The last time Jim was at DragonCon and last week at GenCon, his lines were capped long before the signing even began.
• Don’t forget that Badali Jewelry–in addition to hosting Jim’s first signing–is selling gorgeous Dresden Files jewelry, including Harry’s pentacle amulet and shield bracelet as well as “good” and “evil” Bob necklaces. You can preview them on Badali’s website.

Have a great time!

Quoted from jim-butcher.com