08-10-2010, 08:57 PM | #16 |
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I would be the first in line to buy an ebook of The Last Unicorn at Amazon! I'd even bust my 9.99 boycott for it.
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08-10-2010, 09:51 PM | #17 | |
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The question more is here is why wouldn't an author in this situation with an extensive body of work actually be selling it? (taking into account who owns it, etc.) He's certainly not the only one, of course. |
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08-10-2010, 09:57 PM | #18 |
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I know he works with Conlan Press. This past year he's had a web subscriber-only project, the 52/50 Project.
They also did an audiobook version of The Last Unicorn (my favorite book of all time, btw), read by Mr. Beagle, and looking on the website, looks like they've done an audiobook version of "A Fine and Private Place" too. Hmmm, might need to get that one. I like Mr. Beagle's recording of The Last Unicorn quite a lot. However, the original question was re ebooks, and I don't know that they have any plans for any, at least not that I've read about. That's a shame, because I'd buy pretty much anything Mr. Beagle writes. And I'd love to have ebook versions in addition to my paper copies. He's one of the few authors I'll still buy in paper. Yup, I'm a TruFan. |
08-10-2010, 10:14 PM | #19 |
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I wonder that also. Not just his own work, but he inherited the works of Edgar Pangborn, his sister and mother, and some of them used to be sold as ebooks through e-Reads. I'm sure it's hard to get even a few hundred dollars a month in royalties when your last novel was written a decade ago, and most of your work is at least 40 years old, and while considered very good, were never really best sellers, especially when they are out of print. Perhaps he thought that the e-Reads non-DRM editions were getting cannibalized by piracy.
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08-10-2010, 11:57 PM | #20 |
Jeffrey A. Carver
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I can affirm, because I asked, that the Pangborn books were withdrawn from e-reads by the estate. The truth is that most backlist books sell very poorly in ebook format unless the author is either writing new books or out there actively promoting the older books. A few hundred dollars a month for an old title would be considered a great success. It may be that poor sales were the reason for the withdrawal of the Pangborn books.
I suppose it's also possible that Beagle either dislikes ebooks or has other ideas about how to proceed with them. For us readers it's a shame, with respect to both authors. |
08-11-2010, 07:19 AM | #21 |
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Yes, this is exactly the question. Overlooking my personal desire for the books was to me the strangeness of him fund-raising on the web but yet not actually taking advantage of every opportunity to *sell.* I was wondering if there was a particular reason for the lack of ebooks.
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08-11-2010, 07:58 AM | #22 | |
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08-12-2010, 12:11 AM | #23 |
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As he has no website of his own, I've sent an email via the Conlan site's contact email. Maybe it'll have the same effect as my email to Niffenger, or maybe they'll take absolutely no notice.
Worth a try. |
08-12-2010, 11:38 AM | #24 | |
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Because withdrawing from sale completely because you are not selling enough is crazy? They seriously expect Pangborn books (old, dated, just another forgotten author of no particular note) to shift lots of copies? If so, then quite possibly there is some nuttery there. From what some experts say though, there are plenty of delusional in la-la land estates out there that think some 50 year old novel or story should be worth lots of money with no basis in reality at all. In someone like Beagle's case that has a few dozen short stories (some novellas.) To make 'a few hundred dollars a month' via Amazon, smashwords, fictionwise, and wherever else flows on from that is not that many copies of each, is it? Apparently with that addition thing, a few hundred a month can add up to a a few thousand a year. Beagle's best known works of course will take you the usual minute or two to find for nothing if you are so inclined. |
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09-05-2010, 07:03 AM | #25 | |
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http://comicattack.net/2010/07/peterbeagle-animeexpo/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_S._Beagle And The Last Unicorn is back in print this year - only in a format you may not appreciate http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/11/17...rn-comic-book/ Really do not know the relationship between a 1968 novel coming out as a comic, but no authorized eBook yet in circulation. |
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09-05-2010, 07:09 AM | #26 | |
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Sounds as though he still retains control over his book... http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/11/17...rn-comic-book/ “I’m delighted that IDW is doing this adaptation of my book,” says Beagle, “and by the real concern they’ve shown for the integrity of what I wrote. Peter Gillis is a wonderful choice as a scripter — I couldn’t have done a better job myself — and Renae and Ray have brought my characters to vivid life. Together with IDW, they are achieving something I honestly hadn’t believed possible.” |
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09-06-2010, 06:51 PM | #27 |
C L J
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Still waiting for a reply to my email. At least Niffenger sent one. That poor horse is still being flogged (the gif on my last post).
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09-07-2010, 04:16 AM | #28 | |
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http://www.conlanpress.com/html/updates.html Looks like your Conlan Press email is your best (and likely only) hope. |
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09-08-2010, 06:00 AM | #29 |
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Now there's some synchronicity. I'd not seen this thread before, had not heard of Peter Beagle or "The Last Unicorn", but I read "Two Hearts" on my eReader last night. (I'm finally working my way through the award nomination stories made available by Fictionwise a couple of years ago.)
I really enjoyed "Two Hearts" and made a mental note to look out for "The Last Unicorn" and more of his work... and this thread pops up today. Graham Last edited by Graham; 09-08-2010 at 06:04 AM. |
09-12-2010, 05:03 AM | #30 |
C L J
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BWhite, it was the "contact us" section on that site which I sent the email to. Obviously they don't choose to respond. I just asked them if there were any plans to publish Peter Beagle's books in e format, mentioning that many people on this site had expressed an interest in reading his works on their ereaders.
But alas, no response from them. Maybe you could try. It would demonstrate a demand for Mr Beagle's novels as ebooks. I think I'll stop flogging that horse, poor thing |
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