Mark Alpert's Blog, page 2
March 22, 2014
EXTINCTION now available in paperback!
My third novel, Extinction, will come out in paperback on March 25th (this Tuesday). I’m a big fan of paperbacks in general; of all the books I buy, only about twenty percent are hardcovers. The main reason is the price difference. Whereas the list price for the hardcover of Extinction is $25.99, the price on the cover of the mass-market paperback is only $9.99. The difference isn’t quite so extreme after discounting -- Amazon, for example, sells the hardcover for $18.80 and the paperback for $8.99 -- but it’s still pretty significant for all but the wealthiest book-buyers.
Paperbacks are also lighter and more portable. They fit inside the pockets of my winter jacket. They’re easier to hide (in case you’re embarrassed about what you’re reading). And they take up less space on your bookshelves, which is an important concern if you live in a smallish apartment with a spouse, two kids and all their paraphernalia. (Electronic books would be even better in that respect, but I just don’t feel comfortable reading them. I can’t really relax when I’m holding a screen. I can’t ignore the screen’s presence, which makes it hard for me to get lost in the story.)
Don’t get me wrong -- hardcovers have their place. When I buy a book as a gift, I never get a paperback if the hardcover is available. And I love certain authors so much that I just can’t wait for their paperbacks. (I’m talking about you, Lee Child. And you too, Dennis Lehane.) But I’m a pretty patient guy. I’m dying to read Gone Girl, but I’m willing to wait a few more weeks until the paperback comes out. I’ll bide my time by reading a classic or two. (I’m reading Blood Meridian now. What a freaking amazing book!)
Speaking as a writer now, I love being published in hardcover. I’ve been lucky to have gorgeous book jackets for all my novels. And it feels good just to hold the hardcover -- it feels substantial, weighty, lasting. But I’m a relatively unknown writer trying to reach new readers, so publishing paperbacks is crucial to broadening my audience.
Over the past year I’ve noticed that a few very famous authors are eschewing the hardcover route for some of their books and putting out paperback originals. Stephen King did this last summer with Joyland, which was a fun read (definitely not weighty!) and had a great pulpy cover. Taipei, a serious literary novel by Tao Lin, also went straight to paper.
And there’s one more advantage to paperbacks that I haven’t mentioned yet: the teaser. After I finish reading a fantastic paperback, I love turning to the last pages of the book and getting a sneak preview of the author’s next novel. I’m pleased to say there’s a teaser at the end of the Extinction paperback, previewing the prologue and first chapter of my fourth book, The Furies. That novel will be published -- in hardcover -- next month.
Paperbacks are also lighter and more portable. They fit inside the pockets of my winter jacket. They’re easier to hide (in case you’re embarrassed about what you’re reading). And they take up less space on your bookshelves, which is an important concern if you live in a smallish apartment with a spouse, two kids and all their paraphernalia. (Electronic books would be even better in that respect, but I just don’t feel comfortable reading them. I can’t really relax when I’m holding a screen. I can’t ignore the screen’s presence, which makes it hard for me to get lost in the story.)
Don’t get me wrong -- hardcovers have their place. When I buy a book as a gift, I never get a paperback if the hardcover is available. And I love certain authors so much that I just can’t wait for their paperbacks. (I’m talking about you, Lee Child. And you too, Dennis Lehane.) But I’m a pretty patient guy. I’m dying to read Gone Girl, but I’m willing to wait a few more weeks until the paperback comes out. I’ll bide my time by reading a classic or two. (I’m reading Blood Meridian now. What a freaking amazing book!)
Speaking as a writer now, I love being published in hardcover. I’ve been lucky to have gorgeous book jackets for all my novels. And it feels good just to hold the hardcover -- it feels substantial, weighty, lasting. But I’m a relatively unknown writer trying to reach new readers, so publishing paperbacks is crucial to broadening my audience.
Over the past year I’ve noticed that a few very famous authors are eschewing the hardcover route for some of their books and putting out paperback originals. Stephen King did this last summer with Joyland, which was a fun read (definitely not weighty!) and had a great pulpy cover. Taipei, a serious literary novel by Tao Lin, also went straight to paper.
And there’s one more advantage to paperbacks that I haven’t mentioned yet: the teaser. After I finish reading a fantastic paperback, I love turning to the last pages of the book and getting a sneak preview of the author’s next novel. I’m pleased to say there’s a teaser at the end of the Extinction paperback, previewing the prologue and first chapter of my fourth book, The Furies. That novel will be published -- in hardcover -- next month.
February 12, 2013
EXTINCTION GOES ON SALE!
EXTINCTION is finally on sale! And today the Associated Press gave my novel a fantastic review that is appearing in newspapers across the country. To see the review, go to:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/enterta...
And for more details about EXTINCTION and the buy links for the book, go to my website:
www.markalpert.com
Thanks for your support! Mark Alpert
Extinction
http://www.washingtonpost.com/enterta...
And for more details about EXTINCTION and the buy links for the book, go to my website:
www.markalpert.com
Thanks for your support! Mark Alpert
Extinction
November 8, 2012
Vernor Vinge!
One of the great joys of being an author is getting praise from a writer you absolutely love. I recently got a blurb for my upcoming thriller EXTINCTION from Vernor Vinge, who I think is one of the best science fiction writers of our time. His best-known novel, A FIRE UPON THE DEEP, is a masterpiece. It describes a planet where the dominant life form is a race of dog-like creatures called Tines. The Tines run in packs, and the members of each pack share a collective "group mind" that is an amalgam of the intelligences of the pack members. What's more, this group mind changes its "personality" when pack members die and new creatures join the group. When I read the book years ago I thought this concept was outrageously cool, and I knew that one day I'd steal the idea and use it in one of my own books. And I finally got the chance to do it in EXTINCTION, which features a network of man-machine hybrids. When my editor and I talked about sending the book out for blurbs, I said, "Let's try Vinge, we have to try Vinge!" And now I'm overwhelmed and elated that he read my book. That's more important than the blurb itself, actually; I'm just so thrilled that he read it!
November 17, 2008
Sleeping Bear Dunes
One of my favorite places is the Sleeping Bear Dunes on the shore of Lake Michigan, about 25 miles west of Traverse City. It’s a vast mound of sand that Ice Age glaciers deposited on the lakeshore about 10,000 years ago. The westerly winds have been buffeting the mound ever since, sculpting the sand into mountainous dunes. There’s a parking lot at the foot of the easternmost dune; when you step out of your car you’ll see a long wall of sand, 130 feet high. Climbing the dune is harder than it looks because the sand is so powdery. With every stride you take up the slope, you slip down several inches. Even if you’re in great shape, getting to the top is exhausting. But when you reach the crest you’re treated to a gorgeous view of Michigan countryside, lakes and farms and forests mottled with the shadows of rapid clouds.
In July, my wife and I took our two children to Sleeping Bear and told them that if they could climb the dune ten times in a row they would earn the title of “dune goon.” This turned out to be a very powerful motivator. The kids trudged up and down the slope, occasionally dropping to their hands and knees and crawling on the sand like dying men in a New Yorker cartoon. I started to feel like an abusive parent. “It’s okay, kids,” I said. “You can stop.” But they shook their heads and labored onward. After an hour or so they finally reached the top for the tenth time. “We’re dune goons!” they yelled, dancing in the sand. Then they came hurtling down the slope in great flying leaps.
Get more on Mark Alpert at SimonandSchuster.com
In July, my wife and I took our two children to Sleeping Bear and told them that if they could climb the dune ten times in a row they would earn the title of “dune goon.” This turned out to be a very powerful motivator. The kids trudged up and down the slope, occasionally dropping to their hands and knees and crawling on the sand like dying men in a New Yorker cartoon. I started to feel like an abusive parent. “It’s okay, kids,” I said. “You can stop.” But they shook their heads and labored onward. After an hour or so they finally reached the top for the tenth time. “We’re dune goons!” they yelled, dancing in the sand. Then they came hurtling down the slope in great flying leaps.
Get more on Mark Alpert at SimonandSchuster.com
